Meidaizhao Monastery
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| Meidaizhao Monastery | |
|---|---|
美岱召 | |
 Museum of Meidaizhao. | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Buddhism |
| Deity | Tibetan Buddhism-Gelug |
| Location | |
| Location | Tumed Right Banner, Baotou, Inner Mongolia |
| Country | China |
  Shown within Inner Mongolia | |
| Geographic coordinates | 40°36′36″N 110°42′59″E / 40.610102°N 110.716517°E |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Chinese architecture |
| Founder | Altan Khan |
| Funded by | Maitreya Khutukhtu |
| Date established | 16th century |
| Completed | 1575 |
Meidaizhao Monastery or Meidaizhao Lamasery (Chinese: 美岱召; pinyin: Meǐdaìzhāo) is a Tibetan Buddhist temple located in Tumed Right Banner, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, China.[1][2][3]
"Zhao" (召) means "monastery" in Tibetan language.[4]
History
After the fall of the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), the Mongols retreated to the north, historically known as "Northern Yuan dynasty" (1368–1635).
During the Longqing period (1567–1573) of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), Altan Khan, the leader of a Mongolian tribe named Tümed, was canonized as "King of Shunyi" (顺义王) by the central government of the Ming Empire, and then he started to build monastery towns on mountains belonging to the Tümed. In 1575, the first monastery was completed, which was called "Shouling Monastery" (寿灵寺) in the early Qing dynasty (1644–1911) and later was granted a name of "Fuhua Town" (福化城) by the government.[2][5][6]
In 1606, Erketü Qatun invited a Tibetan living Buddha named Maitreya Khutukhtu (迈达里·胡图克图) to come to the prairie to preach, and he also presided over Buddhist activities in Shouling Monastery. To commemorate Maitreya Khutukhtu's achievements, the local people changed its name to "Maitreya Monastery" or "Meidaizhao Monastery".[4]
During the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976), a hall was demolished by the Red Guards and the monastery was used as a granary.
In 1996, it was listed among the fourth group of "Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Inner Mongolia" by the State Council of China.
