Langmusi 郎木寺

About Langmusi

The Gansu side is associated with Sertri, or Saichi, Monastery; Kirti, or Ge’erdi, stands on the Sichuan side. Their distinct precincts and the enclosing hills define the settlement. Use the individual monastery names when arranging a visit, since the shared place-name can mean the town or either religious complex.

The monastery was founded in 1748, during the Qianlong era (乾隆), by Jiacan Sangge (嘉参桑格), the fifty-third throne-holder (甘丹赤巴) of Ganden Monastery (甘丹寺) in Lhasa and the first Langmu Saichi (郎木赛赤) incarnation; its full name is Dehecang Langmu Saichi Monastery (德合仓郎木赛赤寺), abbreviated as Saichi Monastery (赛赤寺). Successive incarnations expanded it, and before 1958 it held colleges of philosophy, tantric studies, the Kalacakra and medicine, together with a great assembly hall and a gilt-roofed hall. The monastery was destroyed during 1958 and the Cultural Revolution and reopened in May 1981 after government approval.

A stupa at the monastery enshrines the mummified body of the first Langmu Saichi, alongside more than seventy stupas of various sizes. The monastery has ten subordinate monasteries and two retreat centres, and by 1958 had more than 500 monks, making it one of the notable large monasteries of Amdo. A mosque stands near Kirti Monastery on the opposite bank.

Langmusi sits at the headwaters of the Bailong River (白龙江), which eventually flows into the Yangtze at Chongqing. To its east are the Min Mountains, forming the easternmost edge of the Tibetan Plateau; to the west are the Xiqing Mountains. The mountains directly south of the town form the watershed between the Yangtze and Yellow River basins.

What to look for

• Sertri Monastery’s halls on the Gansu hillside.
• The river valley between the distinct Gansu and Sichuan monastery precincts.

Location & getting there

Getting to Langmusi

Approach Langmusi Town from the G213 corridor near Luqu and confirm a drop-off in the settlement. For this Gansu-side visit, specify Saichi or Sertri Monastery; Kirti or Ge’erdi is a separate entrance across the provincial boundary.