Lamaling Monastery

Built in the 1930s as a monastery of the Nyingmapa Sect (the Red Sect), the Lamaling Monastery prides itself in being the largest and the most significant monastery of Tibetan Buddhism in the Nyingchi Region. It boasts the remains of stones upon which Padmasambhava, founder of the Nyingmapa Sect, left his footprints and the exquisite murals which are rated as a superb feature of eastern Tibet. It benefits from the location in the lower reaches of the Nyang River, an area where it is said the religious contests between Buddhism and Bon once took place. Moreover, tourists are particularly attracted by the Monastery's peculiar worship of genitalia. Also worthy of note are spectacles of Tibetan mastiff flocks and a mix of monks and nuns.

    Lamaling Monastery is located in the village of Burqug, about 30km (19 miles) southeast to Bayi Town. At the gate of the monastery stand two huge wooden male and female genitalia beside two stone lions. Originally introduced from Bon which has a worship of nature, male genitalia worship* in monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism, especially those of the Nyingmapa Sect, is a common spectacle, purporting to prevent devils. However, it is only in the Lamaling Monastery that both male and female genitalia are being worshipped.   A passage lush with blossoms and shrubs on both sides leads into the main hall, a resplendent three-storey building where the statue of Padmasambhava is consecrated. Notable for its architectural style, the hall reaches a height of more than 20m (66 ft), with a conspicuous golden octagonal pagoda nestling at its apex. The bottom eaves are amazingly designed with twenty angles, while those on the second and the third storeys are octagonal. The four external walls, which are respectively painted in white, blue, red and green, set off the golden dragon-shaped upturned eaves while colorful blooming chrysanthemums, stand out against verdant trees. In the sutra hall where the statue of Sakyamuni is enshrined, monks and nuns can be seen reciting sutras together, which is unique among Buddhist monasteries throughout Tibet.