The Dongzhulin Monastery was built in 1667 and located in Benzilan Town, Deqen County. With an altitude of 3,000 meters above the sea level, the monastery is geographically located in the low area in the back of Baimang Snow Mountain. With orderly-distributing architecture complex, the lofty monastery can be mistakenly deemed a town when looked from the distance.
The Dongzhulin Monastery was originally named Chongchongcuogan, which in Tibetan means a monastery along the lakeside of cranes. The Dongzhulin Monastery was first built in 1667, the 6th year during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi of Qing Dynasty. It was where the Monlam Festival of the Prayer for the Emperor’s birthday was held. Now the monastery was rebuilt in 1985. The newly erected monastery is well arranged.
The Assembly Hall of the Dongzhulin Monastery is designed in earth and wooden structure with 4 floors and 82 thick columns. The hall on the 1st floor is for reciting Buddhist scriptures, where enshrines the statues of Tsongkhapa, Damarenqeg and Khedrub. Tsongkhapa is the founder of Gulugpa, he reformed Buddhism in Tibet in the 15th century; Damnarenqeg was his first disciple, while Khedrub was the First Panchen Lama. Other enshrined Buddhist deities in the first floor include Sakyamuni, Avalokitecvara (Goddess of Mercy), Bhodisattva Manjusri, Bhodisattva Samantabhadra and Drolma. The 2nd and 3rd floors mainly serve as chanting hall, Buddhist chapels and chambers for pilgrims. Each floor is magnificently decorated.
The monastery also enshrines a 6.8 meter high, gilded bronze, statue of seated Buddha of Qiangba(Maitreya), and a 10.5 meter tall statue of Sakyamuni, gifts from the Sera Monastery in Lhasa. The monastery also collects an 8.5 meter long, 5.2 meter wide image of Buddha, which is sunned once a year when the Monlam Festival of Prayer is held.
Dongzhulin Monastery has many precious cultural relics. There are gilded Maitreya Buddha, statue of White Drolma, Buddhas of Three Worlds, the ruler of the hell, Manjusri, 18 Arhats statues and Thakang scroll paintings depicting Buddhist stories. There are also a great number of Buddhist stupas and religious instruments and props, being a Buddhist cultural treasure house for the pilgrims.