Wutun Si | Sanggayshung Monastery

Wutun Si Monastery or Shange Shong Monastery in Tibetan is located in Shangeshong Village on the east bank of Rongwo Guchu River, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is divided into Upper (Yango) Shangeshong and Lower (Mango) Shangeshong Monastery, 7km from the Rebkong town. Shangeshong is the most concentrated and typical monastery in which Rebkong Thangka paintings and arts are collected, and many beautiful arts are stored in the temple. The murals, piles, paintings and sculptures in the temple are vivid in shape, with fine workmanship and colorful draws, Shangeshong monastery is one of the monasteries in Qinghai Province where many precious cultural relics remain.

Upper Shangeshong monastery is also is called “Palden ChojurLing” in Tibetan. It was built in 1385. It is located on the east side of Shangeshong Yago village, 7km from Rebkong town. The temple was formerly known as the Thigmo Temple, The founder of the monastery is the 4^th reincarnation of a great scholar called Drakar Dawa and he is also the student of the 1^st Shar Kelden Gyatso, the highest lama of Rongwo monastery in Rebkong. Since then Shangeshong Yago monastery is a branch monastery of Rongwo monastery. The monastery is belong to Geluk sect of Tibetan Budhism. The Great Prayers Festival is the main religious activity of the whole monastery. The Cham Dance is also held on the seventh day of the first month. After 1981, the Maitreya Temple was rebuilt,. Shangeshong Yago monastery is known as the “Rebkong Art School”. The monks are talented at painting and sculpture.

Shangeshong Mago monastery is called “Gaden Phuntsokling” in Tibetan, The main hall is about 25 meters long and 18 meters wide. It is located on the east side of Shangeshong Mago Village, 7 kilometers east of Rongwo town. According to the legend, The Tibetan King Triralpachen sent the Tibetan armies to the far north eastern Tibet and during that period of time and the Tibetan armies built a small monasteryat the current location of Shangeshong Mago monastery and also called Mago Nyingpa. later, the teacher of the 1^st Shar Kelden Gyatso called Dongkor Dorje Gyatso founded the current Shangeshong monastery and converted to the Gelug Sect.

In the middle of the seventeenth century, one of the disciples of the Keldan Gyatso combined the current monastery with the old Mago Nyingpa temple and made both monasteries as one. Since then, the temple has been repaired or rebuilt three times. As of 1958, the monastery had one Assembly Hall, Maitreya Hall and Protectors Temple, one kitchen house, and about 200 rooms in the 5 courtyards.

The entrance fee of Wutun Si Monasteries are 30CNY per person respectively.