Vairocana Temple (Temple of Princess Wencheng)

Introduction to Vairocana Temple (文成公主庙)

The Vairocana Temple is located at the Yushu Tibetan autonomous region, Qinghai Province. The temple is also called the Temple of Princess Wencheng. Princess Wencheng is the daughter of the Emperor Taizong of Tang Dynasty. She was married to the prince of Tibetan regime in ancient China. At that time, the journey of Princess Wencheng and her servants from the Tang capital Chang’an to Lhasa took them a year.

The route was long, harsh, and dangerous. Princess Wencheng was a faithful Buddhist. After crossing the Mount Bayan Har and Tongtian River, two of the biggest obstacles of the journey, Princess Chengwen believed that it was the god’s blessing helped her. She thus led a few craftsmen to the valley and craved some Buddha statues.

The local Tibetan people on the route gave warm welcome to the princess because of her faith to Buddha and her graciousness. Princess Chengwen in turn decided to stay for a few more days to spread the culture of Tang. After she left, the locals decided to build the Vairocana Temple to celebrate Princess Chengwen and her marriage to their prince.

The temple has a history of 1,300 years. It is a Tibetan flat top building. Its height is 9 meters and its width is 10 meters. The main Buddha in the middle of the temple is Parinirvana. It is 7.3 meters tall.

Location

Southeast of Jiegu Town, Yushu County, Qinghai Province, China

Main Sights

the Temple of Princess Wencheng

Travel Information

Admission: free 

Opening Hours: all day

Transportation 

Private minibuses (200 Yuan return) depart from outside the long-distance bus terminal in Yushu, or a taxi costs about 100 Yuan return.

Travel Tips 

You are recommended to stay here for half a day where you can savor the great combination of artistic atmosphere and cultural heritage.

Tour including Visiting Vairocana Temple (Temple of Princess Wencheng)

Across Hoh Xil No-Man Land 14 Days Hiking and Photography Tour