Chinese Name:小昭寺

English Name: Ramoche Monastery

Tibetan Name: རྒྱ་སྟག་ར་མོ་ཆེ་གཙུགས་ལག་ཁང།།

 Location: Located in the northwest of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, it is east of the Potala and north of the Jokhang.

Opening Hours: 9:00~18:00

About Ramoche Monastery

Ramoche is considered to be the sister temple to the Jokhang which was completed about the same time. It is a Buddhist monastery is considered the most important temple in Lhasa after the Jokhang Temple. Situated in the northwest of the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, it is east of the Potala and north of the Jokhang, covering a total area of 4,000 square meters.

Ramoche was completed in 641 CE by Princess Wencheng and Songtsen Gampo. However, the temple was badly damaged during the Mongol invasions and there is no certainty that the statue that remained in 1959 was the original one. The original temple was destroyed by fire, and the present three-storied building was constructed in 1474.

Near the main entrance to the building are ten pillars displaying local relics and symbols, and there is a collection of yak-butter and incense stalls leading to a delightful chapel. The first floor has an atrium off which opens a scripture hall and the winding corridors of a Buddha palace. The second floor is mainly residential but has a chapel with an image of Buddha as King of the Nagas, and the third floor provides sleeping quarters reserved for the use of the Dalai Lama.

If you want more information on Ramoche Monastery in Tibet, you can contact us at [email protected].