A day trip to Chubzang nunnery – Tibet hiking-Tibet trekking

If you had more days to stay in Lhasa, a day trip to Chubzang nunnery is a great choice of your day trip. Chubzang nunnery is located to the north side of Lhasa city between Pabongka temple and Sera monastery. Chubsang nunnery has a long history dates back to the time of the 5^th Dalai Lama in the 17^th century.

Chubzang nunnery was built in 17^th century by Trinlei Gyatso who was one of the most important students of the fifth Dalai Lama. The nunnery was originally built as a hermitage and Trinlei Gyatso also invited the fifth Dalai Lama to bless the hermitage. When the fifth Dalai Lama came to Chubzang nunnery, the site was completely blessed and treasured by the fifth Dalai Lama and discovered a self-risen stone image of the Buddha and you can even see this image in Chubzang nunnery today.

There is very important relics that you can see during a day trip to Chubzang nunnery is that the self-risen stone image of the Buddha is the most important relics of Chubzang nunnery and Tibetans from thousand miles come to visit Chubzang nunnery because of this sacred image. People believe that they will fulfill their praying and wishes if you go to visit and pray to this sacred image. Chubzang hermitage was originally built for 8 monks and later it was expended to 18 monks who came originally from Sera monastery. Chubzang nunnery was converted into exclusive nunnery since 1984 and nowadays, there are more than hundred nuns. They are all practicing Gelukpa sect religion.

Taking a day trip to Chubzang nunnery is very much recommended, especially if you like to take a short hiking around Lhasa city during your Tibet and the most important thing is if you like to talk with nuns by sharing their daily lives experience. You can start the trip from your hotel by around 9.30, slowly driving to Pabongka temple which takes around 20 minutes drive. You will be visiting Pabongka temple. Pabongka temple was built by the 33^rd King of Tibet called Songtsan Gampo who was one of the most important kings of Tibet who built the Jokang temple, Ramoche temple, created Tibetan own writing, invited two very sacred images of Buddha Shakyamuni, the one which is inside the Jokang temple today and another one is in Ramoche temple.

Pabongka was originally a hermitage for the Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo and later it was converted into small temple where it has some small chapels, dedicated to some of the sacred images of Buddha, Tibetan King Songtsan Gampo. There are around 20 monks nowadays and Pabongka is the branch monastery of Sera monastery. After spending around one hour visit in Pabongka temple, you will trek down to Chubzang nunnery which takes you around 30 minutes. Visit the main assembly hall of Chubzang nunnery and the small temple where the most sacred sel-risen stone Buddha image. After visiting those two most important temples, you can take a rest in Chubzang nunnery’s restaurant and have some tea.

After having tea, continue a day trip to Chubzang nunnery and you can visit one of the nun’s rooms, exchange the live experience of the Tibetan nuns, how they study the Tibetan Buddhism and how they spend their daily lives in the nunnery. While you are visiting the nun’s room, you are recommended to offer some fruit to the nuns as it is kind of Tibetan tradition. Of course the nuns will pray for the peace of the world and for the well-beings of your family. Visiting nuns and talking with them is one of the most authentic experience during your Tibet trip.

You will have lunch in the nunnery’s restaurant for a day trip to Chubzang nunnery. They have menu of fried rice, noodle soup, Tibetan momo, both veg and meat momo, rice with different vegetables.

Continue a day trip to Chubzang nunnery and trek to Sera monastery which takes 40 minutes to reach Sera monastery. You will visit the main assembly hall of Sera monastery and the most important thing that you can see in Sera monastery is the monks debating. You can go into the courtyard of the debating area and listen to the monks while they are debating. You can also ask your guide the meaning of the monks’ debating which is very interesting.

After visiting the Sera monastery, continue your day trip to Chubzang nunnery and drive back to your hotel. If you had more time stay in Lhasa during your Tibet tour, we can arrange you different kinds of unique Tibet day tours around Lhasa with some authentic experience of your Tibetan trip.