A must-visit Lhasa Sera Monastery
Located at the base of a mountain in the northern suburb of Lhasa, Lhasa Sera Monastery or Sera Monastery is one the three famous monasteries in the city. The name, Sera, means wild rose in the Tibetan language because the hill behind it was covered with wild roses in bloom when the monastery was built. Built in 1419, the monastery covers an area of 114,946 square meters and comprises many ancient buildings where houses a lot of precious relics, unparalleled arts, fine statues, and scriptures written in gold powder which are the gifts from emperors of Ming Dynasty. Strolling around the historical Buddhist academy, besides marvelling at the magnificence and the sacred ambience of the complex, you can also have a glimpse of the Tibetan monks’ daily life. The utmost highlight as well as a must-see experience in Sera Monastery that most attracts the tourists' interest is witnessing the dramatic monk debates on Buddhist doctrines with various gestures at the courtyard. Here, you will enjoy a visual feast and become deeply immersed in a religious world of Tibetan Buddhism. Through several restorations, Sera Monastery nowadays still serves as one of the landmarks and a popular tourist spot of Lhasa City.
