Gzang Monastery

　　   Introduction       Its full name is Gzang Banjue Ling, which translates to “Land of Auspicious Prosperity” in Chinese. It is located in Danglong Village, Chenwen Valley, Chengduo County, about 5 kilometers east of the county seat. Legend has it that during its peak in the Yuan Dynasty, the monastery comprised 23 temples, 5 halls, 6 meditation chambers, and over 500 monk dormitories, housing more than ten thousand monks. Under the leadership of Dampa Rinpoche, it thrived as a center for scripture teaching and practice, enjoying great prestige during a flourishing period of Buddhism.

　　    In 1987, the 13th Lobsang Sangye Sengge oversaw the reconstruction of the scripture hall, fasting hall, Dharmapala hall, monks' assembly hall, as well as Tibetan medical facilities and printing rooms. The halls enshrine a Universal Buddha statue, Vajra Dharma Protector statue, the Five Vajra Deities including the Twelve-faced Avalokiteshvara carved in stone, a conch shell bestowed by Phagpa, a nine-pronged vajra bell made of meteoric iron, prayer beads and seal of Dampa Rinpoche, an invaluable alloy Buddha statue, along with gold leaf thangkas, among others. The surrounding area features statues of Thangtong Gyalpo, Buddha images, stupas, and prayer wheels. In 1998, it was designated as a key cultural relic protection unit of Qinghai Province.

　　    Yushu Prefecture, Qinghai Province