Wudangzhao - Guangjue Temple - Badagar

"Wudang" is a transliteration from Mongolian, meaning "willow tree." "Zhao" is Tibetan, originally meaning "elder brother, World-Honored One (Shakyamuni)," and later extended to mean a temple for worshiping Buddha. The name "Wudangzhao" combines Mongolian and Tibetan, and "Temple of the Willow Trees" sounds lush, serene, and refreshing. It is said to be named for the abundant willows and pleasant environment surrounding it. Wudangzhao was first built during the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty (1662-1722) and underwent various degrees of repair and expansion during the Qianlong, Jiaqing, Daoguang, and Guangxu periods, forming the scale seen today. Its Chinese name "Guangjue Temple" was bestowed by Emperor Qianlong in the twenty-first year of his reign (1756), while its Tibetan name "Badagar" implies the meaning of a white lotus. If one were to select a representative Tibetan Buddhist temple from each western province of China, they would be the Potala Palace in Tibet, Ta'er Monastery in Qinghai, Labrang Monastery in Gansu, and Wudangzhao in Inner Mongolia mentioned today. Together, they are known as the "Four Great Temples of Tibetan Buddhism in China."