Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The best value rooms in Lhundrub town, though there is a distinct lack of hot water. You'll
only get a room if it's not booked out by visiting party officials. Make your way through
the Soviet-like compound to find the lobby.
Nalendra Monastery Guesthouse
GUESTHOUSE
(dm ¥20)
If you prefer atmosphere over mod cons you can overnight at the monastery. The four-bed
rooms with a shared pit toilet are simple but comfortable enough and a teahouse below the
monastery offers simple meals.
Talung
Elev 4150m
Dynamited by Red Guards and now in ruins in the green fields of the Pak-chu Valley, the
sprawling monastic complex of Talung (or Taglung) is around 120km north of Lhasa. Re-
building is currently underway, but not on the scale of other, more important, monasteries
in the area.
Talung was founded in 1180 by Tangpa Tashipel as the seat of the Talung school of the
Kagyupa order. At one time it may have housed some 7000 monks (it currently has 70) but
was eventually eclipsed in importance and grandeur by its former branch, the Riwoche
Tsuglhakhang in eastern Tibet.
Talung Monastery
BUDDHIST, MONASTERY
(, Dálóng Sì )
Talung's most important structure was its
Tsuglhakhang
(grand temple), also known as
the Red Palace. The building was reduced to rubble but its impressively thick stone walls
remain.
To the south of the Tsuglhakhang is the main assembly hall, the
Targyeling Lhakhang
.
Look out for the destroyed set of three chörtens behind the building, one of which con-
tained the remains of the monastery's founder.
To the west in the main monastery building, the
Choning (Tsenyi) Lhakhang
is used as
a debating hall and has a statue of the bearded Tashipel to the right. The fine
cham
masks
