Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is one of the three great monasteries in Lhasa (the other two monasteries are Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery). It is located at the southern foot of Wuze Hill and is about 3 kilometers away from Lhasa City. It is only smaller than Drepung Monastery (it is the biggest monastery in Tibet).

Sera Monastery – Name Origin

There is a legend about the name origin of Sera Monastery. Sera means wild rose in Tibetan. It is said that there were a great quantity of wild rose at the foot of Wuze Hill before the construction of Sera Monastery; hence the monastery was named Sera Monastery.

There are four Buddhism halls in the main assembly of Sera Monastery. The Buddhism statues and sculptures would be stored here and the Buddhism activities would be held here. There were also exclusive halls for the Buddhists to study the Buddhism sculptures and classics. There are also buildings responsible for the residence and accommodation of the Buddhists in Sera Monastery.

Sera Monastery – Collections

There are more thousands of Buddha's Warrior Attendant statues in Sera Monastery. Most of them were manufactured in Tibet and have a long history. The left were brought to Lhasa from eastern China or India. There is also a great quantity of original works of some famous Tibetan murals.

There are also precious manuscripts of Buddhism sculptures and classics in Sera Monastery. There are also precious murals, Thangka and musical instruments used in Buddhism activities. It would hold grand activities to celebrate the Sera Bungchen Festival on December 27th according to the Tibetan calendar. A lot of local people and tourists would be attracted here to experience its particular charm.

Sera Monastery – Surroundings

There are forests and streams around Sera Monastery. It has been the place where the eminent Buddhists expound the connotation of Buddhism since ancient times. There are also some other monasteries around Sera Monastery.

The celestial burial platform of Lhasa is located on the top of Wuze Hill. But the way up to the platform is pretty steep and difficult. To respect the traditional custom of Tibetans, the tourists are not allowed to witness the celestial burial ceremony by the local government. To avoid some unexpected accidents, the tourists are not recommended to climb up to the celestial burial platform.