The Tholing Monastery has graced Zhada County of Nagri Area of Tibet for more than a thousand years. It's the first monastery built by the Guge Kingdom during its campaign to promote Buddhism. Tholing is famous for its murals.

This is the Tholing Monastery, the oldest in Nagri, Tibet. It was built by thee second King of Guge. The monastery is famous for its murals, one of the attractions for pilgrims, after worshipping.

Tashi is one of Tholing's monks. He's studied the history of Guge and the monastery, which inspired him to come here five years ago. For Tashi, it's a joy to see the thousand-year old murals he read about.

He said, "Since I came here, I've read a lot of books, with lots of historical information about the murals. And I come to see the murals every day with my flashlight."

Tashi shares his knowledge of the murals with visitors. He says the murals cover the stories of the three most important figures in Tholing's history. The figure in the huge mural in the front of main hall is the founder of the monastery, the second King of Guge.

The Tholing Monastery has graced Zhada County of Nagri Area of Tibet for more than a thousand years. It's the first monastery built by the Guge Kingdom during its campaign to promote Buddhism. Tholing is famous for its murals.[Photo/CNTV]

Why is the king dressed like a monk?

He said, "He was the Second King, but he later became a monk, so he's dressed like a monk. He lived in the Tholing Monastery, taking the religious name Yeshi-o."

The second King sent about 20 senior monks on a pilgrimage to India to bring back many valuable scriptures. Later on, the third king of Guge invited a the Indian master Atisha, to preach.

Tashi said, "This is the monk Atisha, one of the most famous masters in Tibet. During his three years at Tholing, he wrote a precious Buddhist work, Lamp of The Path to Enlightenment."

The Tholing Monastery has graced Zhada County of Nagri Area of Tibet for more than a thousand years. It's the first monastery built by the Guge Kingdom during its campaign to promote Buddhism. Tholing is famous for its murals. [Photo/CNTV]

Master Atisha and Tholing's first Abbot, Bin-chen Bzang-po, also introduced the art of South Asia to Tibet. The murals are a mix of Indian, Nepalese and Kashmir styles. They include the famous "16 Vajara Dancers" and "The Birth of Sakyamuni," the founder of Buddhism.

In the days of Guge, the Monastery was large, with a dozen halls, and a hundred pagodas. Today, only two halls remain, and nine monks. The central government has sent experts to carry out a three-year maintenance project to keep tradition and history alive at Tholing.