Longwu Monastery is the largest and most important monastery in the Tongren area, a Gelukpa institution established in 1301 on the hillside above the Longwu River valley. With several hundred monks in residence, it is third in size among the great Amdo monasteries after Labrang and Kumbum. The complex climbs the hillside in a series of courtyards and chapels, dominated by the Assembly Hall and the Future Buddha Hall with its large gilded Maitreya statue. Admission is 50 yuan; allow at least an hour to walk the main circuit.
The chapels within Longwu contain remarkable cycles of contemporary thangka embroideries and murals, some produced by local artists and some by monks trained in the monastery itself. The painted woodwork on the older buildings is particularly fine. Visit early in the morning when monks gather for prayers in the Assembly Hall; the sound of chanting, horns, and cymbals from inside the hall is worth standing for even briefly.