Buchu Monastery

Location: 24 km south of Bayi County
Opening Hours: 9:00--18:00
Admission Fee: CNY 30
How to Get There: Buchu Monastery is about 24 kilometers away from Bayi Town, and it takes about 30 minutes to drive there.
Best Time to Visit: You can visit Buchu Monastery all year round.

About Buchu Monastery

Buchu Monastery is about 28 km south of Bayi County. Its original dates from the 7th century, when it was built at the command of King Songtsen Gampo. If you see a monastery with a striking golden roof, that is Buchu Monastery no doubt.

During the reign of King Songtsen Gampo, Buchu Monastery was created as one of the 8 “demoness-subduing” temples and was established totally according to geomantic theory. Originally, Buchu Monastery belonged to the Nyingmapa, but by the 17th century, Gelugpa took over here.

It has 2 storeys. Previously, the temple had images of the 8 Manifestations of Padmasambhava, and the upper floor had 8 images of Amitayus, which was destroyed. The lower part of the large Padmasambhava however survived.

The entrance to the main chapel is flanked by unusual murals of several protector gods including the Kongpo deity Kongtsun Demo. The main hall has statues of the standing form of Guru Rinpoche and a large Jampa, and there are 2 small statues of the protectors Dorje Lekpa and Kongtsun Demo in the left corner. Upstairs is a cheesy, modern mandala, which depicts the sacred mountains of Namche Barwa, Kailash, Tsari, and Kawa Karpo on each corner. A lovely kora path surrounds the timeless monastery. Standing in front of Buchu Monastery, you can enjoy both the forest around and the Niyang River at a distance.

Tips of Buchu Monastery

Whenever you want to enjoy the murals inside a temple or a monastery, you always need to bring your flashlight.

Recommended Tour Itineraries including Buchu Monastery

The two-storied monastery has a striking golden roof which can be seen from afar. Check the top 4 highly recommended Tibet tours that include Buchu Monastery.