Sera Monastery

Lhasa Attractions

	Introduction to Sera Monastery (色拉寺) Sera Monastery is one of the "great three" Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located 1.25 miles north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name "Sera" is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in bloom. As to the history of sera monastery, it is recorded that the original sera monastery is located in Lhasa, Tibet, about 5 kilometres north of the Jokang and is responsible for some 19 hermitages, including four nunneries, which are all located in the foot hills north of Lhasa. The Sera Monastery, as a complex of structures with the Great Assembly Hall and three colleges, was founded in 1419 by Jamchen Chojey of Sakya Yeshe of Zel Gungtang, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. During the 1959 revolt in Lhasa, Sera monastery suffered severe damage, with its colleges destroyed and hundreds of monks killed. After the Dalai Lama took asylum in India, many of the monks of the Sera Monastery who survived the attack moved to Bylakuppe in Mysore, India. After initial tribulations, they established a parallel Sera Monastery with Sera Me and Sera Je colleges and a Great Assembly Hall on similar lines to the original monastery, with help from the Government of India. There are now 3,000 or more monks living in Sera, India and this community has also spread its missionary activities to several countries by establishing Dharma centres, propagating knowledge of Buddhism. The Sera Monastery in Tibet and its counterpart in Mysore, India are the best locations to witness the “Monk Debates” on the teachings of Buddha and the philosophy of Buddhism. Sera Monastery developed over the centuries as a renowned place of scholarly learning, training hundreds of scholars, many of whom have attained fame in the Buddhist nations. Travellers who visit Sera monastery are very interested in the debating of Buddhist Doctrines. The monks at Sera Monastery debate Doctrines every day: it’s a discussion of Buddhism to share knowledge as well as a challenging debate and a battle of words and wits. They use all kinds of gestures in order to strengthen their argument; the elder monks clap their hands to urge their opponent to answer the question or pull the monk’s prayer beads to signal that he has answered correctly. You will be deeply affected by the intense atmosphere.

	Location No.1 Sera Road, Chengguan District, Lhasa

	Travel Information Admission Fee: 50 Yuan Opening Hours: 9:00AM - 4:00PM

	Main Sights Murals and Sculptures, Shrines, Buddha Halls

	Travel Tips 1. The best way months to visit Sera Monastery are June, July and August. 2. Always remember to walk in clockwise direction when touring Sera Monastery.


	Tour including Visiting Sera Monastery (Lhasa) Beijing Xian Lhasa Chengdu Shanghai 16 Days Group Tour