# Sera Monastery (色拉寺)

Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sera-monastery
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥50; ¥10 after 17:00
- **Opening hours:** Opens at 7:00. Debate starts at 15:00. The main assembly halls close after 17:00.
- **Time needed:** 3–4 hours
- **Getting there:** Take a bus and get off at Sera Station (色拉寺站)
- **Good for:** Temples

## About Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery, Drepung Monastery and Ganden Monastery are known together as Lhasa's Three Great Monasteries. Sera, the most recently built of the three, was founded in 1418 by Sakya Yeshe, one of the eight great disciples of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery is divided into three dratsang (monastic colleges): Jangtse, Mey and Ngakpa, and 29 khang (monks' residential compounds).
Sera Monastery is famous for its monastic debates. Debate is not only a form of academic exchange among monks but also a contest of spirit and wisdom, and it draws many visitors and devotees.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Climbing note: The hill is high and steep, and the thin air makes fatigue come quickly. Visitors who are not in good physical condition should consider skipping the climb.
- 2. Pilgrimage to the Vajrakilaya: The 27th day of the 12th Tibetan month is the day for pilgrims to worship the Vajrakilaya at Sera Monastery.
- 3. Monastic debate: Except on weekends, debates take place at 15:00 on weekdays. It is a good chance to experience the atmosphere of the monastic college.

---
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 535. 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.