This temple is dedicated to the Tang-dynasty Chinese Princess Wencheng, who was instrumental in converting her husband and Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, to Buddhism in the 7th century. The temple marks the spot where the princess (and possibly the king) paused for a month en route from Xī’ān to Lhasa.
Said to be the oldest Buddhist temple in Qīnghǎi, the inner chapel has a rock carving (supposedly self-arising) of Vairocana (Nampa Namse in Tibetan), the Buddha of primordial wisdom, which allegedly dates from the 8th century. To the left is a statue of King Songtsen Gampo.
The temple, which suffered minor damage from the Yùshù earthquake, is small, and few linger in it for long, but do allow time to explore the nearby hills. Here a sprawling spider’s web of blue, red, yellow, white and pink prayer flags runs up the slopes, down the slopes and over the ravine, covering every inch of land, and is one of the most extraordinary sights imaginable.
A steep trail (a popular kora route for pilgrims) ascends from the end of the row of eight chörtens to the left of the temple. At the end of the trail head up the grassy side valley for some great hiking and stunning open views.
It’s located 20km south of Yùshù. Minibuses (¥20 one-way) depart from outside the long-distance bus terminal in Yùshù, or a taxi costs about ¥80 return.
