Attractions of Ganden Monastery
Ganden monastery was built in the traditional Buddhist architecture style, adjusted measures to the mountain and perfectly blended temples into palace. The main structures in the monastery are the Main Assembly Hall (Tshomchen) and Tantric colleges.
Situated in the northern area and set facing south, the Main Assembly Hall (Tshomchen) is the largest assembly hall, with 43.8 meters wide and 44.7 meters long and three storeys high. The first floor consists of a hall, a chapel and three chanting halls; among those the largest one is capable of holding more than 3,000 lamas. The molds of Maitreya and Tsong Khapa are enshrined and worshiped in the hall. And there is a delicate mold of doulutianying on the left gate of the hall.
Yangbajian (a Buddhist building) lies in the west of the Main Assembly Hall, consisted with Buddhist Doctrine-protecting Hall, Shangshi Hall, Tancheng Hall, Shidongkang Hall and the numen chapel of the monastery. The chapel was built in 1416 and the fourth Panchen added gold roof to it in 1610.
Serdhung is close to Yangbajian whose houses Tsong Khapa's and his successors' stupas. On October 25, 1419, Tsong Khapa died and his disciples built the hall to house his tomb, which was made of 900 taels of silver (equaling more than 1100 troy ounces). The thirteenth Dalai Lama changed it into gold later. Since that it was a custom to build silver tomb for deceased Ganden tripas. More than 95 silvers tombs were built before the revolution of china.
Tri Thok Khang is one of the early structures, which is the residence of Tsong Khapa and the successive tripas. It is also named cloth-keeping hall because their clothing has been kept in the hall. And for Tsong Khapa, this hall is also the place he deceased. It was expanded in 1720 and its gold roof was constructed during reign of the Seventh Dalai Lama.
Ganden monastery has two Tantric colleges, which were both built by Tsong Khapa's disciples. Both the chanting halls of the two can hold 1,500 lamas chanting. Except for the two, there are more than 20 small chanting halls, which belong to different Khangtsens (smaller organizations than colleges). Each of them can house 200 chanting monks. Except that there are numerous palaces built by Dasizhouben (the main benefactor).