Palpung Monastery

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Overview

Palpung Monastery is also called “Ba Bang Si” in chinese Ping Ying. It is the seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul, and also the historical seat of the successive incarnations of the Tai Situ in Kham. It is also the “mother-monastery“ of Kagyu pa in Kham

Brief

Palpung means “glorious union of study and practice”, and was found in 1727 by King Denba Tsering of ancient Derge kingdom. It was the largest Kagyu monastery in this ancient kingdom, and it rapidly grew to be the most important center in the east Tibet of Kham and Amdo for learning Kagyu tradition.

The monastery once hosted more than 1,000 monks, and had a huge library with more than 324,000 texts and an art collection of more than 10,150 Thangkas. The Situ Rinpoche is the founder of Karma Gadri painting style. At the time of the 11^th century, Palpung monastery was already famous for it spiritual, studious and artistic excellence and authority. Currently it houses about 40-50 monks, and a large number of local Tibetan lives in the valleys that next to it.

Location

It is located in a valley that is about 70 km from Derge county near Jinsha River, which is considered the bordering river of the east Tibet of Kham and the central Tibet. It originated in the 12^th century and wielded religious and political influence over centuries.

The 16^th Karmapa was enthroned first at Palpung monastery before he traveled to the main seat of Tsurphu Monastery.

Palpung Monastery Data

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How to get to there

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Palpung Monastery is located in a valley that there is only one jeep-able trail leads to the Derge-Pelyul Road. The valley junction is about 45 km southeast from Derge county or 70 km northwest from Pelyul county.

The closest airport is Garze airport which is about 210 kilometers north from this site.