Shachung Monastery, also spelled as Xiaqiong Monastery, Shachong Monastery, is located at 30km to the west of Hualong county and 105km southeast of Xining city in Qinghai Province. This region belongs to Amdo Tibet culturally.
Overlooking of Shachung Monastery on the cliff.
Perched on top of a mountain ridge shaped like the mythical Garuda bird, which the name of the monastery came to being. It does look like the Garuda bird resting on the high cliff watching over the open valley.
The gate of Shachung Monastery assembly Hall.
Shachung Monastery one of the oldest monasteries in Qinghai Province, built in 1349 by Cheje Dondrup Rinchen (1309-1385) who was the first mentor of Je Tsongkhapa, the founder of Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. Master Tsongkhapa spent his youth(age of 4-17) studied Buddhism in this monastery. He left Shachung Monastery when he was 17 years old to Lhasa for advanced studied of Buddhism. There were more than 800 monks in it’s peak. Even today, it still holds one of the biggest monastery in Amdo with more than 250 monk residence. From 7th to 10th Dalai Lama’s teachers were studied in this monastery which gave an idea the importance of this monastery in Tibetan Buddhism.
Je Tsongkhapa’s Statue in Shachong monastery in Amdo Tibet.
Shachung is also one of the four greatest monasteries of northern Dzongchu River, a tributary of Yellow River. The others are Serkok monastery (Guanghui Si), Gonlung Monastery (Youning Si) and Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si).
Monks from Shachung Monastery in Amdo Tibet.
From its location on the mountain, hike along the mountain ridge while taking in views of Tibetan farming fields on one side, and of a steep cliff that overlooks the Yellow River on the other side. This part of Yellow River is the most beautiful and clean part of the Yellow River. The location, big open valley and bends of Yellow River makes the monastery one of the most beautiful monasteries in Amdo. If time allows, you can make a kora around the monastery which takes about 40 minutes.
The view of Yellow River from Shachung monastery in Qinghai.
The Shachung monastery complex consists of 6 temples including Temple of Dorje Padmo Deity, main assembly hall, protector hall, Manjushri Hall, Tara Hall and Je Tsongkhapa’s meditation cave. The first temple next to Giant Statue of Je Tsongkhapa is the Dorje Padmo Temple. This is a deity who gives children to those couples who could not bear children. Once this child is born, one of the names of the child called after this deity Padmo.
Dorje Padmo Deity in Shachung Monastery in Amdo Tibet.
There are two routes to get to this monastery. You can either travel from Xining to Shachung Monastery which takes about 2 hours or travel from Rebkong / Tongren to Shachung Monastery which is about 100km and takes 2.5 hours.
There is no entrance fee is required in the monastery. However, the monasteries are maintained by donations, so it is recommended to offer small donation in the temples.
