Today we will visit the city and the famous Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling known as the small Potala because of its resemblance to the great monastery of Lhasa.
Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
Breakfast in New York. We take a bus to go to the small Potala, we had read a trick to not pay the entrance that consists in getting off in the village, but when the bus arrives to the entrance of the complex some kindly armed soldiers forced us to get off the bus and sent us straight to the ticket office.
Once you take the tickets (they do not accept our student cards as they consider us to be over the age for studying) you wait for another bus that takes you to the main gate.
Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
We are speechless, it is like a small city, a group of buildings of Tibetan architecture with golden roofs with waving flags, patios and wonderful views, where monks and tourists live together. We go through the different private and cult rooms. The smell of incense, the colours of the cloaks...
Entrance to the Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
Interior of the Monastery
Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
From the highest terraces we can see the area of "sky burial" or heavenly burial.
Tibetan Monastery of Ganden Sumtseling
Views of the Sky Burial and Shangri la from the Monastery
Back in Zhongdian we visit again the old city, we get lost in its streets...
Mini waffles steet food
We climb the stairs of the main square to reach the "gompa" (Tibetan temple) Da gui Shang or Golden Temple. The entrance is free, and from there you can access to the biggest Prayer Wheel in the world (one of the attractions of the city).
The biggest Prayer Wheel in the world.
From here you have very good views of the city.
Dances in the Square at sunset
Behind the Golden Temple there is a path that takes you to the Baiji Temple or temple of the 100 chickens. Also free.
Golden Temple
Again in the square where the folding wheel and the Golden Place are located, as every evening between 7 and 8 pm, the neighbors meet to dance.
Accommodation: Emma Inn 75 ¥ double room with bathroom.
Breakfast: New York (Soups 20 ¥, continental 40 ¥, Tibetan bread 8 ¥)
Songzanlin Monastery Tickets: 115 ¥ per pax
Intercity bus 1¥ each way.
Dinner: New York for 130 yen (4 pax), the delicious momos.
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