Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si)

Major Tibetan Buddhist monastery 25 km from Xining, on the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa school.

Kumbum Monastery (called Ta'er Si in Chinese) was founded in 1583 on the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the 14th-century reformer who founded the Gelugpa school of Tibetan Buddhism. ~600 monks. Famous for the yak-butter sculptures displayed at festivals — sculpted in cold rooms each year, intricate, ephemeral. Located outside the TAR; accessible without permits.