Photos from Ta'er Si Buddhist Temple, Qinghai, China, Asia - page 2

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What do Buddhist monks do in their spare time ?

I continue to feel quite lucky, that my adventures and experiences in China become more special with every visit around this amazingly diverse and vast country.

The Ta'er Si Temple has been reconstructed since its destruction during the Cultural Revolution.

Walking back along the main road of the Ta'er Si Temple Compound.

Murals along the walls of the Abbot's compound

Entrance to the Abbot's compound at Ta'er Si.

It is difficult for me to remember the names of all of the shrines, but another golden roof temple is the Prayer Hall, used for religious tutelage.

The Great Golden Roof Hall, birthplace of Tsong Khapa, is the most important and most revered shrine in the compound.

Buddhist monks make a visit to one of the shrines.

There are many dozens of brightly painted temples in every corner of the Ta'er Si Temple compound.

There are thrones in this hall for the Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and the Abbot.

One thousand gilded bronze statues of Tsong Khapa and volumes of scriptures are enshrined against the wall, behind the gilded statuary.

Statuary within the Great Sutra Hall

The interior of the Great Sutra Hall, where doctoral degrees are conferred on eminent Buddhist scholars.

Tibetan Pilgrim walking the halls of the Ta'er Si.

These first buildings are large and adorned with bright colors.

Giant prayer-wheel is turned by Buddhist monk.

Under the protection of roofs, there is room for pilgrims to spend the night.

The roof carries one of Buddhism's great symbol, the Wheel of Life, and two golden deer. I remember these from my visit to the temples in Lhasa, Tibet

Most architecture is Tibetan in design.

Entrance to the Buddhist Library is ornate and typically Tibetan.

Looking more closely behind the white Stupa, I can see the hill, where "Sky-funerals" are performed.

We must first pass along this path of Buddhist prayer-wheels.

LET ME NOW TAKE YOU ON A PHOTO JOURNEY THROUGH ONE OF TIBETAN BUDDHISM'S MOST HOLY AND REVERED TEMPLES ... THE MAIN ENTRANCE IS NEAR THESE 8 STUPAS.

Along the first narrow path, I admire this sacrificial Stupa and prayer-wheel.

We pass the "Lesser Golden Roof Hall". Its interior is a bizarre pavillion, dedicated to animals.

Thin prayer -mats help to absorb some of the pain of the ritual.

Prayer flags led to the top, where corpses are ritually dismembered by monks and offered to the vultures.

I was told, that "Sky-Funerals" are still performed on this hill. It is covered by a train of prayer-flags.

Photo of a photo from a "Sky-funeral". The corpse is dismembered, and vultures are waiting to devour the party parts, including the bones.

The "Great Golden Roof Hall" temple was built at the spot, where Tsongkhapa, founder of the Yellow Hat Sect, was born.

Buddhist faithful and pilgrims perform prostrating rituals.

I watched this young pilgrim for hours, and he never seemed to tire.

These rituals can last for hours.

The Temple is considered the most holy of the Ta'er Si Monastery.

Many pilgrims are seen walking the perimeter of the huge temple complex. They always walk clockwise, often turning hand-held prayer wheels and fingering prayer beads.

Though located in the Qinghai, a border province of Tibet, the Ta'er Si Temple is mostly constructed with distinctive Tibetan architecture.

Ta'er Si is a collection of temples and temple compounds, inhabited by some 600 monks.

A Yellow Hat Sect Buddhist monk shows his patience, as he carefully paints the images of Buddhism.

The main-entrance temple, called the Lesser Golden Roof Hall.

Walking toward the Ta'er Si, I pass a row of Tibetan prayer-wheels.

Close-up of a Tibetan prayer-wheel

The Ta'er Si Buddhist Monastery, also known as the Kumbum Monastery, is one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist sites in China.

The Ta'er Si Buddhist Temple was built in honor of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow) sect of Buddhism in 1560.

The walled temple complex is nestled into a hillside, about 20 miles from Xining, Qinghai in China.

Tai'er Si Temple is a working monastery and now houses over 600 monks. There were once as many as 3,000 resident monks.

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