The Sera Monastery Guide

Sera Monastery, fully known as Sera Mahayana Temple, is one of the six major temples of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Located three kilometers away in the northern suburb of Lhasa, Sera Monastery was first built in 1419 and finished in 1434 during Ming Dynasty by Jamchen Chojey who was one of the disciples of the Gelug Sect founder, Tsong Khapa. Legend has it that a heavy hail came when they started to build the monastery, hence the name also means merciful hail. Another beautiful version goes that it was named after the multiflora rose in Tibetan language because the place where the Sera Monastery was built was covered by blooming wild roses.

The monastery is a national key cultural relics preservation. The Sera Monastery, together with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, is known as the three major monasteries in Lhasa. The last time this monastery rebelled was in 1947, but failed. The monastery was home to more than 5,000 monks with five colleges. Currently there are only a few hundred monks. The best time to visit is in the afternoon when the monks are debating in the courtyards. The monastery consists of three colleges, thirty residential compounds and one great hall.

The great hall, built in 1710, is the largest building in the monastery. Inside the hall there is a statue of the founder of Sera, Sakya Yeshe between the statues of the fifth and thirteenth Dalai Lamas. In the back of the hall there are several chapels dedicated to different gods. The monastery was also home to the largest college in the area and instructed many monks from outside the region. The Sera Monastery is a nice travel destination when you travel to Tibet. Some guide information of the Sera Monastery.
Location: 3 kilometers in the northern suburb of Lhasa         Tickets: CNY 55         Opening Hours: 09:00 to 16:00         Contact number: +86 10 85968802

• The Potala Palace
• The Sera Monastery
• The Norbulingka
• The Jokhang Temple
• The Barkhor Street
• The Tibet Museum
• The Tibetan Traditional Hospital
• The New Palace of Panchen
• The Drepung Monastery
• Yamdrok Yumtso Lake
• Tashilhunpo Monastery
• Gyangtse Old Street
• Yangpachen
• Lake Namtso
• Songtsen Gampo
• Himalayan Ranges
• Palkhor Monastery
• Lhasa Carpet Factory
• Everest Base Camp
• Rongbuk Monastery
• Sakya Monastery