Gemo Monastery

Gemo Monastery is an ancient and highly venerated monastery of the Gelugpa School (Yellow Hat Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism in Aba(Ngawa) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. Home to precious sacred relics and bearer of two Guinness World Records, it is a hidden gem not to be missed by cultural travelers.

Gemo Monastery

Location

Gemo Monastery is located in Tangmai Village, Gemo Township, Aba County, Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is approximately 13 km west to Aba town. It is convenient to visit Gemo Monastery from downtown Aba County, with a driving time of roughly 20 minutes.

Highlights

As one of the three major Gelugpa monasteries in Aba Prefecture, Gemo Monastery is a branch monastery of the renowned Labrang Monastery (in Xiahe). Founded in 1790 during the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it boasts a history of more than 230 years and is also known as Huiyuan Temple.

The monastery preserves the rare cranial bone śarīra of Master Tsongkhapa, its most precious guardian treasure, enshrined on the third floor of the Great Bodhi Stupa. Within Tibetan Buddhism, only Tashilhunpo Monastery in Tibet and Gemo Monastery in Aba, Sichuan, house this sacred relic, making it extraordinarily auspicious and rare.

Gemo Monastery holds two Records:

Tibet tallest indoor sitting Maitreya Buddha: Standing 37 metres tall, the statue is cast from 332 tons of brass, creating an awe-inspiring sight.

Tibet largest connected Buddha hall complex: The building stretches 226.24 metres in length and reaches 87 metres in height, magnificent and imposing.

There is a seven-storey Great Bodhi Stupa at the monastery, standing 35 metres high, accessible by elevator. Standing by the railings on the fifth floor, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view overlooking the entire monastery and the vast grasslands with unobstructed sightlines. A museum is located on the eighth floor of the main hall, housing numerous cultural relics including Buddha statues and thangkas. Monks usually provide free guided tours, making it well worth a visit.