Shangri-La/Songzanlin Scenic Area

Songzanlin Monastery, also known as Ganden Sumtseling Monastery and Guihua Monastery, is a large Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province and the center of the Gelug (Yellow) sect in the Sichuan-Yunnan area. The temple was founded in 1679 and is built against the mountain. From a distance, it bears some resemblance to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, and due to its grand scale, it is reputed as the 'Little Potala Palace'. Songzanlin Monastery faces south with its back to the north and is surrounded by an elliptical wall. The two main halls, Tzhacang and Jikang, are located at the central high point of the monastery. The grand hall is a five-story Tibetan-style building with intricately carved beams and painted rafters, and its top is adorned with a gilded copper dome that shines brilliantly. The Tzhacang Grand Hall is where monks study scriptures and religious doctrines, with bronze statues of Tsongkhapa and Maitreya Buddha enshrined in the rear hall. In the Jikang Hall, the statue of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug sect, is enshrined in the center, and the walls are painted with exquisite murals of the Eight Medicine Buddhas. Around the two main halls, there are eight Kangsar and monks' quarters, which are built at varying elevations, making the surrounding main halls appear even more majestic and imposing.