Chimpu Meditation Center

Chimpu Meditation Center is an ideal place for preventing sun strikes and keeping off the cold, a very suitable place for trekking. It’s not only a sacred place for pilgrims, the tourists may enjoy much more fun there. “Chim” refers to the Chim clan while “Pu” means the upper part of a ravine.

The ravine where Chimpu lies is a basin with a surrounding of mountains to three sides, which are just like two hands holding Chimpu in the middle, and then faces gradually to open slopes into a vast valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the south. Padmasambhava and many eminent monks practiced Buddhism there and left many sacred remains there. Before the ending of the former flourishing period of Tibetan Buddhism, many Buddhist scriptures were buried there and during the early later flourishing period of Tibetan Buddhism, a lot of scripture diggers came to dig scriptures.

Chimpu shares the same great reputation as the Samye monastery that Tibetans believe that you don’t really visit Samye Monastery without going to Chimpu. Scenic spot: Located in mountains and with thick forests and streams flowing, Chimpu is not very hot in summer and not very cold in winter and the climate is moderate all year around. Standing in the mountains, there are green hills and clear waters, birds singing, and flowers giving forth fragrance.

The network of river courses thousands of meters away and the huge golden sands along the river bank are clear to see. It’s really a place where scenery and climate are both good. That’s why so many eminent monks and common people regarded there as the sacred place to practice Buddhism and meditate. There are said to be 108 retreat caves, 108 sky burial stages, and 108 magic streams. It was here that Padmasambhava, Tibetan King Tritsong Detsen, and the other disciples left numerous sacred remains.

The main caves of the complex are Padmasambhava’s retreat cavesGabuchang and Cezedong, Fawang dong, Luduicong below. Because Lang Darma banned Buddhism and caused the end of the former flourishing period of Tibetan Buddhism, many monks who suffered persecution buried a lot of scriptures and cultural relics in the mountains, which became the precious records dug by the respectable monks and pilgrims since the later flourishing period of Tibetan Buddhism, which was called “Fuzang”.

Up till now, it’s said there are still a lot of “Fuzang” buried in the remote mountains and wait for the person who was virtue and lucky to dig up. There are stone statues scattered densely up and down the mountains of Chimpu and their shapes are of primitive simplicity and elegance. According to the legend, these statues appeared naturally from the stones, so they were called “Ranjiong”, which were translated as “naturally shaped”.

Travel Tips

• If you are confident about your physical strength, you can go there on foot for about five to eight hours (depending on personal physical strength and perseverance).
• Another recommended way: Riding up and walking down. On the way back, you may feel relaxed and much more comfortable than taking the crowded and bumping trucks. As seen from high above, you can see the road winding its way to the mountain and you can take the shortcuts down the mountain for two hours or so. It’s boring when you reach the mountain foot and begin the remaining way in the Gobi desert. You need to prevent sunstroke in summer. If it’s cloudy, it will be much more comfortable. You have to walk eight to ten kilometers back.
• Don’t eat too much in the morning if you take a truck to Chimpu or you may throw up when arriving there.
• Accommodation: As there are more and more pilgrims and visitors in recent years, a small hotel with six beds has been built halfway down the mountain near the Buddhist hall. 15 Yuan per person for a night. Or you may camp on the top of the mountain. There’s a snack bar beside the hotel and you can buy some tins, biscuits and instant noodles as your food as there are no restaurants or canteens there.

How to Get There?

Chimpu Meditation Center is located halfway up the Narain Hill, on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, about 8 kilometers northeast from the Samye monastery with an altitude of 4300 meters above sea level.

On holidays, there are Dongfeng trucks taking villagers to make a pilgrimage to Chimpu at five or six o’clock every morning. 10 Yuan a person for going to and fro. But there are too many people that we can even use “impenetrable” to describe the scene. In ordinary times, sometimes there will be trucks to Chimpu and it depends on how many people are going there. It will cost you 200 to 300 Yuan or so to rent a truck. Though it’s only 10 kilometers from Samye, it will take you more than an hour there because of the terrible road condition.