The third largest temple in Amdo Tibetan area (Tongren)

In the Amdo Tibetan area, the most prestigious temple is the Kumbum Monastery, and the most popular one is the Labrang Monastery. However, the equally prestigious and long-standing Longwu Monastery is relatively unknown. There are many reasons for this, such as its remote geographical location, not being on the main tourist route, lack of good publicity, not having many 'first' titles, etc. However, everything has two sides. We hardly see any tourists taking pictures along the way. What we see most are local Tibetans and Han believers. There is no commercialization at all. It is this relative quietness that makes everything seem more real. Surprisingly, although the tourism atmosphere is not strong, the temple is well-equipped. There are clear route signs and introductions to various Buddha halls for Han tourists, which are easy to find. This is much more friendly than the Labrang Monastery. In addition to the signs, I have to mention the tickets again. There is also a ticket office, but there is no place to buy tickets online. This time we didn't buy tickets and went in directly. Anyway, no one checked the tickets inside, and I don't know whether this is considered ticket evasion or not. What's interesting is that the architecture of Longwu Monastery not only has the rich Tibetan decoration, but also many Han-style architectural styles. It turns out that during the Wanli period of the Ming Dynasty, the royal family favored Longwu Monastery and once supported the monks and local people to build a large sutra hall. In the fifth year of Tianqi of the Ming Dynasty (1625), the carpenter emperor once inscribed the plaque of 'Western Region Scenic Spot' and hung it at the entrance of the newly built sutra hall. Therefore, the architecture here is also the result of the integration of Han and Tibetan cultures. Longwu Monastery, a treasure temple worth savoring.