The Secret Land of Western Sichuan: Baiyu Gatuo Temple

Also known as Gatuo Temple, full name 'Gatuo Doji Dan', Gatuo is also translated as Gatu, (Gatuo, Gado), the Tibetan meaning is 'above the Ga character', 'Doji Dan' means 'Vajra Seat'. The temple is named after a huge smooth white stone on the temple site, which naturally forms a Tibetan letter, pronounced 'Ga'. Gatuo Temple can be called the mother temple of the Nyingma Sect. Guru Rinpoche personally consecrated Gatuo thirteen times and recorded in the 'Autobiography' and many hidden scriptures 'the best holy land in the snow area, the source of the promotion of the secret method of Kongxing Yixi Cuo Jie', its blessing power is the same as the Indian Vajra Seat, so it is also called 'the second Vajra Seat'. Gatuo Temple was founded by the Nyingma Sect high monk Gadang Badexie (1122-1192) in the third Shengsheng Tu Rabbit Year of the Tibetan calendar (1159), which has been 840 years ago, and is now the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units. The temple preserves the remnants of the Lotus Birth thorn products bestowed by the Yuan Dynasty, the seal given to the temple by Basiba, the Manjusri Buddha statue of the Ming Dynasty, the 'Keben Complete Collection' scripture bestowed by the Qing Dynasty emperor, porcelain bowls and the arrow clusters, single-eared bronze pots, beast shapes and other precious cultural relics from the Gesar period. On October 5th, on the way from Baiyu to Dege on the Sichuan-Tibet line, I made a special detour to visit. The temple is located on the hillside of Duonianshan in Bailonggou Town, Baiyu County, Ganzi Prefecture, Western Sichuan, only one mountain away from Tibet. Leaving the 458 provincial road, after the forest fire inspection station, all the way up are mountain roads, the road is narrow and very steep, and there are many large loops! Vehicles on the plateau inevitably lack power, which is a test of driving skills. When you get to the gate of the mountain, the buildings of Gatuo Temple are densely packed on the slopes of the three sides, which is very spectacular! Even with a super wide-angle lens and a drone (the altitude is too high and it can't fly too high), it's impossible to take it all in one shot. The entire temple has few foreign tourists and is very quiet. Because it is far away from the county town and the main traffic road, it is not easy to come here, it is really a niche among the niches. In addition to a few main halls, the small houses of practitioners are basically built on steep cliffs, and the original taste of the temple is relatively preserved. Special note, many introductions including Baidu Encyclopedia, claim that the altitude of the temple is 4800 meters, according to the actual measurement of many people on this trip, it is around 4000, as long as you do not do strenuous exercise, slow down all activities will not have any adverse reactions.