Tran means roc and druk means dragon in Tibetan. The monastery got is name from the legend that it could only be built after Songtsan Gampo had turned into a roc and conquered an evil dragon. It's said that renowned figures in the  history of Tibetan Buddhism, such as Padmasambhava and Milariba, had practiced Buddhism nearby after it was built and the remaining relics are Sacred land for the devotees.
Trandruk was built during the reign of Songtsan Gampo, and later extensions were designed by Juequjian of it. It's said Princess Wencheng stayed and practised Buddhism here at one time and left some relics. Trandruk later converted to Gelugpa and experienced large-scale reconstruction and later it belonged to Gelupa (one of the Sects of Tibetan Buddhism).
Location: Trandruk Monastery lies on the southern side Mt. Gangpo Ri, on the east bank of the Yarlung River, about 2 kilometers south of Tradrug.
Transportation: You can get a public bus from NaiDong Road in Tsedang to Trandruk Monastery for 2 Yuan. Alternatively it costs 10 Yuan to get there by motor tricycle or 5 Yuan to by local tractor. As it's only 2 kilometers from NaiDong Road to the Monastery, you can walk there in about an hour.
Opening time:from 9:00 am to 16:00 pm. Allow about 2 hours or so for a visit.
Admission fee: 30 Yuan
Evaluation: You must see the most precious treasure in the monastery -- a pearl Thangka (Thangka is a kind of paintings illustrating Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan arts This pearl Thangka is brought here by Princess Wencheng)
Tour Trandruk Monastery
The lower layout of the main hall is similar to that of Jokhang in Lhasa. Once many ancient murals and the sculptures of Songtsan Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Nepal Princess Chizun and the minister Ludongzan were kept in the monastery. But they were gone for some historical reasons. Later the fifth Dalai Lama made some repairs and added a  golden roof and there were further repairs made by the thirteenth Dalai Lama. Unfortunately a double-layer bell, which was cast under the supervision of the Han monk RenQing (DaBao) in the late 8th Century, has since been destroyed. The bell was cast with 12 sentences of inscriptions in Tibetan and with 6 sentences on each layers. They were arranged from left to the right. The monastery has otherwise been restored and redecorated.
A pearl Thangka which is housed in one of the chapels representing Chenrezi (the Bodhisattva of Compassion) at rest is the monastery’s major treasure. It is 2 meters long, 1.2 meters wide and is made up of 29,026 pearls and a diamond, two rubies, a sapphires,185 turquoise, amber, 1997 corals and 15.5 grams of gold.
Trandruk monastery is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet which attracts many pilgrims and visitors. It is included in the list of the state key historical sites that are given special protection.
Tips:
1Transportation: It costs 30 Yuan to rent a motor tricycle from Tsetang and back, 80 Yuan for a medium-sized bus, or you can hire a car and driver in Tsetang, and agree a price which would include Yumbulagang and The Tombs of the Tibetan Kings in the itinerary.
2. Accommodation: The nearest accommodation is at Tsetang
3. Food: There is Sichuan Restaurants in Tsedang which can satisfy most tourists. |
