Songzanlin Temple is a 300-year old Tibetan monastery complex. The Monastery is set on a hill a short distance out of Shangri-la proper. It was built by the fifth Dalai Lama and is part of the Yellow Hat sect.
Construction of the temple began in 1679 and was completed two years later. The temple seems like a group of ancient castles and is composed of two lamaseries, Zhacang and Jikang. The gilded copper roof endows the temple with strong Tibetan features and the 108 (an auspicious number in Buddhism) columns downstairs also feature the temple with characteristics of Han nationality.
The main halls in the temple are magnificent, and on both the left and the right sides are wonderful frescos, depicting Buddhist tales and legends. The inside-halls are exquisite with cloisters running through. The cloisters are all decorated with beautiful sculptures and consummate frescos.
The temple is full of treasures. There are a lot of golden figures of Buddha josses, golden lamps, Tibetan lections, silver censers and so on. All of these are wonderful collections accumulated from each dynasty. They are precious productions made by people of both Tibet nationality and Han nationality.
Songzanlin Temple has another alias, “Minor Potala Palace”. In 1679, Dalailama chose this place by divination, and it went on to become the uppermost public place in Yunan which features the particular local characteristics. Annually, the Gedong Festival is celebrated here by the Tibetans. Pious believers, with their knees and foreheads knocking the ground at every step, come here to pray.
It is a fine place to learn more about Tibetan Buddhism.