What this solves
You arrive at Chonggu Monastery (the white-walled Gelug monastery at the foot of Chenresig peak) and don't know where the threshold is, what you can photograph, or whether to take your shoes off before or after crossing. Get one of those wrong and you may be physically corrected — the monastery is a working place, not a museum. This tool walks you through 10 specific steps from gate to offering, with what to photograph and what absolutely not to.
Walk through the monastery
How to read the result
DO is the rule for that step. Some steps have one rule; some have six. Read all the way through before acting — half a step is harder to recover from than no step.
WHY is the underlying logic (often Tibetan physiology of the sacred, or basic Buddhist vinaya). The same logic applies at lhakhangs, family shrines, and roadside chörtens — so you'll be able to adapt on the fly.
PHOTO uses three states: OK (photograph freely), NO (do not), and ASK (ask first, default to no).
The walk-through is for Chonggu Monastery — but it generalises to the smaller monastery on the Tanggu La north approach (Boji Monastery) and any roadside Gelug monastery you'll encounter between Daocheng town and the park entrance.
Limitations
FAQ
A: Yes, but only outside the main prayer hall. The hall is the iconographic heart of the monastery — images are not for casual reproduction. Outside in the courtyard and around the periphery of the building is fine.
A: Sit at the back, lower than the seated monks, don't cross in front of anyone, and keep silent. Most puja ceremonies are 30–90 min; wait it out. Photographing an ongoing puja is forbidden.
A: Small is fine (¥10–50). Drop it in the donation box near the entrance — not directly to a monk. Don't expect a blessing for the donation; that's a transactional framing the monastery doesn't share.
A: A respectful nod and slight bow is universally appropriate. If the monk initiates a handshake, reciprocate with both hands. Otherwise don't extend — Tibetan monks typically greet with palms together at the heart.