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Labrang stands near Xiahe, small town placed in a valley surrounded by endless grasslands, at 2920 m height, near the border with Qinghai. Its importance for Tibetan Buddhism lies in the fact that it is the seat of the living Buddha in Labrang, Jiamuyang. This lama is the third in order of importance, after Dalai Lama and Pancen Lama. Moreover Labrang is the biggest Buddhist monastery out of Tibet border, and, in order of importance, it is second only to Lhasa. This monastery was built between 1650 and 1700 by Rangzongtsé, the first Jiamuyang, and at the height of its magnificence, housed about 4000 monks. It was, and it currently is, a kind of superior school, like a boarding school. In it there are schools of Art, medicine, of pagan and religious Buddhist traditions. Before Chinese Cultural Revolution, there ware 38 monasteries (Lamaserie) and about 80 temples. Monlan or Great Pray The most important event of the year for the monastery is Monlan or Great Pray. Tibetans refer to a moon calendar, therefore the date of this anniversary change every year. Monlan starts three days after Tibetan New Year’s Day, which usually falls in February or March. Four days long lasting spectacular ceremonies draw to the city nomads from grasslands, shepherds and pilgrims, each one coming dressed with his own colourful clothes. Especially girls wanting to marry adorn themselves with beautiful golden and coral jewels and put on their most gaudy dresses. It is not only a religious holiday …
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