Rich and Colorful Religious Culture in Chamdo

The Chamdo Prefecture has various religious sects, which houses nearly all monasteries from the original Tibetan Bon religion to Tibetan Buddhism. To date, the prefecture has established more than 530 religious sites. There are the Gelug, White, Red and Bon sects, with over 23,000 monks and nuns, who account for 3.9 percent of the total peasants and herdsmen in the prefecture.

The Zezhol, Dingqen and Yomzhong Bari are famous monasteries of the Bon religion. The Zezhol Monastery, in particular, is one of the largest existing monasteries, with the most followers and the most complete ritual ceremonies of the Bon religious sect in eastern Tibet. It can be traced back nearly 3,000 years. Many monasteries established in the recovering period of Tibetan Buddhism, including the Xue Monastery of the Macang Gagyu Sect, the Garma Monastery of the Garma Gagyu Sect and the Yanggong Monastery and Chagyima Hall in Riwoqe of the Dalung Gagyu Sect, all play an important part in Tibetan history. The Garma Monastery was set up by the revered monk Duisong Qenba in 1185. The Garma Gagyu sect, therefore, became the first one to carry out the living Buddha reincarnation system in Tibetan Buddhism. The buildings in the monastery have their special features. The big hall has a hip-and-gable roof, which was covered with glazed tiles. The middle eaves are in the shape of lion claw designed and made by Tibetan craftsmen; the left and right are dragon mustache and elephant nose like flying eaves respectively constructed by Chinese and Naxi craftsmen. The 17-meter-high Maitreya Buddha consecrated in the big hall is the largest clay figurine preserved in the Chamdo Prefecture. The willow said to be brought from inland China by Garma Pashi still grows vibrantly, and the tower holding bones of Duisong Qenba remains perfect today.

The self-emerging Maitreya Buddha in Xangdui of Chagyab is famous across the snowy plateau. Sagya monasteries built by Pagba of the Sagya Sect include the Tangxag Monastery, the Shoda Monastery, the Warab Monastery, the Zesong Monastery and the Gyiren Monastery. The Qambaling Monastery completed in 1444 is the earliest and largest monastery of the Gelug sect in the Kham area, which preserves the bronze seal granted by Emperor Khamxi to Pabala in 1719 and the horizontal board inscribed with "Zhuli Monastery" by Emperor Qianlong in 1717. Senior living Buddhas are all appointed by the Central Government. The Qambaling Monastery contains five living Buddha systems and 12 Zhacang, with the most monks numbering 3,500. Nearly 70 monasteries are under its jurisdiction. Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, now Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, is the greatest living Buddha of the monastery. Till now, the reincarnation has been conducted 11 times. Main buildings of the monastery remain in good shape. In the scripture hall hundreds of pictures of all kinds of Buddhas and revered monks, murals measuring nearly 1,000 square meters and many Tangka paintings are preserved. All these show the wisdom of workers in Chamdo and their high quality craftsmanship.

The Tongka Monastery set up in 1473 in Baxoi belongs to Gongdeling, one of the four Prince Regents under the Tibetan local government. It contributed much to the unification of China, unity between the Tibetan and Han people and the enhancement of exchanges between Tibetan and Han culture. Especially after Lobsang Badain Gyaincain, the seventh living Buddha of the monastery, took the post of Kampus (abbot) in the Yonghe Lamasery of Beijing, the religious and cultural exchanges of Tibet and inland China became more frequent. Many cultural relics can now be found in the monastery, including the Buddha cast by ancient India, by Tibetan craftsmen in the Tubo period and by craftsmen from inland. About 1,000 meters away from the monastery is a Buddhist tower, 25 meters high. It is the highest ancient tower in the Chamdo Prefecture. The Yanjing Catholic Church, the only one of its kind in Tibet, possesses a large number of Tibetan or Naxi believers. Also, the sound of scripture reciting can often be heard in the mosques in Chamdo.

Besides, there are many famous and mysterious sacred mountains in the Chamdo Prefecture, such as the Senqen Namzha Mountain in Gyamda, the Deqen Phodrang Mountain in Riwoqe, the Gobu Mountain in Chamdo and the Dola Mountain in Baxoi. The Senqen Namzha Mountain was regarded the most sacred of the 25 sacred mountains in the Kham area. This is where the famous religious master Padmasambahva and revered monks of Nyingma and Gagyu sects Deqen Qiugyi Lingba and Garma Pashi practiced and worshipped, so it is highly regarded. Each June 15th in the Tibetan calendar, all people will dress themselves gorgeously and bring delicious wine and food to go toward the sacred mountains to worship. Whether they worship the hand print on their ritual walk around or kowtow to the delicately made stone Buddha, or whether the sacrifices offered for harvest or peace or pleasant dances, whether the leaves picked up for burning incenses or the head of a cow or a sheep, all of them reflect Tibetans' yearning for a good harvest. This also demonstrates the national religious policies of the Central Government.