Sera Monastery - Best Place to See Tibetan Monk Debate

Sera Monastery, one of the three main temples in Lhasa, along with Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery, is a representative of Gelug temples, situated in the northern of Lhasa city. Built in 1419 by one of Tsongkhapa's disciples, it is a complex of structures with the Great Assembly Hall, the dwellings on the eastern side, and three colleges on the western side. Set against a backdrop of mountains, it makes for a good photographic experience by climbing the halfway mountain behind. Noted for its debate session, Sera Monastery stored many precious relics, arts, and scriptures for monks to learn Buddhist knowledge. What's more, the daily Buddhism debating is a truly spiritual "class" to practice and test their mastery of Buddhism. As the top highlight of Sera Monastery, the debate is open to the public, allowing tourists to enjoy the charm of Buddhism and find some enlightenment, which can't be missed.

Sakya Yeshe, who was one of eight disciples of Tsongkhapa, was the founder of the Sera Monastery. Before the construction, he was sent to Beijing to pay homage to the Yongle emperor of the Ming Dynasty, on behalf of Tsongkhapa. On the way back, he was bestowed with a large number of sutras, Buddhist statues, monks robes, silks, gold and silver, which were used to build Sera Monastery. Therefore, there are various relics dating back to the Ming dynasty.

Finished in 1434, Sera Monastery covers over 110,000 square meters with over 8,000 monks at its peak times. The dense buildings, including the Assembly Hall, colleges and palaces are spreading around. Up to now, there is one Tsochin Hall, three Buddhist colleges, and numerous small halls and chapels, and over 600 monks study here.

As for the origin of the name, there are two legends according to the local saying. One is that it was hailing when the monastery was constructed. Since hailstone pronounces "sera" in the Tibetan language, this temple was named "Sera Monastery". Another legend is that the monastery was surrounded by a grove of rose trees, and rose also pronounces "sera" in Tibetan language, so Sera Monastery was called, and means "the rose monastery" in Tibetan language.

Sera Monastery is about 110,000 square meters, second to the largest Drepung Monastery. It's brimming with distinctive charm and cultural depth, and visitors can explore most highlights by following a clockwise direction, which aligns with the traditional rituals of Tibetan Buddhism and allows to discover the monastery's architecture and cultural relics in a more organized manner.

Admire the Buddhist Buildings

There are some important buildings housing statues of Buddhas, murals, scriptures and some other cultural relics.

Tsochen Hall, made up of a front square, Scripture Hall and five Buddhist chapels, is the main hall and also the administrative center in Sera Monastery. It looks like a forest with over 100 wooden columns standing. On some big days, the monks will gather here to chant the scriptures. In the eastern part of Tsochen Hall, you can find a gilded bronze statue of Maitreya Buddha with a peaceful expression. Among the three Buddhist chapels on the backside of Tsochen Hall, the middle one houses a huge statue of Maitreya Buddha with a height of 6 meters. There are many beautiful sculptures in this chapel. On the bookshelf close to the south wall is the Kangyur, which is the first Tibetan printed Buddhist sutra.

Sera Je College , covering an area of 1,702 square meters, is Sera's largest college with many stupas and statues of Buddha worshipped here. The inside chapel houses the statue of Hayagriva who is a respected protective deity in Tibetan Buddhism. Many local people come here to touch his foot because they believe that he can drive away all evil spirits and bring blessings. The chapel is rather small, so you need to walk through the crowd to take a look at this deity.

In the debating courtyard, 15:00-17:00 daily (except Sundays and some special festivals), Buddhism debating — Sera Monastery's most featured activity and also one of Tibet's most renowned cultural experiences — takes place. It is a spectacular way of discussing Buddhist knowledge and a way of study with each other. Before debating, the monks are divided into pairs in equal rank, with one standing (asking questions) and one sitting (answering questions). Also there are some small groups with one standing and others sitting to answer.

During the 2 hours, you can view a fierce argument along with some typical gestures: a clap with both palms means that the standing monk is going to ask a question, or urge the sitting monk to answer the question quickly; touching Buddha beads means that wish for an inspiration from the Buddha, and so on. All those expressions also have some deep meanings to imply the Buddhist philosophy, like discarding distracting thoughts and waking up your mercy and wisdom by the sharp bursts of clapping.

The Sera Bengqin Festival, also known as the "Blessing of the Dagger of Exorcism", is a typical religious festival in Sera Monastery, held on December 27 of the Tibetan calendar (usually in January or February) for hundreds of years.

It has a legend that at the end of the 15th century, the Dagger of Exorcism was brought to Tibet from India and then enshrined in the Buddhist Guardian Hall of the Sera Monastery. In the past, on that day, the dagger would be taken to the Potala Palace for blessings, then sent back. After returning to Sera Monastery, a general blessing was given to monks and whole communities.

Nowadays, as the big festival before the New Year, it will last 24 hours, and on that day, there are thousands of pilgrims who take part in it from nearby regions and other provinces, like Qinghai, Sichuan, and Yunnan, to worship and pray for good luck in the next year. Besides, the believers who are given blessings by touching the head with the Dagger of Exorcism wrapped around golden silk, will go to offer Hada towards the giant Tangka presented in the main hall, which is quite grand and solemn.

Located in the southern slope of the Serawoze Mountain, Sera Monastery is about 6 kilometers north of downtown Lhasa. The distance from the monastery to major attractions and transportation hubs is as follows.

● 4.8 km away Potala Palace

● 5 km away Jokhang Temple

● 5 km away Barkhor Street

● 4.4 km away Ramoche Temple

● 10 km away Drepung Monastery

● about 14 km away from Lhasa Railway Station

● about 65 km away from Lhasa Gonggar International Airport

Taxis, private cars, or buses are all available to get to the Sera Monastery gate. If you want to get rid of the hassle of public transportation and worry about language barriers with local drivers, travelling by private car is a good choice. It's highly suggested to travel with us Tibet Discovery. And please be kindly noted that independent travel is not available for foreigners in Tibet. Should you need support with your Tibet trip, feel free to reach out to us. In our Tibet tour packages, we take care of everything for you, including airport/train transfers, ticket, meals, accommodation, etc. Contact us now >>

1. Opening Time (for reference only): 9:00-16:00 year-round

2. Length of Travel: 2~3 hours. Visiting in the afternoon is highly suggested, since the featured Buddhism debating commences at 15:00.

3. Ticket (for reference only): CNY 50

4. There are some rules and prohibitions you should keep in mind, like don't use finger to point at Buddhas; do not take photos without permission; do not wear hat to visit inside; do not wear shorts, short skirts, or sleeveless tops; during Buddhism Debating, do not enter the designated rubble bedding debating area.

5. The road towards debating courtyard has steps and a short uphill walk is needed. Therefore, you're suggested to arrive there ahead of time and secure a good viewing spot amid the crowds.

6. If you love photography, there is a rock terrace halfway up the mountain behind Sera Monastery, which is said to be an ancient spiritual site dating back to King Songtsen Gampo's reign and legendarily where Princess Wencheng resided. Visitors can shoot the whole view of this monastery and the whole city. This may take about 1~1.5 hours' walk to ascend. Along the way, watch out the winding narrow road and be careful.