Dazhao Lamasery Guide

Dazhao Lamasery is one of the most popular sights when you travel to Inner Mongolia. Located at the Dazhao Qianjie in Yuquan District, Hohhot, the Lamasery was built in 1579 under the reign of Aratan Khan, chief of the Tumd Tribe. As the temple enshrines a 2.5-meter-tall statue of Buddha made completely of silver, it is also called "Silver Buddha Temple." The Third Dalai Lama from Tibet visited Dazhao to chair the "opening-the-light" Buddhist ceremony. The Lamasery boasts a large collection of religious relics, of which the silver statue of Buddha, dragon sculpture and frescos are the best known. During the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of Qing Dynasty, the main hall of the Lamasery also enshrined a gold plate with written words: Long Live Emperor, and the roof was improved with yellow glazed tiles. It therefore became an "imperial temple." Dazhao is the earliest lamasery established in the Inner Mongolian during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Dazhao Temple owns its fame to a visit by the third Tibetan Dalai Lama in 1586, when he came to dedicate the Silver Buddha statue. As a consequence Hohhot became a religious center for people from all over Mongolia who came to worship at the temple. Another notable event in the temple's long history was a visit by Emperor Kangxi during the early part of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The temple is now a well-known travel attraction because of the impressive buildings, splendid statues, delicate frescos, musical instruments and fine collection of Buddhist scriptures. Of its abundant religious relics perhaps the most notable are the 'Three Marvelous Treasures', a title given to the Silver Buddha, the carved dragons on the huge golden pillars on either side of the statue and the murals commemorating the Emperor's visit.

The main hall is a lamasery combining both Tibetan and Han styles of architecture. It has three parts.The front part is a two-story hall with an empty pavilion in the first floor; Jing Tang (the hall for chanting) and Fo Tang (the hall for worshiping Buddha) are central and rear sections. The perfectly preserved Silver Buddha lies in Fo Tang as it has for some four hundred years. In the splendid and solemn front of the hall, there is a pair of iron lions with their heads held high.
Address: Old city of Huhehaote,Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region
Admission Fee: CNY 30
Opening hours: 08:00 a.m-18:00 p.m
Contact Hotline: 86 471 6950150

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