introduce
The full name of Songzanlin Temple is Gadan Songzanlin Temple, also known as Guihua Temple. It is a large Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan and the center of Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect) in Sichuan and Yunnan. The temple was built in 1679 A.D., and it was built on the mountain. It looks quite similar to the Potala Palace in Lhasa from a distance. Because of its large scale, it has the reputation of "Little Potala Palace".
Songzanlin Temple faces south from the north, with an oval city wall built around it. The two main halls of Zhacang and Jikang are located at the commanding heights in the center of the temple. The main hall is a five-story Tibetan-style building with carved beams and painted buildings, and the top is a gilded copper golden roof, which is resplendent and magnificent. The Zhacang Hall is a place where monks study classics and study teachings. The back hall houses bronze statues of Tsongkhapa and Maitreya Buddha. In the center of Jikang Hall is the Buddha statue of Master Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug Sect, and the walls are painted with eight great pharmacist Buddhas, which are exquisite. Around the two main halls, the Eight Great Kangshen and monk houses are clustered around, and the heights are scattered, and the two main halls against the background are becoming taller and more majestic.
Songzanlin Temple not only has exquisite architecture, but also has a lot of religious instruments and precious cultural relics in the temple. Among them are eight gold-covered Sakyamuni Buddha statues, Beiye Sutra, five-color golden juice finely painted thangka, golden lamp and ten scriptures of "Tanjuer", two of which are gold juice handwritten scripts, which are extremely precious. However, many treasures are not easy to show people. On the third floor of the Dratsang Hall, there is a photo of "the sun and the moon shine together in the Meili Snow Mountain" hanging outside the scripture room of a living Buddha. It was taken by a photographer in the 1980s. It is very precious and unique. If you are interested, you may wish to take a look.
Although Songzanlin Temple occupies a large area, the tour route is relatively simple. After entering the gate of the temple, there is a steep slope of 146 steps. After climbing up vigorously, you will arrive at the square in front of the main hall. Standing here, you can look at Shangri-La County. However, in Shangri-La, which is more than 3,000 meters above sea level, it is still necessary to control this kind of strenuous exercise, and it is recommended to walk slowly.
Every year from November 26th to 29th in the Tibetan calendar is the annual Gedong Festival in the Shangri-La region. This is not only a grand dharma meeting where the gods and protectors of Tibetan Buddhism appear in the world, but also a gathering for Tibetan people to visit Buddha, celebrate a good harvest, and pray for happiness and auspiciousness in the coming year. On this day, Songzanlin Monastery will hold a grand dance of gods, and Tibetans from all around will gather in the monastery, and the scene is very lively.
opening hours
07:30-20:00 throughout the year (last admission 18:00); the scenic area closes at 20:00 and must leave the park before 19:30
Preferential treatment policy
Service Facilities
must see tips
1. The average altitude of the Shangri-La area is 3,300 meters. Strenuous exercise is not suitable to avoid high altitude reactions.
2. The weather in the Shangri-La area is dry and the ultraviolet rays are strong. Remember to bring sunscreen and replenish water as much as possible.
3. Songzanlin Temple is a Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect) temple. You cannot wear sunglasses and hats when entering the main hall of the temple. When entering the temple, follow the principle of entering from the left and exiting from the right. When encountering prayer wheels, you need to turn clockwise. Buddha statues in the main hall are not suitable for use Finger pointing.
4. There are local Tibetans "enthusiastically" inviting you to take a group photo outside the gate of the temple. It is recommended to ask about the situation: whether there is a fee and how much it is. in order to avoid disputes.
5. After buying the ticket from the ticket office, there is still about 1.8 kilometers away from the gate of the temple. You can take a sightseeing bus to arrive, and the fare is included in the ticket.