Kumbum Monastery

Ta'er Si, known in Tibetan as Kumbum, was founded in 1583 on the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school, and grew into one of the six great monasteries of that tradition, a complex of golden-roofed halls, white stupas and colleges filling a valley. It is known for three arts in particular: appliqué thangka, wall painting, and butter sculpture, in which monks work coloured yak butter in freezing rooms into elaborate figures and scenes, remade annually and displayed at the lantern festival in the first lunar month before they melt with the spring.

What you actually see

• The butter sculptures - coloured yak butter figures made fresh each year.
• The golden halls - the main temples with gilded roofs.
• The eight stupas - the white row at the entrance to the complex.
• The appliqué thangka - fabric religious images made in the workshops.

When to go

April to October for mild weather; the butter sculpture display falls at the lantern festival in the first lunar month, usually February, in bitter cold. Major festivals bring large pilgrim crowds.

Honest expectations

No Tibet permit is needed here. Photography inside halls is prohibited or charged. The site is close to Xining and busy with tour groups. Butter sculptures are displayed only around festival time.

Nearby

Xining lies northeast; Qinghai Lake is west.