Sera Monastery
སེ་ར་དགོན་པ།
One of the three great Gelug monasteries. Every afternoon, monks hold debates in the courtyard, clapping hands in lively exchanges, making it Lhasa's most vivid religious experience. There are sky burial sites and rock carvings behind the monastery.
Sera Monastery sits at the foot of Mount Sera on the northern outskirts of Lhasa. Founded in 1419 by Shakya Yeshe, a disciple of Tsongkhapa, it is one of the three great Gelug monasteries alongside Ganden and Drepung. At its peak it had more than 5,000 monks, and today it has about 500. Its features include the Tsokchen Hall, three major colleges (Jiang, Me, and Agyu), and more than 30 small communities. It is a monastic city built into the hillside. Its greatest highlight is the debate. Every weekday afternoon from about 15:00 to 17:00 (Monday through Saturday), monks debate Buddhist philosophy in pairs in the debate courtyard, a shaded yard inside the monastery. The questioner stands, claps, and stamps the ground, while the respondent sits cross-legged and answers. The atmosphere is lively, and visitors can watch and take photos from the edge of the courtyard. Flash photography is not allowed, and you cannot enter the debate area. Other highlights include the Mahakala statue in the Jiang College (locals believe it protects children, and parents bring their children to touch its nose for blessings), the sutra halls and murals of the Tsokchen Hall, the Sera Uzi Mountain behind the monastery, which offers views over Lhasa and is home to a sky burial site not open to tourists, and the rock carvings in front of the monastery. Admission is 50 CNY. Plan to arrive around 14:30 to see the Tsokchen Hall and Jiang College first, enter the debate courtyard at 15:00, and stay about 2 hours. Transport: take bus 16 or 24 to Sera Monastery stop, or take a taxi for about 20 minutes. You can combine it with Drepung Monastery (about 12 km away) in one day, visiting Drepung in the morning and Sera in the afternoon. Notes: loud noise and flash photography are prohibited in the debate courtyard. Photography inside halls is often paid or forbidden. The monastery has many steps and sits at high altitude, so walk slowly. There is no debate on Sundays, so check in advance.
Opening hours
09:00–16:00 (debate sessions 15:00–17:00; closed Sun)
Nearby sights
- Drapchi Monastery
- Pabonka Hermitage
- Ramoche Temple
- Lukhang Park
- Tromsikhang Market
- Potala Palace
- Guangming Sweet Tea House
- Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street