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Talung Monastery

The monastery is located in the green fields of the Pak-chu Valley, about 120km north of Lhasa. It is a sprawling monastic complex of Talung. Destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, now the rebuilding is underway.
 
Talung was founded in 1180 by Tangpa Tashipel. Originally, it was built as the seat of the Talung School in the Kagyupa order. In its peak time it was said to have housed some 7000 monks. However, it was gradually eclipsed to the other important and grand monastery, the Riwoche Tsuglhakhang in eastern Tibet.
 
The site's most important structure was its Tsuglhakhang, also known as the Red Palace. Though the building was destroyed to rubbles, its thick stone walls remain impressive.
 
To the south is the main assembly hall, the Targyeling Lhakhang. Look out for the destroyed set of three chortens, one of which contained the remains of the monastery's founder.
 
In the main monastery building, to the west of it, the Choning Lhakhang is used as a debating hall. It has a statue of the bearded Tashipel to the right. The fine cham masks are worn during a festival, which is on the eighth day of the eighth month. On the ceiling of the protector chapel next door hang the snarling stuffed wolves. Behind the Choning Lhakhang is the Jagji Lhakhang, which has fine new murals around a central mandala.
 
The renovated Tashikang Tsar is down in the centre of the village. It is the residence of the local reincarnation Tsedru Rinpoche, who died in 2007.
Walk for an hour to the north, you can find Sili Gotsang, which is at the turn-off to Talung. It is an amazing eagle’s-nest hermitage that perched high above the main road.
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