Sera Monastery
One Of The Three Great Gelug University Monasteries Of Lhasa; Major Historical And Cultural Site Protected At The National Level · Lhasa, Tibet
One of the three great Gelug monasteries of Lhasa, founded in 1419 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa on a hillside of wild roses north of the city - the name is said to come from the Tibetan word for those roses. At its height Sera was a monastic university of several thousand monks, organised into colleges that trained scholars from across the Tibetan world in logic, philosophy and tantra, and its whitewashed halls, golden roofs and steep alleys still climb the slope below bare mountains. Its great attraction for visitors is the debating courtyard, a walled garden of gravel and shade trees where monks in maroon robes gather most afternoons to test each other on Buddhist logic: one stands and claps his hands sharply as he flings a question at another seated before him, and the courtyard fills with the sound of clapping, laughter and argument. Inside the assembly halls are chapels of butter lamps and painted statues, among them a fierce Hayagriva to whom pilgrims bring offerings, and behind the monastery a kora path climbs past rock paintings and prayer flags with views over Lhasa. Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit and must come on an organised tour with a guide.
Sera Monastery, Sera Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa, Tibet, China
Daily 9:00-17:00, with ticket sales and checks stopping about 16:30; monk debates Monday-Saturday from about 15:00. Foreign visitors need a Tibet Travel Permit and a guided tour.