Tibet: Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is of the three big Buddhist monasteries located near Lhasa. Founded in 1409, at its height it included a Great Assembly hall and three colleges housing over 4000 monks. During the Chinese cultural revolution and revolts, it suffered major damages, and most monks escaped to India where they established an alternative Sera Monastery. These day, the Tibetan Sera is being slowly restored and is once again a major Buddhist center, containing the press, library, several colleges, nunneries, and also famous monk debates (next post)