Labrang Tashi Kyil Monastery

Labrang Monastery is one of the six main monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug school. Labrang is in the traditional Tibetan territory of Amdo, in Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu. Labrang Monastery has the most monks outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region. Xiahe is roughly four hours by automobile from Lanzhou, the province capital. Labrang was by far Amdo's largest and most influential monastery in the early twentieth century. It's on the Daxia River, which is a tributary of the Yellow River.

This magnificent wooden edifice is supported by 140 wooden columns and has a capacity of 3,000 monks. The inside is ornately designed with a strong Nepalese influence and is dominated by a 32-foot-high (10-meter) golden Buddha crafted by Nepalese artisans. More than 10,000 holy figures made of jade, gold, ivory, clay, copper, and wood can be seen throughout the monastery. It also includes about 65,000 Tibetan Buddhist texts on a variety of topics, including philosophy, medicine, history, and literature. The structures' walls are made of wood and mud or stone and mud, and their exteriors are covered in black stones. The design is meant to be simple and attractive. Around the cornice lines of the bigger structures are typical Tibetan components of short grass walls that add height, sometimes by two floors.

Location: Gansu Province, Country of China