Tholing means 'hovering in the sky forever' in Tibetan language, and this indicates the imposing position occupied by the monastery. The Tholing Monastery is located in northwest to the country town of Zanda Country, Ngari. The red wall of the monastery stands out in sharp relief against the Clay Forest, forming a magnificent picture. In the river valley of Xiangquanhe River, there are ruins of hundreds of pagodas, which stood in a belt of hundreds of meters long. What's more,It is a spectacular place to watch the sunrise and the charming sunset in the river valley.
Tholing is famous through Ngari, founded by Yeshi-O, an outstanding king of Guge Kingdom at the beginning of 10th century. Yeshi-O was a devout Buddhist, who ever sent 21 youths to learn Tantric Buddhism in Kashmir. Only Rinchen Zangpo and another survived and returned. Rinchen Zangpo, a greatest Buddhist adepter and translator, started to translate Buddhist sutras and develop Buddhism at Tholing, which was set up by Yeshi-O for that purpose. Later Yeshi-O was defeated and captured in an ambitious aggression he launched in order to plunder enough gold to invite Atisa to his Guge Kingdom to push forward Buddhism. He sacrificed his life to send his ransom to Atisa. After his arrival, the monastery gained higher reputation and once became a religious center in Tibet under the royal patron of the Guge Kingdom. Although it faded after the collapse of the Guge Kingdom, Tholing still maintains an important place in Tibet,even after 900 years .
Tholing Monastery has played an important role in the history of Tibet. Craftsmen from India, Nepal and Ladakh worked hard to construct the monastery, which then combined the styles of construction and those of building the Buddhists statues of the three places. When the monastery was at its prime time, it was very magnificent, consisting of halls, monks' residences and pagodas, among which the most worth seeing are the Jiasha Hall, Red Hall, White Hall and the 108 Pagodas.
The Jiasha Hall is the main building and serves as the symbol of the monastery. From above , it looks like the Chinese character ya 'ΡΗ'. The central hall symbolizes the highest mountain in Buddhism - Mount Meru. The surrounding small halls represent the four continents while the pagodas in the four corners stand for the Heavenly Kings guarding the sutras. The statue of Tathagata Buddha is enshrined in the central hall, and the murals remaining in the other small halls are extremely beautiful. Their style and taste echo the artistry of the Ruins of Guge Kingdom.
The Red Hall was the assembly place for the monks. The most impressive remains here are also the murals which depict many stories. The mural of the Sixteen Vajra Dancers on the porticos is especially lovely.
The White Hall is where the statue of Sakyamuni stands. There used to be 14 other sculptures, however only their pedestals remain now. In the murals here, you can find pictures of the king, Atisha and other high lamas.
Another sight worth visiting is the group of pagodas beside the Xiangquan River. They are all made of earth and arranged in an orderly line hundreds of meters long. There are 108 pagodas in all, hence the name '108 Pagodas'. At sunset the reflection of the sun's rays from the yellow pagodas makes for a beautiful and breathtaking scene.
Tholing Monastery has a history of 900 years. It has suffered much destruction, especially during the Chinese Culture Revolution (1968-1977). The monastery has been renovated in the recent years. The rear hall has been renovated to what it used to be when it was built, with the design similar to Samye Monastery (Located in Samye Township of Lhoka Prefecture. It is called the First monastery in Tibet and has a history of more than 1,000 years. It is very large and magnificent). Fortunately, the main hall of the monastery was protected well because it was used as a barn during the Chinese Culture Revolution. The murals in the hall are still vivid and spectacular today.
Ticket: RMB 80
Tips:
1.The Tholing Monastery lies not far from Zanda County. The Art Department Guesthouse there is about 300 m. away. You can walk north from there.
2.It is a bit dark in the halls, so please take along a flashlight.
