Ragya Monastery

Ragya Monastery is largest Geluk tradition monastery in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.

Ragya Monastery / Lajia Si is located 345km southwest of Xining and 100km east of Maqin / Machen County in Golog, Qinghai Province, Amdo Tibet. It is the largest Geluk monastery in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Region which lies at the bank of Yellow River in a red clay canyon valley.

Ragya monastery formerly known as Tashi Kundeling, is an important branch of Sera monastery, founded on the advice of seventh Dalai lama in 1769 by a Mongolian from Kokonor named Arik Geshe. The second preceptor of the monastery is Shingza Pandita Lobsang Dargye, is seen as a incarnation of Tsongkhapa’s mother, Shingza Acho, and his subsequent incarnations have preside over the monastery.

The complex has been substantially rebuilt during the last two decades, the monastery has the main assembly hall at the center and the Menpa Dratsang to the left, and to the right is the Dukhor Dratsang, higher up the hillside is the newly built Dungten Lhakhang and the large Tsongkhapa statue, the Dungten Lhakhang contains the reliquary of the late Je Serkhangpa of Ragya.

The assembly hall has a trilingual inscription above the door, has 64 carpeted pillars and an original flagstone floor, the inner sanctum contains images of Amitabha, Arik Geshe, the Buddhas of the three times, Tara and Akshobhya, along with the volumes of Kangur. Menpa Dratsang contains a throne bearing the portrait of Alak Yongdzin of Tarshul monastery, and image of the eight medicine Buddhas, and the lords of the three enlightened families.

The broad cliff behind Ragya is known as Mount Khyungon, means Blue Garuda, and the walk to the hilltop shrine passes several smaller shrines and caves, which will also give a good view of the yellow river in front of the mountains and the monastery.

Ragya School

This is a school founded by Tibetan monk entrepreneur Jigme Gyantsen who also own Tibetan Cheese factory. This school has two sub-schools, one for monks and male students and the other one is for nuns and female students. This school is aimed to be the model of non-government school which raised many students all over the universities and colleges in Qinghai and other provinces.