Qinghai Tibetan Medical and Cultural Museum

Qinghai Tibetan Medical and Cultural Museum or Qinghai Tibet Cultural Museum was built in 2006. The purpose of this museum is to collect, preserve, display, and research the culture of Tibetan Medicine,Tibetan traditional culture and history overall.

Monks debating over a topic of Buddhism philosophy.

The museum is located in the north skirt of the Xining city about 15-20 minutes by taxi from down town of Xining City. There are eight major exhibition halls, including the Art of Thangka Painting Hall, Tibetan Medicine History Hall, Tibetan Medicine Thangka and External Therapy Tools Hall, Tibetan Medicine Classical Literature Hall, Tibetan Medicine Specimen Hall, Tibetan Astrology/Astronomy Hall, Tibetan Cultural Hall, and Tibetan Calligraphy Hall.

Wildlife on Tibetan Plateau

Besides these halls, there are a famous Tibetan Art painting or Thangka  on the second floor of the museum which is highlight of the Museum.  The initial preparations for the Great Thangka were made in 1980 by Mr. Tsong Sherabgyal, who began the rough sketch in 1990 and in 1996 began the actual painting of this Thangka. He invited over 400 Tibetan handicraftsmen and artists from all over Tibet to participate in this enormous creation, and they worked for over four years to complete the Thangka.  The content of this giant painting includes Tibetan history, astrology, world formation, human creation, Tibetan Buddhism lineages, famous monasteries, temples, the story of Buddha, Tibetan Culture, the sciences of linguistics, technology, philosophy, poetry, rhetoric, and drama, the Tibetan architect Thangtong Gyelpo (Thang-stong-rgyal-po) ‘s condensed biography, a condensed version of the Tibetan epic ‘King Gesar’, Tibetan scenic and historical sites, seven wise ministers and seven strategic generals in Tibetan history, festivals and clothing, daily necessities, weapons, houses, tents, castles patterns including the eight auspicious symbols. etc. This is the largest Tibetan Thangka in the world with more than 618 meters long, 2.5 meters wide, and 1,000 kilograms in weight. It would take very long to go over all the details and exam of the painting contents. But a simple tourist visit would take 2-3 hours.

Tibetan Painting Art

If you are interested to visit some Tibetan traditional medicine factory or clinic,  there are two biggest Qinghai Tibetan medicine factories nearby Qinghai Tibetan Medical and Cultural Museum.  There are The Arura Tibetan Medicine Company and Qinghai  JiuMei Tibetan Medicne. Both of these factories are next to the Tibetan Museum in Xining.

If you are interested in Tibetan Medicine tour, please contact us here.