Kumbum Monastery

Reaching this place was one of the most complicated information to find, but we made it 💪 From Xining, find a stop where you can grab the bus 909. The ride is around an hour and a half and costs 4rmb. Be sure to have the exact amount for both ways because they are not giving you back any change, and you are not given tickets that you might be able to use for the way back. Indeed, we got tricked as we thought the little invoice that you can grab would help us show that we already paid a return ticket as we had no change, and it was a hard task to convince the driver to let us through. Ride the bus until the end of the line, and then walk around 10 minutes to reach the temple. Once there, cross the plaza and look at the buildings on your left to buy tickets (it's not clearly indicated so follow the people with tickets to see where they come from). One ticjet costs 70rmb per person. Once inside, we got offered to do a private tour with a tibetan man (unofficial guide) and we decided to get on with him to get more insight and understanding. Well, let me tell you that we did not regret it. Our guide explained to us a lot about the history of the temple, built by Tsongkhapa's mother, an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk who lived 700 years ago. He is the founder of the Tibetan Buddhism yellow hat school (or Gelug). He also the teacher of the first Dalaï Lama. Apparently, the first temple was built by Tsongkhapa's mother because she was missing her son. She built the temple around a Buddha tree who is said to be alive in the pagoda, and on its leaves there are faces of the Buddha. He is now seen as the second Buddha in the yellow hat tradition (the first one being Sakyamuni, also known as Siddhartha Gautama). The place is home to hundreds of monks and 14 living Buddhas. There's also a beautiful pagoda named the pagoda of peace that was built during WWII. The most impressive room in the temples was the one of the Yak butter sculpture. It's very recent (2013) but is magnificent. The carving and painting inside the building are mesmerizing, and the sculptures made by monks are so detailed, one may wonder how it can possible to do that. The sculptures are kept behind windows, inside a refrigerated space as it would melt otherwise. We have been informed that every year, the designs change. We also had the pleasure to admire well made embroideries and painting on several buildings, some having never been restored since they had been made (which is truly impressive as you can still see well). Having a guide for this place was definitely a must, as Buddhism can be hard to understand, especially with the many different branches that exist. It's a short trip, even though it's a been tedious to get there, it's definitely worth it if you have the time. 💰Average Price per Person: 70rmb/person 💞Reasons to Recommend: spiritual, important Tibetan temple 🚌How to Get There: from Xining, take the bus 909 🕰️Business Hours: 7.30 am - 6pm ⏱️How Long to Visit: 2 hours