Tsurphu Kora

Tsurphu, founded in 1180, is the mother monastery of the Karmapa (Black Hat) branch of the Kagyupa order. It was the seat of the Karmapa Lama, Tibet's third most senior monk, until the current Karmapa fled across the Himalayas in the winter of 1999-2000. (See William Mackesy's account of meeting the Karmapa lama)

Tsurphu is perched at 4,480m (nearly 15,000 feet) up a beautiful valley, some 70km north-west of Lhasa, beneath crags speckled with precarious meditation retreats. A stream rushes between brilliant green banks and boulders, below prayer flag streamers which cross the narrow valley.

The monastery is a more tightly knit group of buildings than its grand equivalents, but impressive nonetheless. It was trashed in the Cultural Revolution and much was in ruins when we were there. Much restoration has been done but it still felt a bit melancholy, and is reportedly more so since the Karmapa fled.

The kora path clambers perilously among the rocks and cliffs up to 150m above the monastery complex, passing meditation retreats and paintings. The views of the valley nestling its precious charge beneath a spiders web of prayer flags are entrancing.

A superb trek into the barren hills of the Tibetan plateau, across to Yangpachen, starts from here. 

See our Monastery Koras page for detailed practical information.