Wuming's Buddhist Academy

The 317 National Highway along the way is already a scenic spot!! There are also several waves of monkeys 🐒 very cute! There are also many 🐂 cows! Many peach blossoms, cherry blossoms and pear blossoms! When I arrived at Seda, I started to feel altitude sickness 😅! When I got to the entrance of the college, I had to park in the parking lot, and then take the bus inside for 3 yuan per person, and then take it to the final stop for 10 stops! I didn’t have the courage to watch the sky burial in the afternoon, but according to tourists, the viewing place was very far away! Recommended to take pictures at the fifth stop! People with obsessive-compulsive disorder in the toilet inside should pay attention, it’s a bit unbearable. People who are prone to altitude sickness remember to bring more oxygen cylinders!!!

You don’t have to go to heaven after death, but you must go to Seda before you die! I don’t remember who said this, but I didn’t understand the meaning of this sentence until I came to Seda. The believers in Larung Buddhist Academy practice day after day. Their Buddhist teachings have nothing to do with faith or religion. It is just a pure attitude towards life. In our opinion, the hard and boring practice life has become the joy of their life. The satisfaction of the soul has driven away the troubles of life. Their souls no longer need to go to heaven. Where the pious soul is, there is the beautiful heaven!

The road leading to the gate of the Buddhist Academy is lined with a group of neat white pagodas. The bus here is not a tourist bus for the scenic area, but a public bus. It costs three yuan per person for a one-way trip, and the capacity is very limited. There are also many local monks waiting to go up the mountain. It depends on squeezing to get on the bus. After waiting for 20 minutes, I was lucky to squeeze into the bus. It was so chaotic. A foreigner cut in line and caused the queue to split into two forks. Although she was a practitioner here, I still despised her behavior. On the way up the mountain, the houses are all yellow. It is said that the yellow houses are inhabited by people who have not become monks and live closer to the foot of the mountain. The red houses are inhabited by monks and are all on the top of the mountain. The houses here are very dense. After careful observation, liquefied gas cylinders are used for making fire and cooking. The liquefied gas cylinders are placed next to the wooden houses in large quantities, which is indeed a great fire hazard. Finally, I came to the main entrance of the Buddhist Academy. The huge chanting sound inside made the atmosphere serious all of a sudden. Here I really felt like I was in the holy land of Buddhism. Even people without religious backgrounds would be in awe here. You have to take off your shoes when you enter the door. Buddhist tourists kneel down every three steps here. From the steps here, you can see the steps leading to the mandala. Most of the monks don't like to be photographed. As long as the camera is pointed at them, they will cover their faces. Here I really want to advise all tourists not to point their guns and shorts at monks without consent. If you must take pictures, please ask the other party if they mind first. It is not ruled out that there are monks who like to take pictures, but it is very obvious here that most monks don't like to be photographed, so there are almost no monks in my photos. You can see the panoramic view at the top of the mountain, and the chanting of the Buddhist Academy is still lingering here. This time I learned the lesson of Aden. I looked back every three steps and took some photos. It's a pity to think that there are many strange roads in Aden that I didn't take pictures of. The huge scripture barrel at the back door of the Buddhist Academy can also be turned around. There should be a lot more blessings accumulated here. The back door of the Buddhist Academy is not as grand as the front door. It is a very small door, and lamas often come in and out here. According to the plan of taking night photos, we decided to go inside the Buddhist Academy to see what it was like. In view of the principle of not taking photos in temples and churches, we watched the whole process quietly inside, and then several monks asked us to leave. Five o'clock was the end of the get out of class at the Buddhist Academy. After class, incense was burned in the big incense burner at the door. On the way down the mountain from the Buddhist Academy, the afterglow of the sunset passed through the white pagoda and sprinkled on the golden roof of the Buddhist Academy, just like the Bodhisattva descending to the world, which is a rare holy relic in the world.

I read a lot of posts, but I was still confused when I got there. There was no sign! I was asking around! Communication was not smooth! First of all, the light in the afternoon is the most beautiful! There are many ways to go up the mountain. Go up the mountain at the bus stop and you will reach the panoramic viewing platform! Walk to the mandala on top and take beautiful photos of the scarf! The post said to try not to take the bus and walk up, but it is completely unnecessary and tiring! The scenery is also average! It will take nearly an hour to walk, but the bus only takes a few minutes!

I finally saw the Red House with my own eyes after seeing many photos taken by photography enthusiasts on the Internet. If you want to see the panoramic view from top to bottom, you need to climb up the stairs to the top of the mountain. I looked up and felt desperate because I was just walking on flat ground and I was already panting. After discussing with H, we decided to walk first and whether to climb or not depends on our mood and physical strength. After visiting the Buddhist College, we finally decided to climb up.

In the Buddhist Academy, I saw many lamas and nuns, both old and young. I have always been puzzled by the young people or children who choose to stay here. In this world, there are still too many beautiful things to experience, but they choose to escape from the mundane world and come here to build this red house of only a few square meters with their own hands. From then on, they began to practice meditation only for the faith in their hearts.

I climbed up the mountain holding onto the handrails. The so-called holding onto the handrails means holding onto the handrails with more force than ordinary handrails, so that the arms can also play a certain role in traction. Even so, I drank glucose water, took a short break every five steps and a long break every ten steps, and finally reached the top of the mountain with great difficulty. Looking down is indeed somewhat different from looking up. In addition to being spectacular and shocking, there is also a sense of satisfaction with oneself.

It is said to be the largest Buddhist college in the world. Many devout Buddhists come here to listen to the Dharma and receive blessings from the guru. I didn't see a place where everyone could listen to the lectures, so I didn't hear it. I have no research on Buddhism, and I don't dare to disturb a guru casually.

In fact, the night view of the Buddhist College is particularly great. There is a place where you can climb up to take the most beautiful photos of the night view.

There is a row of shops at the gate of Seda Buddhist College, where monks and tourists can eat and stay, but don't even think about the conditions. We went to the Buddhist College in the afternoon of the first day we arrived. There are buses going up, 1 yuan for monks and 3 yuan for lay people one way. In fact, it is not far, and you can walk up. We were unsure on the first day, so we took the bus. To be honest, the first sight of the Buddhist College was quite shocking. As the car turned and went deeper, a large area of ​​red monks' houses spread out in front of me. . . The densely packed red monks' houses stretched for several kilometers, surrounding the scripture hall and covering the surrounding Larung Valley. It was really shocking. In the evening, smoke rose from the red monks' houses. When we went there, it was the time when the monks were in retreat. There were only a few monks walking on the street, and there were not many tourists. It was very quiet. The next day, there was heavy fog at first, and then it dispersed a little bit. We climbed to the highest point and overlooked the entire Buddhist College.

About climbing the ladder to heaven at a Buddhist college at an altitude of 4000+:

My companions were ready to go down the mountain.

The ladder was already quite strenuous to climb slowly.

We finished the climb quickly.

Please automatically imagine the picture

That day,

We sat for a long time on the hillside taking the panoramic view.

Because there is an excellent seat here.

You can also see the panoramic view of the Buddhist Academy when you sit down;

There is a radio speaker next to the hillside.

The music playing was Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit.

Listening to the Sanskrit sound,

Looking at this red,

I feel very peaceful inside...

At around 11am, we were queuing for the bus. There were 20 to 30 people in front of us. We waited about 20 minutes to get on the bus.

At around 4pm, we saw at least a hundred people after we came down the mountain. They must have stayed overnight in Seda and would go up the mountain to take pictures of the night view.

There are driveways and walking paths leading to the Buddhist college, as well as a bus stop for monks who come here to practice. It is also the place with the most tourists and there are long queues.

When we climbed halfway up the mountain, the lights in the red house were all on. The brightly lit Seda at night was dazzling. The golden roof of Seda Buddhist College was at the end of the bright lights. I seemed to see the Milky Way.

The Serthar Buddhist College in the early morning has a different flavor. We climbed to the top of the mountain and followed the practitioners to have an extremely cheap and hearty breakfast in their canteen.

A meal costs less than 3 yuan, and everyone who comes, whether they are practitioners or tourists, can enjoy it at this price. It's incredible. Perhaps this is the compassion of equality of all living beings that Buddha talked about...

Reciting the scriptures silently and turning the prayer wheel once is equivalent to practicing once.

The sound of Buddhist chants in the morning and the rising smoke from cooking fires

Her red, her night, her beauty, I am honored to have seen it with my own eyes

This is a place where you will be fascinated by even the details

A place for the soul to rest

It's worth everyone climbing mountains for you...

Here, you will be in awe, your soul will be purified, and you will feel that you don’t need to care so much about many things. This place is like a pure land deep in your soul that will never fade away.

Private cars can only drive to the parking lot at the mountain gate, and then you can take the bus up the mountain to the Buddhist College. It costs 3 yuan per person and takes about 15-20 minutes.

The bus terminal is on the mountainside, next to the mandala on the top of Larung Gar Hotel. It takes more than half an hour to climb up.

It’s best to bring a mask when taking the bus. Lamas and nuns also take that bus. Maybe because the conditions are not very good and they don’t take baths or wash clothes often, there is a smell on their bodies.

There are vans at the mountain gate that can take you up the mountain. I heard that it usually costs about 5-10 yuan per person, but if there are a lot of people, they may take the opportunity to overcharge you.

Many people in the Buddhist college cannot understand Mandarin, and young people also cannot understand it. It’s not that they ignore you. If you want to ask for directions, you should ask several people.

It is the largest Tibetan Buddhist academy in the world. Millions of Tibetan red wooden houses surround several magnificent halls like stars surrounding the moon. Seeing it in person will shock you.

After watching the sky burial, we came to the Buddhist Academy. The two places are relatively close. Our car can only go to the foot of the mountain. We have to take the bus from the foot of the mountain to go up the mountain. It costs 3 yuan per person, and you can pay in cash or WeChat. I heard that the red house was going to be demolished. It turned out that they only wanted to build a fire escape, not all of it. The original houses were close to each other, and only the narrow path could pass through, which was very difficult to walk. The fire escapes built now lead to the top of the mountain in all directions, making it easier to climb the mountain. It is really spectacular to look down from the top of the mountain. It was sunny when I got there, and I met a little lama who was about to go to class, and he invited me to take a photo of him. After walking for a while, snowflakes suddenly fell. The snow scene at the Buddhist Academy is really beautiful and dreamy. But I originally planned to see the night scene, but I gave up because the snow was getting heavier. Everyone remember to bring a hat and scarf. It's really cold, and the wind is so strong that it gives me a headache.

We went to the Buddhist Academy to take photos of the night view. Our car was only allowed to park in the parking lot, and then we took the bus up the mountain, but we could only reach the halfway point. We had to climb the road from the parking spot to the top of the mountain by ourselves. There was a high staircase from the bottom of the mountain to the top, which was like climbing to the sky. The three of us mustered up the courage to climb up. Because it was a high altitude area, we were worried about altitude sickness, so we stopped to take a breath after climbing a few steps, and finally reached the top. Brother Da Zi said that he admired himself very much.

When we reached the top of the mountain, Da Zi, accompanied by Mr. Shen, used GoPro6 to take time-lapse photos under the circumambulation tower. I continued to climb to the top of the mountain and found a high point to take a panoramic photo of the Buddhist Academy. Later, I climbed to the roof of a house, which was an excellent shooting point, and took a photo of the night view of the Buddhist Academy that I was very satisfied with.

In the morning, the six of us went to visit Sertar Buddhist College. In order to prevent the three ladies from getting sick from the altitude, we took a taxi to the top of the mountain. Happy!

This is a place to purify your soul. No matter how many troubles or worries you have, you will forget them all here. The blue sky, white clouds, red houses, and the piety and faith of the people here will make you calm down. Standing on the mountain to watch the night view makes you tired, sleepy, and hungry, but your determination will not be shaken at all. Perhaps this is the magic of Seda!

Walking inside the Buddhist college is far from the beauty seen from a distance. There are dilapidated simple houses everywhere. Although there is not much garbage, the sundries are piled up randomly and cow dung can be seen everywhere. You can visit inside, but you need to take off your shoes.

I could see the dormitory buildings I passed by on the way here, as well as the observation deck on the top of the mountain. Later, I thought that the road I took on the mountainside could turn to the top of the mountain, because I remembered there was a fork in the road going up, but I couldn't see the situation above clearly, so I didn't take it. I followed it around and then went up to the mandala above.

Before reading the guide, I could drive directly in, but now because of road construction, I can only park my car in the parking lot outside the gate and then take the bus to the top of the mountain. It seems that it will be like this in the future. There will be too many cars and it will be very crowded inside. Taking the bus up the mountain is not so tiring. After all, the altitude here is more than 4,000 meters. It just takes a big detour from the back of the mountain. The terminal is near Larung Hotel.

Standing at the best shooting point, you can overlook the entire Buddhist college. It is located in a valley. The whole valley is high in the east and low in the west. Visually, with the Jumu Sutra Hall as the dividing point, the monks' quarters are divided into two large areas, one for lamas and the other for nuns (Jius). In fact, it is like a dormitory for boys and girls, but lamas and nuns are not allowed to have contact, and their life is very hard. They have to carry their own food and drink, especially in winter when the temperature is more than ten degrees below zero, and the thin red house has no heating. You can imagine how difficult the practice is, and how firm the belief in converting to Buddhism must be to persist. This is the fate they have chosen for themselves, but they also deserve our respect.

The houses looked a bit messy during the day, but the photos taken at night still felt shocking, especially when standing in the center of the valley and looking at the valley with thousands of lights around. It felt like an unreal illusion, like the light of the sun, moon and stars.

Along the way, the eyes are full of red, and the path is winding. Each of these small houses is only a few square meters in size. As long as there is a gap between two houses, the monks will build their own huts, painted red, with no hot water or toilets. The house feels like it will fall down if blown. It is not warm in winter and not cool in summer. This is where they live day and night. In order to stick to their beliefs and learn Buddhism, everyone lives an extremely hard life. But now there are more and more houses, and the government has demolished many of them to prevent fire hazards. I took a picture of the monk's back, and it felt like he had seen through everything in the world.

About Seda

▓The shocking celestial funeral

I saw with my own eyes the condors fighting over human flesh and the ribs and head that had been eaten clean; yet I did not feel disgusted, I just regarded it as the natural law of life and death; if it had been a murderer being dismembered, I would have vomited long ago.

▓The red houses all over the hills

When I got on the bus to the Buddhist College and saw the red houses all over the mountain, I couldn't describe the visual impact.

▓The Buddhist teachings class that was like a university class

Hundreds of lamas and nuns, as well as people who wanted to seek Buddhahood and a few tourists, listened to a lecture on the Ratnagarbha Sutra.

▓Night falls

Climb the sacred mountain of Seda, feel the most beautiful Seda night, and forget everything

▓Postscript

Seda, with an altitude of 3900-4300 meters, has thinner air than Lhasa, and altitude sickness is basically unavoidable. I didn’t sleep well for two nights, but I didn’t feel much during the day.

Seda, minus 18 degrees Celsius, altitude sickness is probably caused by freezing! Now it's back to 18 degrees Celsius in the south...

There is a parking lot at the foot of the Buddhist College. There are buses to the mountain. There are many people queuing, so we chose to climb up. Most of the buildings at the foot of the mountain are yellow. You can see a large area of ​​red buildings halfway up the mountain. It takes about 30 minutes to climb up. There are small shops and stores selling fruits and vegetables on the mountain. You don't have to worry about being thirsty or hungry. There are already some reinforced concrete buildings on the mountain. Friends who want to go should go as early as possible. There was wind on the mountain in the evening and it started to rain, so we went down the mountain early.

I firmly believe that the beauty of Seda cannot be recorded by any camera. All we can do is to keep the beauty in your eyes at the moment when the camera focuses. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkles on the houses on the top of the mountain, like a woman half wrapped in golden gauze. At about 6:30 in the evening, the lights of the mandala are turned on, and the night of Seda slowly comes. The sky gets darker and the light gets brighter. In the light and shadow of light and dark, the night of the Buddhist holy land is quiet.

Tips: 1. Private cars can only go to the parking lot at the foot of the Buddhist Academy. The only means of transportation to the top of the Buddhist Academy are buses and footsteps. The bus costs 3 yuan per person, and you can pay with WeChat. But the bus stops operating at 7 pm. The night view of Seda can only be seen at around 7 o'clock. If you want to see the night view, please be prepared to walk back to the foot of the mountain from the Buddhist Academy. It takes about 30-40 minutes. It is all big roads and safe enough. 2. The best viewing platform of the Buddhist Academy is at the top of the stone steps. You can slowly climb up along the stone steps. If you don’t know the way, ask the local monks. Note that girls ask Juem and boys ask Zhaba. They are more concerned about direct communication between men and women. There are exceptions, so try to pay attention. 3. The Buddhist Academy is above 4,000 meters above sea level. Because of the lack of green plants, coupled with the withering of vegetation in winter, there is less natural oxygen, and there will be high hypoxia. The altitude is high and the temperature is only minus 20 degrees. Please keep warm. 4. Mobile phones will really freeze in winter. Please bring your own warm baby stickers and stick them on your mobile phone to prevent your mobile phone from being stupid. 5. You are not allowed to take a shower or wash your hair the night before going to the Buddhist Academy. If you catch a slight cold, it will cause altitude sickness. It is also best not to take a shower the first night after returning, because you have just come down from the plateau and your body needs to gradually adapt.

Park the car in the parking lot and take the bus up the mountain. May 22 is Buddha's birthday. The Buddhist College will hold a Vajrasattva Dharma Assembly. The master will give lectures in the scripture hall. Many mainland believers come to attend the Dharma Assembly. These days are particularly lively. Believers call each other brothers and sisters and seize the time to communicate on the bus. Go up the mountain to circumambulate the mandala and go down the mountain to return to Seda County.

The yellow house is where believers live, and the red house is where monks live.

It takes about 10 minutes to take a bus from the foot of the mountain to the Buddhist Academy. If you walk up, it will take about an hour because it is all uphill. I really want to discuss some Buddhist philosophical thoughts with these Buddhist students or teachers. I have so many doubts about life, and I hope to find some answers here. However, time is limited, and the discussion can only be left for next time. A life with some regrets is more promising for ordinary people like us. Under normal circumstances, the Buddhist Academy should not allow lay people to enter, but I only found out about this after I sneaked in. Sorry to bother you. Looking at them discussing with each other or studying seriously alone, I can't help but recall the beautiful youth. The whole city of Seda is not very big, but it is divided into many layers like many Tibetan villages, and it is easy for unfamiliar people to get lost. I have a simplest concept. If I go up the mountain, I will just go up the mountain, and if I go down the mountain, I will just go down the mountain. In this way, no matter how complicated the road is, I will not get lost. After calculating the time, I walked and walked, not knowing where I was going. However, all the places seemed to make me feel conflicting emotions - excitement and peace.

We happily went to the bus station of the Buddhist Academy to take a bus up the mountain. The bus in the scenic area costs 3 yuan per person. You can also choose to walk up, which is not far, only 3 kilometers.

You must swipe your ID card to enter the Buddhist Academy. Due to policy reasons, we are temporarily unable to receive foreign guests, tourists from Taiwan and Xinjiang ethnic minorities. Without an ID card, you cannot enter. Foreign guests cannot enter even with a "Tibet Entry Permit". So not everyone can enter.

When I got to the top of the mountain, I saw believers worshipping devoutly. The red houses built on the mountain were really beautiful and spectacular. Although it was very cold at this time, there was a beautiful snow scene. The snow on the roadside was so beautiful that I couldn't help but play in the snow.

We went to the Buddhist College to see the night view. It was already 8:30 in the evening when we arrived there. There was no bus going up. When we got to the observation deck, the weather on the mountain was really bitterly cold. We were shivering.

It wasn't long before we arrived at the bus stop. Although there were a lot of people lining up, the bus had a decent capacity and we were able to get on the bus and go up the mountain. It didn't take too long to get to the bus stop and we had to hike the rest of the way.

Passing through rows of small houses, many houses were demolished due to illegal construction, and many were still under construction, so a large area looked like a construction site.

It was actually quite interesting to pass through the houses built by local believers on our way to the hotel.

Everyone decorates their house differently. If you have enough time, you can stay here for a day or two to appreciate it carefully, which will give it a fresh feeling.

We stopped and took pictures along the way. Some of the roads to the observation deck were difficult to walk on. The weather was not very good and the sun was not very bright, so the scenery looked a little gray.

The famous red house complex is certainly not as colorful as it appears in many photos, but I didn't have high expectations, so there was no disappointment.

There weren't many people when we arrived at the observation deck. Some people might not be interested, and some might be short on time, so they just took a look at the daytime scenery at the observation deck and then went down.

But to be honest, the night view is not very beautiful, because the place is relatively small, and there are only a few places with lights on at best, and many houses may not have their lights on. The tour guide said in the group that it depends on the students when they come back from class.

The bus to the Buddhist Academy has a long queue during the peak season. When we went there, it was okay. There were not many people. After getting on the bus, you will see many lamas and nuns. They are all very friendly, but shy. My friend and I walked up the stairs to the mandala. When we were halfway up the mountain, my friend couldn't walk anymore and had altitude sickness, so we had to go down the mountain, so I had to go up alone. But I was really tired, and I also had a slight headache, which was the result of altitude sickness. But I thought that since I was here, I could still climb up, so I gritted my teeth and persevered. I also rested for a long time when I stepped on the last dozen stairs. But after climbing up, I felt much better after a short rest. When I saw the scenery in front of me, I felt that all the hardship and tiredness were worth it. A few years ago, my friend came to Seda, and there was no demolition here at that time. At that time, my friend sent me a news that part of Seda was going to be demolished because of safety considerations, but Seda is still very beautiful now. In addition to some reinforced concrete, there are still red houses. I originally wanted to take some videos, but I didn't expect the wind to be so strong that it could blow down the tripod. I had to give up, what a pity.

When I arrived at this place, I was the only tourist there. My friends were still down there. I watched them talking and laughing, saying something I couldn't understand. Some lamas even played games. We walked on the yellow plank road. To be honest, we chose this road on purpose, one because it was close, and the other because there was a long buffer path in the middle, at least we were not always going up. But we thought too much, it didn't matter whether there was a slow-walking platform or not, because everyone sat on the stairs to rest.

We did not choose to take the bus (the bus can go directly to the top of the mountain, 3 yuan/person)

Surrounded by mountains, the monks' quarters in the valley are densely packed on the hillsides on all sides, with the Buddhist Academy's large scripture hall as the center. Numerous crimson wooden houses stretch out and rise and fall, creating a spectacular sight. You can spend half a day here.

It would be quite spectacular if you could see the monks coming out in red robes after class.

Of course, if the weather is good, you can insist on seeing the night view of Seda (be sure to keep warm)

Cars can only drive to the foot of the mountain. You can walk from the foot of the mountain to the Buddhist College, or take a bus. The fare is 3 yuan.

There is a long walkway and ladder on the left side of the entrance to Serthar Buddhist College, which goes all the way to the top of the mountain, where you can overlook the entire red house. The red houses on the mountain are like a splash-ink painting.

The scene at night is completely different from that during the day. The mountain is full of lights, and you can quietly enjoy the quiet and bright night of Seda.

This large area of ​​densely packed red houses is still as spectacular even when I came to see it for the second time. This time I came at dusk, but the wind on the observation deck was so strong that even wearing a down jacket was useless.

I returned after four years and saw the Buddhist college that I had never seen before. I hope that when I see it again next time, it will still be as beautiful as the first time I saw it.

Although the weather was not good and it was gray, the Buddhist Academy was really big and still looked very spectacular to me. The sound of chanting from the loudspeakers made the whole Buddhist Academy full of mystery. Because the weather here was quite cold, there was still snow in many places on the mountain.

The densely packed simple red houses on the hills are really shocking.

In fact, this is the place I am most looking forward to on this trip. The first time I knew about this place was because I accidentally saw a picture of such red houses on the Internet one day. I was very shocked at that time!

When you come here, in the valley of Larung Valley at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, thousands of crimson simple wooden houses are connected together. At first glance, the furnishings of those wooden houses seem to be disorderly and unsystematic; it seems to be in line with the Buddhist saying "all things are impermanent, all dharmas have no self, and nirvana is quiet", complementing each other. Surrounded by mountains, tens of thousands of red wooden houses are scattered throughout the valley, like stars surrounding the moon, surrounded by several magnificent halls, magnificent and shocking. When you stand on the mountain and overlook the Buddhist Academy, you still have an incredible feeling. Anyone who arrives here will be shocked by the red everywhere, because it is not just a color, but also a belief. When I went there, the temperature was below zero. In such a cold and difficult environment, in this highest institution of learning in the Buddhist temple, lamas and nuns can be seen everywhere, pilgrims who kowtow, and devout Tibetans are not disturbed by the crowds of tourists. Piety and friendliness in the red ocean, strength and persistence in the red clothes. The power of faith is really great, and I feel solemn and respectful. The lifelong pursuit of Tibetans is simple and persistent. When I left, it started to snow lightly. I heard that it snowed heavily soon. The whole Buddhist college was already covered in white. I don’t know why, but Seda left me with a very different feeling. I don’t know what it is, maybe it is an experience completely different from my usual life…

Seda Wuming Buddhist College was founded by King Jigme Phuntsok in 1980. Surrounded by mountains, the monks' quarters in the valley are densely packed on the hillsides on all sides, with the large scripture hall of the Buddhist College as the center. There are numerous crimson wooden houses, which are rolling and spectacular. You must make an appointment to enter the Wuming Buddhist College. There are two ways to make an appointment, online and offline, and the visiting time is divided into morning and afternoon sessions. For offline, you need to make an appointment at the Seda Jinma Grassland Distribution Center. For online, you need to make an appointment 3 days in advance on the WeChat applet Larung Valley Entry Reservation. Starting at 12 o'clock in the morning, there are usually no vacancies in about 5 minutes.

After making an appointment for the special line ticket, we took the special line bus to the mandala of the Buddhist College. The visiting time used to be 40 minutes, but now it is 1 hour, which is enough time to take a photo and check in.

The origin of Larung Gar Buddhist Academy: In 1980, despite his old age and frail health, Xinlong Lama Jigme Phuntsok came to the deserted Larung Valley where living conditions were extremely difficult, and started from scratch to establish a study center with only 32 students. After several years of development, the scale of the study center continued to expand and its popularity also increased. In 1987, Vice Chairman Panchen Lama approved the establishment and inscribed the name of "Seda Larung Gar Buddhist Academy"; in 1992, Vice Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Ngapo Ngawang Jigme wrote an inscription for the academy;

Thousands of low monk's houses are densely packed on the hillsides on all sides, with the Buddhist Academy's large scripture hall as the center. The monks in these red wooden houses have been studying Tibetan Buddhism devoutly here for years.

You can't drive up to Sertar Buddhist College by yourself. There are buses inside, and the final stop is Mandala. Generally, you take the bus to Mandala and then walk to a higher place to see the panoramic view. This large area of ​​densely packed red houses is very spectacular.

We arrived at the mountain at 4pm. The temperature difference between day and night was huge. It was hot in the afternoon if we wore shirts and trousers. It was cool at almost 7pm, so we put on a sweater. The night view of the Buddhist Academy should be taken on the viewing platform heading west from the mandala. It takes about 15 minutes to walk, and it may only take 10 minutes to return to the mandala. The bus said that the last bus was at 9 o'clock. We finished taking pictures of the night view at 8:20 and went to the mandala to wait for the bus. We arrived at the foot of the mountain at almost 9 o'clock. Because we had to queue, we had to go early. The altitude is 4,000 meters, which is already very high. We have to exercise slowly, walk for a while and rest for a while. Although there is no altitude sickness, we can obviously feel our heart beating very fast when we climb about 15 steps at a time.

#May 2018

The Seda Buddhist College is being demolished and rebuilt now. There are many cranes and excavators, but it does not affect its magnificence at all. It is said that there will be fewer red houses in the future. There is no official statement. The altitude is 3,900, but I always feel that there is very little oxygen here. After all, I have been to Shangri-La, Namtso, and the base camp of Mount Everest. But I felt a little breathless several times in Seda today. It may also be that my physical fitness has declined in the past two years. After all, this is probably a place you will only visit once in your life, so go there as soon as possible.

Why do people always feel unhappy when they are alive?

Buddha said it is because we have too many desires in our hearts. How can we make ourselves happy?

Go to Seda, you will find the answer there!

Feel the Buddhist beliefs and the beauty bestowed by nature with a pious attitude.



If "life could only be like first sight", the first sight you see of her will definitely make you reluctant to forget - across the mountains, the red color that spreads all over the valleys sparkles in the sunset. These thousands of red monasteries were built by monks and nuns themselves. When you stand on the top of the mountain and look down, your soul will be shocked.

The largest Buddhist college, you may not understand their beliefs, but when you come to this place, I personally feel that there is at least a minimum of respect. Many tourists are still not very appropriate in their words. You come here not only to see the scenery and watch the sky burial. Learn about their culture, maybe you will understand a lot. It is also very interesting.

Since we are a regular passenger bus of Xinchuan-Tibet Transport Company, tourists often help my bus to go to the western Sichuan Plateau. The scenery in western Sichuan is different. Each has its own merits. It shows you different cultural customs. The western Sichuan Plateau makes many tourists from afar linger.

It's a pity that I didn't have the chance to climb the mountain, but it felt spectacular just looking at it from the bottom.

A sea of ​​red, only two words: shocking

It should be opened to tourists and the public. Don't do some extreme left-wing things. Many tourists come here in vain!

The power of faith. It is very shocking. It is now being renovated. The original wooden room is removed. A fire escape is added.

Thousands of red houses spread across the hilltop, the power of faith

It's so shocking, I really can't think of any words to describe it.

A paradise on earth, the scenery is so beautiful, a holy place, I will come again.

I booked a travel photographer at the Buddhist Academy. He was quite professional, took photos seriously, and provided good service. In order for me to post on WeChat Moments first, he edited a few photos for me at around 11pm and sent them to me. He edited them again and sent them to me again. He is a very good guy. If you want to take photos, you can find him.

A place that can be called heaven, a place you want to go back to again after visiting it.

It is very unique, with lamas all over the city and red houses. It is very nice.

Experience the journey of the dignitary

The most beautiful scenery

Enjoy the colors that are worth it

Whether you are a Buddhist or not, this is a place you must visit in your lifetime.

As we drove up the mountain, the scenery slowly unfolded before our eyes. It was so stunning. The red house under the white clouds was so beautiful. Here is a photo of the night view.

It's a beautiful place, so it's worth a visit.

I won't talk about the Buddhist Academy, it's a matter of faith. It's not that the natural scenery is incomparable, but all the red houses are still spectacular.

You need to drop your ID card and scan your face to enter the scenic area. After verifying your identity, walk 200 meters forward to the bus station for going up the mountain. There are a total of 10 bus stops along the way. The terminal is near the altar, but the road is icy in winter, and the bus only goes to the fifth stop and everyone gets off. The driving time from the first stop to the fifth stop is 4 minutes. The bus fare is 3 yuan for tourists, which can be paid by coins or WeChat. There is a long zigzag staircase in the parking lot of the fifth stop to climb up to the observation deck, which is the best place to view the panoramic view of the seminary. If climbing stairs in the plateau area is too tiring, you can walk to the seminary along the main pedestrian road in the middle. There is a cement road for cars and pedestrians on the left side of the seminary leading to the altar. You will see a large golden prayer wheel at the intersection. There is a road for small cars behind the altar leading to the observation deck. No need to climb stairs throughout the journey.

I don't know how to put it, but the Buddhist Academy has become very popular in the past two years. I just hope that the increasing number of tourists will not destroy its original tranquility and beauty.

Photo taken at Serthar Buddhist College on May 23, 2015

The red houses everywhere are dormitories for students of the Buddhist Academy. When I first came here, the dense red blocks gave me a great visual impact. Since the altitude of Seda is also over 4000, we could only walk slowly and shuttle through the Buddhist Academy.

As the lights come on, the Buddhist Academy presents a completely different scene at night.

Here you will truly feel the power of faith, and come here to receive a spiritual cleansing!

Walking in Seda, red houses, humanities, and pedestrians coming and going

The red house of the Buddhist Academy, the monks in red clothes, the night view, the sky burial platform, the altar, each of them made me feel the power of faith. Although this is not a bitterly cold place, it is also a place with difficult living conditions at high altitudes. The masters who study and practice in such a place are also very admirable.

Thousands of mountains and rivers, coming to you

Photo taken on 2018.07.28

Watching a red ocean, listening to a Buddhist chant,

Seda, I will meet you at last.



So lucky to have sunny and snowy days~

I won't add a travel link. If you're interested, please visit my space.

I went there not long ago, it was really beautiful and worth visiting once in your life.

Overlooking the entire valley from the altar, the visual shock is extraordinary! The spiritual shock is even stronger!

The car can only be parked in the parking lot at the foot of the mountain, and then take the bus up the mountain, which costs 3 yuan for going up and 3 yuan for going down. If there is enough time, it is recommended to walk down the mountain.

Nice place, every time I pass by, every time it is a different view

The Sutra Hall is not open to the public. The speakers on the roof play Buddhist scriptures in Tibetan or Sanskrit. There must be someone reading them. Near the Sutra Hall is the central area of ​​the Buddhist Academy, where there are shops, restaurants, canteens, and a Tibetan hospital, as well as a supermarket for daily necessities and building materials built specifically for monks.

Their living conditions are still relatively difficult. They have to do everything by themselves, from building huts to buying various furniture. Monks carrying mattresses or building materials by themselves can be seen everywhere. Not only that, they also have to solve water and heating problems by themselves. How can they survive healthily? This should be what we worry about most for them.

It is recommended to take a 3 yuan bus from the parking lot to go up the mountain, and then walk 10 minutes to the viewing platform. There is no need to take a bus to go down the mountain. There is a good footpath next to the viewing platform. There are dormitories on both sides of the road. The footpath leads to the road and along the road to the parking lot. It takes more than half an hour from the viewing platform to the parking lot.

The largest Buddhist college is also the largest Buddhist college in the world in terms of scale and number of people. These red cabins are the residences of more than 30,000 monks. When I was sitting here, I saw many nuns who just went home to rest at noon. They were wrapped in red cloth from head to toe, their faces were full of plateau red, and their eyes were full of kindness and vigilance towards outsiders. I couldn't understand the words they were communicating with each other, and I instantly felt that I was in a strange world. When I arrived, street lights were being installed here. Although it would destroy the overall visual sense, this is the pace of the government gradually improving the infrastructure of Seda. I heard that the Seda I saw at this moment was the presentation after some buildings were demolished. Although it is definitely more beautiful before the demolition, it is mainly for the living safety of local people. I hope that the government will improve the overall drainage system in the next step to provide a better living environment for those who practice devoutly here.

A place that needs no further explanation. A must-visit once in a lifetime

As night fell, the small red houses lit up one by one. When the twinkling lights spread all over the hillside, everything became quiet. Some people came here to practice, and some came here to escape from the world.

When I woke up, what I was most concerned about was the weather. Although I didn't see the morning glow in the sky, I inadvertently encountered the fog-covered Seda, which seemed like a fairyland.

The Buddhist Academy is like an isolated community. The service area in the valley has supermarkets, restaurants, bookstores, cafes, hotels, etc., but many places are open to Zhaba and Jiumu at different times. The supermarket has a rich variety of goods, and the restaurant only provides vegetarian food.

It was snowing heavily and the sky was cloudy when I arrived at the Buddhist college. I thought I could only blame my bad luck for being caught in a cloudy day... But after half an hour the sky suddenly cleared up, and I got to see the Buddhist college both on a snowy day and on a sunny day.

It took almost an hour to walk from the foot of the mountain to the mandala. If you have a good walking speed, it is recommended to walk up. The people, scenery, things and objects you see along the way are definitely more worthwhile than taking a 10-minute car ride up. The viewing platform behind the mandala. You really can't miss the night view of Seda. The red mountain in front of you is the monks' quarters. There are more than 30,000 monks practicing here and living an extremely hard life... If you don't see it with your own eyes, you can't imagine that such a remote western Sichuan has so many people living there.

People who pass by or go to Seda should never go to this Sichuan restaurant Shuxiangju. The chartered driver took us to eat at this restaurant, and the prices are very expensive. A bowl of Mapo Tofu costs 30 yuan, and the dishes served are extremely unpalatable. We ordered boiled beef, and the meat was dry as if it had been left out for a long time, and there was no beef flavor at all. The soup had a strong fishy smell but no beef flavor at all. I guess they mixed in other people's leftovers and cooked them together.

As the world's largest Buddhist academy, Seda is a sea of ​​red, with red houses built between two mountains, which is extremely shocking and visually impactful.

If "life could only be like first sight", the first sight of her would be something you would never want to forget - across the mountains, the red color that spreads across the valleys sparkles in the sunset. These thousands of red monasteries were all built by monks and nuns themselves. When you stand on the top of the mountain and look down, your soul will be shocked.

At the beginning, many people were taking pictures of the night view. Later, I was the only one left on the top of the Seda Back Mountain. Actually, I am very afraid of the dark, but at that moment, I truly felt the peace.