Wudang Lamasery 五当召

About Wudang Lamasery

White, flat-roofed buildings form a Tibetan architectural ensemble, with larger teaching and assembly halls set among smaller monastic residences. Suguqin Hall provides the main ceremonial focus, while Dongkuo'er Hall recalls the monastery's study of calendrical and astronomical subjects. The hillside arrangement gives the visit its structure: look at the complex from below, then follow the open paths between the principal halls.

The monastery's founding date is unknown; it was built by nobles of the Ordos Left-Wing Front Banner (鄂尔多斯左翼前旗) in or before the Kangxi era. In 1749 the first Living Buddha, Luobusang Jialacuo (罗布桑加拉错), led a major expansion modeled on Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (扎什伦布寺) in Tibet, and the Qianlong Emperor then bestowed the Chinese name Guangjue Temple (广觉寺) in 1756. It was expanded further under the Jiaqing, Daoguang and Guangxu emperors, and at its height comprised eight main halls, three living Buddha residences, a mausoleum hall, two brick stupas and more than ninety monks' quarters.

The complex climbs the mountainside from low to high ground across more than 300 mu (亩), with 2,538 rooms in its main buildings; in addition, ninety-nine monks' residence buildings along its sides hold more than 2,500 rooms. Most halls face south, except Ahui Hall (阿会独宫), which faces east.

Wudang Lamasery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Inner Mongolia and is described as the region's only complex built entirely in Tibetan style. It follows the Gelug school (格鲁派) of Tibetan Buddhism and was long known as “Eastern Tibet” for training senior Buddhist scholars. On 20 November 1996 the State Council listed it as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level, in the fourth national batch.

What to look for

• The white Tibetan-style buildings stepping up the hillside.
• Suguqin assembly hall and Dongkuo'er Hall, including their accessible painted interiors.

The surrounding area

Western city base with a separate monastery excursion to Wudangzhao.

Location & getting there

Getting to Wudang Lamasery

Travel from Baotou toward the Wudang Lamasery visitor area in the Jihuluntu valley of Shiguai District; the approach follows the Baotou–Wudang road corridor.

• Arrange a return road transfer and use the authorised visitor route between halls; monastic residences are not part of an unrestricted walk.