Rongbuk Monastery

An Overview of Rongbuk Monastery

The Rongbuk Monastery lies at the foot of the Mount Everest. Surrounded by mountains, Rongbuk Monastery is a monastery of Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. On the elevation of 5145 meters, Rongbuk Monastery is the highest monastery in the world. Therefore, sceneries of this monastery are uniquely magnificent.

History of Rongbuk Monastery

There are two sites of Rongbuk Monastery-the old Rongbuk Monastery and the new one. The old one was built by Master Padmasambhava in the 8th century. After experiencing a history of over one thousand years, this old monastery has been ragged while the cave for Padmasambhava's cultivating himself according to the Buddhism doctrine, and some stone pagodas remain.

The new Rongbuk Monastery was built in 1902 by a Nyingmapa Lama in an area of meditation huts that had been in use by monks and hermits for over 400 years. When the new one was built, its scale is quite large with over a dozen of buildings in it. Now there is a main monastery together with eight side monasteries and one nunnery. Hermitage meditation caves dot the cliff walls all around the monastery complex and up and down the valley. Many walls and stones, carved with sacred syllables and prayers, line the paths.

In 1983, the Rongbuk Monastery was repaired and rebuilt in a large scale.

In 2011, Rongbuk Monastery was ranked on the top of the CNN's "Great Places to be Recluse".

Scenic Spots in Rongbuk Monastery

Rongbuk Monastery was built hillside. There are altogether five floors in the monastery and now there are two floors remain. White Buddhist pagoda, high piles of Mani prayer stones, golden prayer wheels and waving prayer flags, together with doves on the windows and other birds on the wooden stake-all of these form the grand sceneries of Rongbuk Monastery.

Go up the stairs and you will be fascinated by the exquisite murals on both sides of the scripture hall gate. The murals are in bright color and with soft and smooth lines, depicting vivid and multiple figures. After entering the scripture hall, you will find more murals on the wall. The figures are more colorful in different shapes and various sizes.

Climbing on the ladder in the right of the scripture hall, you then arrive at the main hall of Rongbuk Monastery. The statues of Padmasambhava and Sakyamuni are enshrined in the hall.

Rongbuk Glaciers

At the foot of the Rongbuk Monastery flows the Rongbuk River which is an ice-water river formed by the three glaciers on the north slope of Mount Everest-the Eastern Rongbuk Glacier, the Western Rongbuk Glacier and the Middle Rongbuk Glacier. Rongbuk Glaciers are the most spectacular ones among the Mount Everest glaciers with a width of 14 kilometers and an area of 86.89 square meters. These glaciers are quite grotesque in various shapes such as the ice towers, ice bridges and so on. These white crystal clear glaciers are really magnificent.

Special Buddhist Festivals of Rongbuk Monastery

Monks and nuns live in the same temple and celebrate the Buddhist festivals together. The noisy and special activity often attracts many local residents and visitors to the temple.

Each year, from April 15th of the Tibetan Calendar, the monastery will hold a Buddhist dancing ceremony, which will last for three days. It is held to celebrate the birth of Sakyamuni, which is known as Saka Dawa Festival. During the play, many monks disguise themselves as Rabbis and dance many scenes one after another, and most scenes portray different characters and clothing. Another Tibetan festival is held on December 29th of Tibetan Calendar to placate the wandering ghosts, and monks wearing masks also perform this grand ceremony.

Board and Lodging of Rongbuk Monastery

So far, there are 30 hostels in Rongbuk Monastery each with more than 100 beds for the visitors at home and abroad. Some restaurants and stores are also established in the monastery. Although the conditions are a little poor (It is unavoidable on the area of Mount Everest), every tourist has access to warm noodles, rice and stir-fried dishes and other canned food, which guarantees you a comfortable travel.