Tradruk Temple 昌珠寺

About Tradruk Temple

Its columned assembly hall is surrounded by smaller shrines and a circumambulatory passage. The temple is especially known for its pearl thangka depicting Avalokiteshvara and its woven image of Shakyamuni. These works reward a close look at materials and craftsmanship, while the surrounding shrine arrangement shows how worship is organised within a compact complex. Confirm which treasured textiles are on view during your visit.

Tradruk stands at the foot of Gongri Mountain (贡日山) and has a history of more than 1,300 years. According to local tradition, Songtsen Gampo (松赞干布) founded the temple as a Buddhist hall during the Tubo period (吐蕃). Its present scale was largely fixed in the 14th century under Jangchub Gyaltsen (绛曲坚赞), after which it became a Gelug monastery. The temple was heavily damaged during the persecution of Buddhism under Langdarma and during a 16th-century Mongol invasion from Dzungaria.

The temple is arranged in three parts, a main hall, a circumambulatory corridor and a courtyard corridor, built of brick and wood over two storeys. Its main hall, the Cuoqin Hall (措钦大殿), is supported by 60 large wooden pillars where monks recite scriptures daily; its layout resembles that of the Jokhang (大昭寺). Twelve shrines surround the hall, and it enshrines the Buddhas of the three ages, cast entirely in copper rather than merely covered in copper sheet.

Tradruk covers an area of 4,667 square meters and was listed as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level (全国重点文物保护单位) in 1961. Its pearl thangka was commissioned in the late Yuan or early Ming period by the queen of the king of Nedong (乃东); its woven image of Shakyamuni (释迦牟尼), a Ming-dynasty tapestry, measures 2.92 meters high and 1.72 meters wide.

What to look for

• The pearl thangka of Avalokiteshvara and the woven Shakyamuni image, when displayed.
• The columned Tsokchen hall and the smaller shrines around it.

Location & getting there

Getting to Tradruk Temple

Use Changzhu town at the southern foot of Gongri Mountain, south of Tsedang in Nedong District.

• Arrange arrival at 昌珠寺 itself and ask about the textile displays before beginning the interior route.