Longwu Monastery
Dehelong South Rd (Dehelong Nan Lu)
About
Longwu Monastery (隆务寺), Dehelong South Rd (Dehelong Nan Lu). 8AM-7PM. This active Gelukpa (Yellow Hat) monastery sprawls around the foot of Xishan Mountain on the south-west edge of town. Behind the exterior walls, embedded with squeaking prayer wheels, is a blend of Chinese and Tibetan style halls and monks residences that are easy to get lost in for a few hours. The monastery was established in 1301 and greatly expanded during the Ming Dynasty. Though some of the halls and their resident Buddhas have been rebuilt multiple times over their 700 year history, everything that stands today dates from the late 1980's after the ruination of the Cultural Revolution. Don't let the lack of antiquity put you off as the present neglect of upkeep lends the architecture a beaten aesthetic with its own charm. The Future Buddha Hall holds a large Jampa (Maitreya) statue in an elaborately decorated 3 storey hall. The fortress like Hall of Bodhisattva Manjusri is said to hold a Avalokiteshvara from 1644 that survived the 1960's destruction, possibly because the door is rarely opened for anyone to see it. ¥50.
