Gar Monastery
尕尔寺
A Kagyu Tibetan Buddhist monastery built into the cliffs of a gorge, a tributary valley of the Mekong (Lancang River), at an altitude of about 3,700 m. It is nicknamed the 'Snow Lotus on the Cliff.'
Gar Monastery is located in Baza Township, Nangchen County, about 76 km from Xiangda Town. It is a Kagyu school monastery of Tibetan Buddhism with more than 800 years of history. The monastery is built against a cliff, with halls stacked and embedded in the rock face. The main hall houses a prayer wheel said to be connected to Princess Wencheng, and there is a large collection of butter sculptures. Below the monastery is Lhatso Lake, a small high-altitude lake. Tibetan macaques are often seen in the surrounding gorge.
Admission is free. When entering the halls, respect the monastery rules and do not photograph monks.
The mountain roads are narrow and steep, so it is recommended to hire a local off-road vehicle to reach the site.
Opening hours
Open daytime; please respect monastery routines