Akyong Yarthang Monastery
A skyong yar thang
ཨ་སྐྱོང་ཡར་ཐང་།
亚尔堂寺
Site Type: Monastery
Site Location: Padma
Operating Status: Active
Current Tradition: Jonang
Former Tradition: Nyingma
Date Established: 1716
Current Residents: 200+
Former Residents: 200+
TBRC Place #: G4921
The 1st Jonang monastery in the Golok cultural region of Northeastern Tibet, Akyong Yarthang Monastery dates back to the early 16 century when it was originally a monastery of the Nyingma Kathokpa tradition. This monastery was founded by the Nyingma master Lama Chobum.
In the year 1717, King Akyong Tenzin Dargyay and Domtsha Lama Kunga, the abbot of the Nyingma monastery, gifted this monastery to the Jonang master Ngawang Namgyal, making it Jonang. Now it is home to one of the largest Jonang Buddhist Studies Colleges in Amdo.