Shalu Monastery

Shalu Monastery is a small monastery 22 km south of Shigatse in Tibet. Founded in 1040 by Chetsun,who got advice from his tutor to fire an arrow and trust the wisdom of Buddha that it will indicate the perfect location to build the Shalu Monastery. The flying arrow hit a new bud, hence the name Shalu which means "new bud" in Tibetan. For centuries it was renowned as a centre of scholarly learning and psychic training and its mural paintings were considered to be the most ancient and beautiful in Tibet. The portrait of Bodhisattva in Shalu Monastery is quite different from those of other temples. The artistic style is a combination of Chinese inland and exotic culture. Xalhulhakang, the main structure of Shalu monastery, is architecturally distinctive.

The hall has an arch-like ceiling covered with glazed tiles. The steep eaves are like the wings of a flying bird. The structure is a complete replica of inland temples. The Monastery consists of two floors. On the first floor lies a main hall for assembly. The statues of Sakyamuni and his disciples are worshiped there. The layout of the second floor is a typical Chinese quadrangle. The murals here are exquisitely painted and vivid, demonstrating the features of the Yuan Dynasty's paintings. Shalu has four treasures which are of notable value. One is a sutra board, which is 700 years old and cannot be reassembled once broken apart, a piece of sutra printed against the board is regarded as good luck.

The other is a brass urn, which is usually covered with a piece of red cloth and sealed; the holy water is said to be the purest water in the world. The water, renewed every 12 years, can cure 108 kinds of diseases and cleanse away filth and dirt. Another is a stone basin, which was the washbasin of Chetsun, the builder of Shalu Monastery. And the last one is a stone tablet, which was uncovered in the first construction of Shalu Monastery. The tablet displays a mantra which reads "om mani Padme Hum" and has four dagoba carved into it. Here are some guide information for your tour to Shalu Monastery. Address: 20 kilometers southeast of Shigatse. Admission Fee: CNY 40. Contact Number: 86- 10-85968802

LOCATION OF SHALU

The monastery is located about 20 km southeast of Shigatse and 69 km from Gyantse. It is best to visit Shalu from either Gyantse or Shigatse.

If you are traveling from Lhasa, you might not reach it before it closes. Many monastery chapels are closing early in the afternoon.

When you make a turn towards the Shalu monastery, first you will drive by the Gyengong Lhakhang located to the right from the road.

GYENGONG LHAKHANG

Gyengong Lhakhang is said to be the first temple built in Tibet at the beginning of the Later Diffusion of Buddhism in 997. Its founder was Loton Dorje Wangchuk, a disciple of Lachen Gongpa Rabsel, and teacher of Jetsun Sherab Jungne. The main image in Gyengong Lhakhang is of Dorje Rabtenma, a form of the protectress Shridevi.

In the 13th century, Sakya Pandita received ordination as a Buddhist monk in Gyengong Lhakhang.

The restored Protectors chapel lies to the left of the entrance. Outside of the Chapel, there is a stone basin, that Sakya Pandita used following his ordination.

Pilgrims always visit a mushroom growing from one of the entrance pillars and protected by glass. It started growing when Gyengong’s incarnate lama was born in India.

Shalu monastery architecture is different from all other monasteries in Tibet because of its Chinese architectural details. The Chinese-style roof is made of yellow and green glazed tiles with carvings. The main monastery was built in the 11th century. The complex was severely damaged by the earthquake in the 14th century. Han construction workers and artisans were hired to rebuild the monastery’s main temple Serkhang Temple. Although the complex was damaged during the Cultural Revolution, the main temple remained almost intact as it served as a storeroom.

Monks living quarters in the Northern part of the complex were home to 3,800 monks. Nowadays around 80 monks live in Shalu.

The Serkhang Temple of Shalu stands within Shalu village. Chetsun Sherab Jungnay originally built the temple in 1040. After the earthquake in 1290 and 1333 Gonpopel, Drakpa Gyeltsen and Buton Rinchendrub renovated the temple with the help of Mongolian emperor Oljadu. To the left from the main temple, there is a protector’s chapel. There are ancient murals there as well, however, it is hard to see them.

After the 14th-century reconstruction, the main entrance of the temple was turned into a wall. The main entrance is now on the right side of the temple.

The stunning interior murals reveal the influence of Mongol, Newari, Tibetan, and Chinese art styles.