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All China Gannan Zangzuzizhizhou Labrang Meditation Huts

Labrang Meditation Huts

These picturesque structures speckle the hill above the monastery.

Gannan Zangzuzizhizhou, China

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Max Cortesi
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About

At Labrang, monks wearing bright red garbs stroll around the main thoroughfare and the narrow alleys, mutter guttural chants in unison, and engage in heated philosophical debates. Being one of the largest monasteries outside of Lhasa, it’s not short of pilgrims, which can be seen circumambulating stupas, turning decorated prayer wheels, and reciting holy passages—and also thumbing through their smartphones.

Yet, Labrang has something special to offer: meditation huts. The hill adjacent to the temple is dotted with tiny huts the monks use to meditate.

The view is reminiscent of Hobbit-like imagery. These huts are no bigger than four-feet-by-6.5-feet, with low ceilings, a door on the side, and one or two windows in front. These flat-roofed huts don traditional Tibetan patterns on the upper section of the external walls, while the lower portion is whitewashed using lime. The interior is Spartan to avoid unnecessary distractions.

While viewing the huts, it’s important to remember that tourists should not enter them. Monks use them for their retreats, so you must stick to observing the structures from the outside.

Related Tags

Buddhism Monks Architecture Architectural Oddities Temples

Know Before You Go

Labrang is the Tibetan name for the monastery. For directions, it’s more useful to use the Chinese equivalent, Xiahe, which is the official name of the village where Labrang is located.

Community Contributors

Added By

Max Cortesi

Edited By

daslumpman

  • daslumpman

Published

July 2, 2019

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labrang_Monastery
Labrang Meditation Huts
Ren Min Dong Jie
Gannan Zangzuzizhizhou
China
35.193337, 102.506433
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