Changlie Monastery

Changlie Temple is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Nyingma school located in Barkam City, Ngawa Prefecture, Sichuan Province. Due to its unique geographical position and architectural style that blends tradition with modernity, it is often referred to as the "Heavenly Palace on the Clouds" or the "Buddhist Kingdom of the Ninth Heaven." The name "Changlie" means "retreat place" in Tibetan, and it has been a sacred site for eminent monks and practitioners to engage in solitary cultivation since ancient times.

Changlie Monastery

Location

The monastery sits atop Changlie Mountain at an elevation of approximately 3,400–3,500 meters, with a vertical drop of about 900 meters from the Suomo River Valley below. It is located about 380 km from Chengdu. The monastery is roughly 16 kilometers from downtown Barkam, about a 30-minute drive. The mountain road is winding and narrow. Chartering a car from the city costs about 100 RMB (reference price), and there is currently no direct public transportation available.

History

The monastery was founded in the 1240s (over 800 years ago) by the Venerable Sherab Gyeltsen from Kathok Monastery, the mother monastery of the Nyingma school. Throughout history, the monastery has produced renowned eminent monks such as Ganden Tripa Lobsang Dungken Lhundrub. The monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution and was rebuilt on its original site in the 1980s. The magnificent Grand Assembly Hall and other main structures were newly constructed after 2004.

Architecture

Changlie Temple masterfully combines traditional Tibetan monastic style with modern facilities—a rare sight in the remote mountains. The Grand Assembly Hall is the monastery's core building, standing six stories tall with clearly defined functional areas, including the main assembly hall, a teaching hall, a sutra library, a multimedia classroom, a golden Buddha hall, and an exhibition hall. The interior of the assembly hall is exquisitely decorated, featuring 20-meter-high carved white marble pillars, rosewood furnishings, imported Italian lighting fixtures, and golden Buddha statues from Nepal, with the roof covered in gold leaf, creating a resplendent and majestic atmosphere. The monastery is equipped with elevators and a multimedia classroom, providing convenience for elderly monks and devotees, while also reflecting the monastery's open and progressive attitude.