Located in the lotus-shaped hills 25km southwest of Xining, Qinghai, Kumbum Monastery is one of the Six Great Monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Built in 1577, it marks the birthplace of Master Tsong Khapa, the sect's founder. Its Tibetan name means"Monastery of 100,000 Maitreya Buddhas".

A masterpiece of Sino-Tibetan architecture, the monastery centers on the Golden Roof Hall with its gleaming gilded tiles and a sacred silver stupa. The grand complex, blending red walls, golden roofs and white pagodas, houses precious Buddhist art and relics. As a national key cultural relic, it remains a vibrant spiritual heart and a top cultural gem of Northwest China.