Labrang Monastery (Labuleng Si)

Labrang Monastery (Labuleng Si)

Labrang Monastery (Labuleng Si)
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
Considered one of the six great monasteries of the Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) Sect, this complex contains more than 2,000 monks in residence plus eighteen halls, six institutes of learning, a golden stupa and nearly 60,000 sutras.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.

4.5
228 reviews
Excellent
139
Very good
75
Average
10
Poor
4
Terrible
0

MacArthur114
Frankfurt, Germany1 contribution
Nov 2013 • Solo
I go to the Labrang Monastery with the Tibet Mandala Tours agency. Their guide is really good and showed many of the explanations of the monastery. Very many statues, and great buildings. Much history here. I liked it very much and recomend to others. If you are in the region and like Buddhism, you should really go here.
Written November 9, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lozang N
Xining2 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
Labrang, or "Xiahe" as it is known in Chinese, has one of the biggest monasteries within the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo (mainly present-day Qinghai). It rose to prominence in the 17th century, and started overtaking the Reb-gong monastery in regional influence, and has been hugely important ever since. Historically, then, the site is highly relevant to both local and wider Tibetan history.

Culturally, too, the area is fascinating. The Labrang monastery grounds itself contain numerous temples and halls, filled to the brim with fascinating and colorful Buddhist statues, teeming with numerous monks, and sometimes overflowing with tourists as well. (Timing is everything: try to avoid going to early in the day, and later in the year the tourist levels are lower than during the Summer months).

The upsides of the compound are as briefly described above: if you're interested in Tibetan Buddhism, this is a place you will not want to skip. For the lived realities of Tibetan Buddhism books and so on do not cut it; Go see a real place with real people. Labrang may well end up ranking high on your final list, and it is definitely more easily accessible than are the Central Tibetan temples and monasteries (the Jokhang, Ganden, Drepung etc.), as Qinghai does not require any additional permits besides your Chinese visa. Labrang's combination of history and cultural abundance make for a great trip.

Other upsides are presented by the surrounding region. Encircling the area are higher elevated grass plains inhabited by nomads. Both can be combined very well, especially when traveling with an agency that has inroads among the nomadic population. I trekked there with Mandala Tibet Tours from Rebgong (Tongren), after a very positive experience in Tongren (the standard first stop when moving south of Xining). The trek there was fabulous.

The only downside of Labrang can be it's excessive attraction to tourists. This has caused the monastery to even go so far as to install turn-stiles, which does not really add to the charm of the place, and also has caused the fees to rise up to some 40 RMB, which is far cheaper than the 80 of Kumbum, but still the price of two good meals in a local restaurant. As described above, however, at least much of the crowds can be circumvented with a tad of clever timing.

A final word to the wise, do not make the mistake of making this a simple day-trip, popping by the monastery and moving on directly afterwards. Try and dig slightly deeper, and you'll find plenty of both natural and cultural gems around here, which unfortunately generally disappear into the shade of the central monastery's fame, and are therefore far less traveled and well-known. This only presents all the more opportunity for you, so go grab it, I'd say.
Written October 14, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dillen_Fried
Antwerp, Belgium150 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
I was there in September with a group of 10 people. In the afternoon we did the English guided tour. We visited the main buildings, but missed the “action”. Next morning we went to Early Morning Prayers (06:30) in the main assembly hall. We had the full ceremony with “Tibetan throat singing” , cymbals and drums, monks singing the mantra’s, cerebral washing of the Buddha image, pilgrims prostrating in front of it. With awe we sad there for about an hour feeling the spiritualism and mysticism .
You can do the regular Kora around the monastery. But don’t forget the Upper Kora. You start at the white stupa next to the entrance at the east side of the monastery. You first have a steep climb but you arrive at a plateau 150 m above the valley with a great view of the monastery, the residential compounds of the monks, all the halls and temples . You continue for about 2 km and arrive at the western side at a small stupa with prayers flags. From here there is a small track going down to the village and you arrive back at the other side of the valley and monastery.
Written November 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liu Y
Xi'an, China241 contributions
Oct 2016 • Friends
This is my seventh time to visit the Labrang monastery in early October 2016. With the other six times to XiaHe county in the past years escorting tour groups for the visit. The road from Lanzhou to XiaHe is times better than before in conditions, it saves much time spent on the road. If departing from LanZhou in the morning after breakfast, you could just have lunch at XiaHe county. The Labrang monastery is still active that the temple complex is massive. From morning to the evening, you are able to see with your eyes the Tibetan pilgrims walking along the corridor of the prayer wheels, the Lamas are walking in&out of the chapels. The treasure housed in the temple illustrates the history of this place and it is likely a little Tibet. Also, this is a place where Tibetan people are the majority in population, their culture, customs, language are dominating the life from architecture to the street life, almost at every corner.
XiaHe country is a place that visitors are able to experience and know the authentic Tibetan culture without applying for the Tibet Travel Permit.
If time permits, From LanZhou to XiaHe, you may also set aside several hours to have a boat ride to visit the BingLing Temple hidden in the gorges of the Yellow River. Other than flying into Lanzhou to reach XiaHe, the bullet train will be open in late 2017 from Xi'an to LanZhou that will make everything more efficiency.
Please be advised that it is better to visit the monastery in the morning, At the ticket office, there is consulting service in English, visitors who would like to acquire more information about the history, religion, they have the guide speaking English leading visitors through the temple complex with English orientation.

By the way, XiaHe county is located to the south of GanSu Province, please make sure to bring warm clothes or at least thick layers, Because early in the morning and evebing, it is bit cold sometimes, Summer will be a lot better, but still a lot cooler in the morning. Also, make sure to bring the sunglasses and sun lotion because of the strong sun light during the day.
Written February 10, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Skylyn9
31 contributions
Jun 2015
First off, the indication of the tourist and information center can be easily spotted on the Main Street. However, the building is written only in Chinese and Tibetan. It took us asking a few people to find where it was. It is the new and big building with a huge parking lot. It is right behind a little room with a hospital sign on it (we thought at first the tourist center was a hospital). Tourist center closed from about 11-13h for lunch.
The monastery in itself is free to walk around. Two guided English tour by monks at 10 am and 3 pm. Tickets are 40 CNY each person. Tour lasted about 45 minutes. The monk will show you a few of the main buildings (which you cannot see without the tickets).
It is worth doing the pilgrim path around the monastery. You see pilgrims from dawn to dusk following the kora. You even see a few doing it on their knees. You really see how much faith they have in their religion.
We spend a few hours just walking around the monastery and watching the pilgrims and monks. At about 1130 they have their daily prayers. Quite impressive to watch. You can hear the monks prayers and watch from the outside.
There are other smaller monastery on the way. You would need to pay around 10-20 CNY each site to enter.
It is quite cold in the morning (needing jacket, gloves and hat if you have) and during the afternoon very hot. Once the sun starts to set, it gets cold quite easily.
One of the highlights of the trip!
Written June 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

worldnomad_01
Los Angeles, CA1,634 contributions
Sep 2014 • Couples
We found Labrang to be an amazing place, on par with any of the great monasteries of Tibet or Ladakh (perhaps the closest comparison would be the Tashilumpo Gompa complex in Shigahtse). It is not one monastrey but a complex of amazing and wonderful monasteries, full of statues and statuettes, thankas, frescoes,offerings, incents smoke, pilgrims and monks. It hosts a huge library and it is also a place where hundreds of monks live and study. A few times we spent time watching and listening to monks chanting in that very low, from deep-inside tone which, together with the sounds, of the horn, the cymbals, the trumpets and of the big drum, plus the smoke of the incents made us forget reality and transposed us into a different realm....
We watched young students debating in that unique Tibetan style (a challenger and a defender clapping, gesturing, foot stomping), old people doing the parikarma by prostrating all the way and everybody turning the numerous, nicely decorated prayer wheels at the entrance of the complex. For a good, overall view of the entire complex go on the top of a small hill to the left and let it all sink in. You can spend here anywhere from 2-3 hours to an entire day, depending on how much time you have and how much you'd like to see and observe/watch. Lovers of all Tibetan things will find this place amazing and we surely did.
Written October 2, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sam D
Beijing, China1 contribution
Oct 2012 • Couples
Fully agree with all the positive comments on Labrang - for an expat who lives in Beijing, this was a really special experience. Make an effort to get to Langmusi as well, very special place, and even more "off-the-beaten track".

I'd like to invite anyone thinking of getting a guide to Xiahe/Langmusi and regions in-between to consider getting in touch with Clary at Nomad Travel. Clary is Dutch, has lived in the region for many years, is married to a Tibetan gentleman and has many amazing insights into the region and its people which she generously shares. If you want a first-hand glimpse and a deeper understanding of the fast-disappearing Tibetan nomadic lifestyle, and some of the complexities of modern-day China, she is the one to turn to. She arranged all hotels, transport etc etc. Brilliant and well worth it. Our trip was fly in to Langzhou and drive to Xiahe, two nights Xiahe, drive to Langmusi, two nights Langmusi, drive back to Xiahe, one night Xiahe, then drive back to Langzhou and fly 'home' to Beijing.

Also, don't let all the negative complaints about the hotels in Xiahe etc stop you from going. These reviews are no doubt mostly accurate (my experiences were roughly similar), but these hotels are certainly no worse than anywhere else in rural China! And the payoff for gettting to Xiahe and Lamngmusi is immeasurable - certainly worth a night or two of mild discomfort about which you can then relate to your friends for years to come.
Written January 10, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ariellek_bj
Beijing, China38 contributions
Feb 2012 • Solo
I arrived too early -- tickets for the guided tour are sold only after 09.30. Instead of having me wait outside, a monk invited me to sit indoors and offered me tea. I ended up having a "breakfast" of a bowl of 1) yak butter, very tough and chewy cheese and tsampa/ground barley flour mixture and 2) bread fried with rape seed oil, and a nice conversation with the monks.

OK but I don't just recommend this monastery because of I got some free food.

Labrang Monastery has gone through so much -- 300 years of religious order being the ruling class and land-owning class; conflict during the Cultural Revolution, with all the monks sent to labor re-education; and a period of re-building since the 1980s. I was charmed because as you walk through the whole monastery and walk the kora (pilgrim path), you can see signs of all this history.

This monastery is a living piece of history, and is full of contrasts and blends of old and new. The monks and the pilgrims are low profile and keep to themselves -- there are currently 900+ monks living, working and studying on the premises, and the pilgrims outnumber tourists at any time of the year. It was quite touching for me (as a non-religious person) to see pilgrims who have walked in prostration (Tibetan kowtow) for hundreds of kilometres to this monastery -- one of the top 6 monasteries in the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

At the same time some beggars have appeared to harass tourists for money, and the locals play gambling games openly on the east side of the kora, on the slope leading back to Renmin Xijie (Renmin West Street). These served as reminders of modern life.

The re-building effort can be seen from the stupa called Gongtang Chorten, on the southwest side of the kora. Climb to the roof top to see some golden murals with their donors names, stating "Built with donation from American-based Tibetan XXX[name]".

As Labrang Monastery is also a revered institution for Tibetan medical studies, I ventured to a Tibetan medicine clinic on the southeastern side of the kora. Tibetan medicine is not for the faint-hearted. For those who might contemplate trying: I would say that the treatment and pills were very reasonably priced.
Written March 1, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

NathanSaltLakeCity
Salt Lake City, UT22 contributions
Jun 2018 • Solo
I was just coming from Dunhuang, so I didn't bring pants. That made the journey a little more chilling than I would have liked. Still, it got to about 8 degrees Celsius at night so prepare accordingly. The English tours are once in the morning and afternoon. I know the one in the afternoon is at 3:15. The morning one I think is 10:something o'clock. Be sure to climb to the top of the building with the golden spire (it's 20 yuan, but well worth it). Food in town is traditional tibetan food, but the Nomad Restaurant across from the temple does serve some western food.

Oh...walk clock-wise around the temple.
Written June 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

VeronAng
Singapore, Singapore481 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
This is a must visit when you are in Xiahe. It is huge and so serene just strolling and visiting the place. There will be an English speaking monk to lead the tour in the morning at 10.45am. So be there on time. We happened to be there when the monks assemble for a prayer. Prayer hall was filled with monks and chanting, so peaceful and serene just listening to the chanting. Be aware that there is strictly no photography, one tourist had his cellphone confiscated after caught taking photos despite warning signs.
Written June 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Labrang Monastery (Labuleng Si), Xiahe County

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