Buddhist religious leader from India inaugurates newly restored Ashoka Stupa in China.

His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa, spiritual head of the Drukpa Order with over one thousand monasteries across the Himalayas, created history by inaugurating the millennia old Ashoka Stupa in Nangchen , which was restored under the supervision of Drukpa monks over the last decade. 

Nangchen is a county in the Yushu prefecture in Qinghai province, neighbouring the Tibetan Chamdo district. This region was historically an important centre of trade and culture which makes it an ideal location for a symbol of humanism. Buddhist scriptures explain that Emperor Ashoka commissioned the construction of this Stupa in order to spread the message of Buddhism. Legend has it that over 80,000 such Stupas were built to enshrine the relics of the Buddha and that nineteen such Stupas were built in China.

The Stupa at Nangchen fell to ruin over the last few centuries. The discovery of a pillar inscribed with the history of the Stupa at the site revived interest in the site and brought awareness of its significance. Devotees and practitioners resurrected the site under the leadership of the late Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche. With Rinpoche’s untimely passing in 2007, His Holiness the Gyalwang Drukpa decided to work with Adeu Rinpoche’s nephew, Trulshik Satrul Rinpoche, to complete the restoration of Ashoka, with active support of Drukpa followers from Asia, Europe, America and all corners of the world.