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The unique
culture and long history makes Lhasa in Tibet a
shining pearl on the snow-covered plateau. Being the
Tibetan center of Buddhism throughout the centuries,
Lhasa boasts row upon row of magnificent Buddhist
buildings, including the well-known
Jokhang Temple,
Drepung Monastery,
Sera Monastery and
Ganden
Monastery.
Sera Monastery
Located at the foot of Tatipu Hill in the northern
suburb of Lhasa, the Sera Monastery is one of the
three famous monasteries in Lhasa together with the
Drepung Monastery and the Ganden Monastery. It is
also one of the six monasteries dedicated to the
Gelugpa or Yellow Hat Sect, which is a branch of
Tibetan Buddhism.
Sera Monastery was first built in 1419 and finished
in 1434 in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In Tibetan,
"Sera" means wild rose, it is so named because the
hill behind the monastery was covered with wild
roses after it was built. Covering an area of nearly
115,000 square meters, the magnificent monastery is
mainly composed of the Zhacang (college), Kamcun
(dormitory) and Coqen Hall. There were over 8,000
monks living in the monastery in its heyday. Its
scale ranks next to Drepung Monastery.
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The debating of Buddhist doctrines is the highlight
of Sera Monastery. Besides, the Shoton Festival
(June 30 to July 6 in Tibetan calendar) and the
Buddha-Unfolding Festival is also held in the
temple.
Chinese name of this monastery: Se La Si
Transportation: taxi
sources: xinhua net |
