Kham Nangchen

Nangchen is a county of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and is the southernmost county-level division of Qinghai province, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. It was one of the five kingdoms of the historical region of Kham. Nangchen town located in a side valley and on the right bank of the Dza Chu, upper reaches of the Mekong river.

Nangchen is the place where was able to maintain its Kagyupa heritage despite of influence from outside. Nangchen has both beautiful terrains of nomadic rolling grassland and the lower sheltered areas are cultivated fields to be seen, yet the vast pastures, dramatic limestone and sandstone cliffs, and pristine nature reserves combine to make Nangchen one of the most interesting and unspoilt part of Kham.

The Nangchen royal family belonged to the Dru clan. In 1240 the Mongol prince Godan Khan endowed a local monastery, Kumbum Monastery, which contained the reliquary of Tishri Repa Sherab Sengge, with an estate of tax-paying subjects and also sponsored the construction of Nangsochenmo Castle. A disciple of Tishri Repa called Trewo Alu became the secular leader of this region, soon to be called Nangchen after the castle. It was Trewo Alu’s son Chokyi Gyeltsen who became the first Nangchen king in 1300. Under Nangchen jurisdiction were twenty five autonomous tribes, including the Nangchen tribe itself, known as the twenty five tribes of Yushu.

Currently it is estimated there are 78 monasteries within the county, of which some 70% are Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and the remainder Sakya, Nyingma and Gelukpa in descending order.

The capital town is Sharda and 193km from Jyekundo to north, 160km from Zurmang Dultsedil to the northeast and 189km from Riwiche to the south.

Nangchen has some of the most beautiful and remote monasteries and temples hidden in the mountains of Nangchen high land.

Zurmang Namgyaltse Monastery

Zurmang Namgyal is located 60km east of Nangchen Sharda town in the Tsichu valley. The small town called Modrong is the place where Zurmang Namgyaltse is now. The original foundation dates from 15^thcentury when Trungpa Ma-se, a disciple of the fifth Karmapa constructed a “ Many cornered ” (Zurmang) meditation hut here. His disciples gathered in number and the local chieftain Adru Shelubum donated his castles (at both Namgyaltse and Dutsitil) to Trungpa Ma-se and his followers.

Three colleges also once existed here, the Dechen Dratsang on the higher slopes, the Lingpa Dratsang on the lower slopes, and the Lama Dratsang adjacent to the assembly hall. Nowadays there are 300 monks affiliated to Zurmang Namgyaltse, 200 of whom are studying in the monastic college under Khenpo Aten. The senior most Tulkus are Dengar Rinpoche, Rolpei Dorje and the young Trungpa Rinpoche, who moves between here and Dutsitil.

The oldest and original building is the assembly hall and the Gonkhang, assembly hall contains murals depicting Padmasambhava, Simhavaktra, Vajrayogini, Vajravarahi, Cakrasamvara, and various Kagyu lineage holders including Zhamapas and the founders of Zurmang. Gonkhang has images in its upper level depicting Bernakchen and his acolytes.

Gar Monastery

Gar monastery is located south of Nangchen Sharda town about 60km and built in 18^thcentury, it is also a Drigungpa monastery of Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. There are 50 monks, and most of them are young novices. They are studying under the guidance of Gargon Tulku and Gargon Chetsang.

There are small mani stone mounds and some dedicate murals depicting the lords of three enlightened families. The older buildings at Gar monastery were restored in 1980s. The new Tsuklhakhang alongside them has excellent gilded copper images on the left wall depicting Gampopa, Milarepa, Marpa, Naropa, Tilopa, and Vajradhara. The inner sanctum contains images of Amitayus, Drigung Kyabgon and Padmasambhava. 

Gechak Nunnery

Gechak is a nunnery named after its founder, the charismatic Gechak Tsangyang Gyatso, and although established only in 1893, it is now the largest nunnery in the Qinghai province, there is 400 nuns under the guidance of 4 Lamas including Nang se Tulku and Lama Wangdrak. Nang Se Tulku is revered as the incarnation of the nunnery’s founder.

The Tsuklakhang contains a large image of Padmasambhava and upstairs are the Zhitro Lhakhang, the Tsedruk Lhakhang, dedicated to Amitayus, and a residential apartment, altogether there are 16 hermitages used by hermit nuns for specific practice. The Kangyur Lhakhang above the Tsuklhakhang contains Derge canon, the reliquary stupas of Lama Achung, Loro Wangchung, Tangchok and Gechak Tsangyang Gyatso. There are also large clay images of Vajrasattva and four armed Avalokiteshvara, and a number of old images, kept in glass cabinets and other treasures, offered in the past by the Kings of Nangchen.

 

Dana Senge Namdzong

Dana monastery is located 150km west of Nangchen Sharda town and was founded by the Sangye Yelpa Yeshe Tsepa in 1188, an actual student of Phakmodrupa, where there is also a reliquary stupa built for Phakmodrupa.

The monastery is located below the “horse ear’ shaped twin limestone peaks of Mt Dana, and its assembly hall contains chapels replete with relics attributed to the epic warrior King Gesar, which were donated by the monastery’s founder by Ling clan, following Gesar’s death.

Tsechu Monastery

Tsechu monastery is located exactly at the Nangchen Gar, the heart of the ancient kingdom of Nangchen, to which the 25 clans of Mekong grasslands held allegiances. Formarlly known as Dongak Shedrub Choling, Tsechu monastery is belong to Drukpa Kagyu and was founded in the 18^thcentury by Palden Gyurme Tsewang, the fifth incarnate Lama of Tsabzhi Gon.

Currently there are 200 monks and the Tsuklhakhang has a monastic college and alongside a new temple constructed by Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Within the ground floor of Tsuklhakhang, there are many painted scrolls and embalmed remains of Adi Rinpoche. The inner sanctum contains clay images of four armed Avalokiteshvara. Vajrasattva, Shakyamuni, Padmasambhava and green Tara. Continue upstairs to the next level , there are three chapels, to the left is the Drukpa Lhakhang, contains 13 wood carved meditational deities of Drukpa Kagyu tradition, Amitayus, four armed Avalokiteshvara, Akshobhya, white Tara and so forth.