# Qutan Monastery (瞿昙寺)

Xining, Qinghai Province · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qutan-monastery
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥50
- **Opening hours:** 9：00—17：00
- **Time needed:** 1–2 hours
- **Getting there:** Long-distance buses to Ledu, where Qutan Monastery is located, depart from Nanchuan West Road Bus Station (南川西路客运站) and Xinning Road Bus Station (新宁路客运站). The journey is 80 km and the fare is ¥18–25.
- **Good for:** History & Culture, Architecture, Temples

## About Qutan Monastery

A famous monastery with more than 600 years of history, known as the “Little Forbidden City of Ledu.”
Qutan Monastery lies beside mountains and rivers. Its Ming-dynasty complex is made up of halls, stele pavilions, a bell tower and a drum tower. Inside, the Longguo Hall and Baoguang Hall have carved beams and painted rafters, simple yet elegant. Two nine-bend corridors run along the sides, decorated with exquisite and varied murals. “Qutan” comes from the Sanskrit “Gautama,” the family name of Shakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 705. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.