Tsem Rinpoche’s heritage in China

Apr 3, 2017 | Views: 59,287

The Royal Family Tree of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche

Dear friends around the world,

I’m always asked where I come from and how I came to be a Buddhist monk. While I have blogged some articles about my life, ranging from my childhood until where I am today, I have not really written much about the heritage stemming from my biological parents. From a very young age in America, I was brought up to think that I was purely Kalmyk Mongol. I didn’t get to know that I was also Tibetan until I was much older. I am proud of both my Mongol and Tibetan heritages when I finally found out of which both places are now in China. So connections to China are strong due to my heritage. I would very much like to explore my heritage, China and all that comes with it for personal growth, understanding and to know who I am. Nothing more and nothing less. I am connected to China and I am happy for it as I have admired the greatness of Chinese culture for decades.

My mother was the Mongolian Princess Dewa Nimbo, from Xinjiang, while my father was an ex-monk from Golok in Amdo, Tibet and was a disciple of His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama. Both of these places have their own unique environment, people, languages, cultures and way of life, and are both now part of the People’s Republic of China. Since that is the case, that makes me Chinese, through biological heritage. I wanted to share with all of you some information about these two places, because not many people around the world know about Xinjiang and Golok. I hope you enjoy reading some quick facts about two lands and the two peoples that I descend from.

I do thank Buddhist Pastor David Lai for his research, work and writing of this post. It will go a long way to solve the ‘mystery’ that is Tsem Rinpoche’s ancestry. I also thank Buddhist Pastor Niral Patel for the editing.

I do hope very much to visit Xianjiang as the landscape is spectacular. I am very attracted to the landscape of mountains, blue lakes, forests and meadows. I would love to sit by one the turquoise lakes and do pujas.

Tsem Rinpoche

Mother’s side

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche’s biological mother, Dewa Nimbo, the Mongolian Princess of Xinjiang.

His Eminence the 25th Tsem Rinpoche’s mother Dewa Nimbo is from Xinjiang. The northern region of this Autonomous Region in China used to be the Dzungar khanate (kingdom) in the 18th Century. The Oirat people who used to rule Dzungaria are a group of Mongols whose ancestral home is in the Altai region of western Mongolia. Despite the fact that the Oirats originated in Central Asia, the largest group today is located in the Russian province of Kalmykia, where they are called Kalmyks. Historically, the Oirats encompassed four major tribes – the Dzungar, Torghut, Dorbet, and Khoshut. Rinpoche’s mother belongs to the Torghut tribe.

However, Dzungaria today is part of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is a provincial-level autonomous region of China in the northwest of the country that spans over 1.6 million km. This makes it comparable in size to Iran and is one sixth of China’s land mass. Despite its size, only about 4.3 percent of Xinjiang’s landmass is fit for habitation. Xinjiang borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, India’s Leh District to the south, Qinghai and Gansu provinces to the southeast, Mongolia to the east, Russia to the north, and Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India to the West.

Migyur Wang, Tsem Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather, the last Emperor of Xinjiang. He was royalty from the Mongol ruling family of the area, and descended directly from Genghis Khan.

Xinjiang is populated by many ethnic minority groups, such as the Han, Tajiks, Hui, Uyghur, Kyrgyz, Kazaks, Mongols, and Russians. Just like Tibet, the demographic composition of the province has shifted over the past few decades. Today, it is about 45 percent Uyghur and 40 percent Han Chinese, while the remaining 15 percent consists of the remaining ethnic groups. The total population of the province is 21.8 million people.

Rinpoche’s maternal lineage is traced to Wusu, a county-level city in Xinjiang that has about 227,449 residents. It is a part of the Tacheng Prefecture, which itself is part of the Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture. Wusu is located in the northwest region of the Xinjiang Province of China. In ancient times, Wusu used to belong to the Qosut tribe of Mongolia. Its full name is Kuerkalawusu, which meant ‘Black Water of the Snow-capped Land’ in Mongolian. However today, Wusu is one of the main areas where the Torghut descendants reside, numbering roughly over 150,000 in the city.

Out of the many religions prevalent in Xinjiang, Islam has the largest number of practitioners, who are predominantly of the Uyghur and the minority Hui Chinese peoples. On the other hand, many of the Han Chinese practice Chinese folk religions, Taoism, Confucianism and Buddhism. According to a demographic analysis in 2010, Muslims form 58% of the province’s population.

Just like anywhere else in China, the official language is Mandarin. However, there are many other languages that are spoken in Xinjiang due to the ethnic diversity in the region. The second most common language is Uyghur, a Turkic language similar to Uzbek but written in Arabic script. Hence, most official signs in the province are bilingual, using both Uyghur and Chinese. Other languages include Kazakh, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Mongol.

Dechen Minh, Tsem Rinpoche’s maternal grandmother, was wife of Migyur Wang and Queen of Xinjiang.

Xinjiang is famous for its naan bread, watermelons, grapes, raisins and walnuts. Xinjiang naan comes in all sizes and are sold on most streets in every city. It is usually made plain but some are made with onions or spring onions as well. Watermelons in Xinjiang are small, round and tasty. In some cities this fruit is found to be sold on every street corner. Watermelons from the oasis town of Hami are particularly renowned all over China. Grapes and raisins from Xinjiang are particularly sweet because of the amount of sunlight the region receives and the low amount of rainfall, particularly in Turpan. Finally, walnuts from Xinjiang is a famous export as well.

The Xinjiang landscape is unique because of what is described as ‘three mountains surrounded by two basins’. This can be seen from north to south with the Altai Mountains, the Dzungarian Basin, the Tianshan Mountains, the Tarim Basin, and the Kunlun Mountains. The Tianshan Mountains punctuate the middle of the province and divides this Autonomous Region into two – the northern and southern regions. The entire Xinjiang region has drastic seasonal differences in temperature, with cold winters. Xinjiang is traditionally an agricultural region but also has large deposits of minerals and oil too.

Mountains and lush grasslands such as the Kanas Nature Reserve and Narat Grassland dominate the northern landscape. This contrasts with the south, which is largely barren and blanketed by the Taklamakan Desert. Hence, life in the north historically revolved around a pastoral-based culture while the south was a dessert-based culture. Northern culture is marked by fine horses and the sweet sounds of Uyghur folk singing, while the south is marked by its beautiful ethnic dances, such as the traditional Mukamu folk dance.

The capital of Xinjiang is Urumqi city and it is situated up in the north of the province. The city boasts several spectacular natural landscape highlights such as the Red Hill and the Southern Pasture, along with historical monuments like the Tartar Mosque and the Qinghai Mosque. Urumqi was a stopover along the ancient Silk Road, a historically important trade route between China and the Mediterranean, which extended as far as Rome, in Italy. Some other notable cities along the Silk Road include Kashgar and Turpan, that boast other places of interest like the Id Kah Mosque, Karakuri Lake and Karez System.

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A map showing Wusu in Xinjiang Autonomous Region in north west China.

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Xinjiang Heavenly Lake, Tian Chi

Xinjiang Kanas National Geopark

Xinjiang Kanas National Geopark

Xinjiang Heavenly Lake, Tian Chi

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Xinjiang Hong Guang Shan Buddhist Temple

Traditional costume and dance of the Uyghur people

Xinjiang Uyghur Naan Bread

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Wusu, Xinjiang

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Wusu, Xinjiang

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Wusu, Xinjiang

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Wusu, Xinjiang

Wusu, Xinjiang

Tsem Rinpoche’s maternal relatives in front of a Buddhist temple in Wusu, Xinjiang

The Mongolians of Wusu in front of Migyur Wang’s (Tsem Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather) old residence in Wusu, Xinjiang

Father’s side

Golok, Amdo, Tibet Autonomous Region, China

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche's father Lobsang Gyatso (right) together with his guru, the omniscient His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche’s father Lobsang Gyatso (right) from Golok in Amdo, Tibet, together with his guru, the omniscient His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama.

Rinpoche’s father Lobsang Gyatso is from Golok. The Golok Tibet Autonomous Prefecture is part of, what is today, the southeastern Qinghai province. To the Tibetans, much of Qinghai is in Amdo, one of the largest traditional regions of Tibet.

Amdo is the ancestral home of many important Tibetan Buddhist lamas and scholars that shaped the political and religious development in Tibet like His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, His Holiness the 10th Panchen Lama, and the great reformer and founder of the Gelug lineage, Lama Je Tsongkhapa. In Golok Prefecture of Amdo, over 90 percent of the 125,000 people who live there are of Tibetan ethnicity. A great majority of the people of Golok live a nomadic lifestyle with many still living in traditional Tibetan tents.

Tsem Rinpoche’s father, Lobsang Gyatso as a young man.

Over 8 million ethnic Tibetan people speak the Tibetan language and its dialects. Tibetans traditionally inhabit a wide area of the eastern region of Central Asia, bordering the Indian subcontinent. This area stretched from the Tibetan Plateau all the way down south, to northern parts of the Indian subcontinent such as Baltistan, Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, and Bhutan. The Central Tibetan language (the dialects of U-Tsang, including the Lhasa dialect), Kham Tibetan, and Amdo Tibetan are all Tibetan dialects which share a similar literary language. Tibetans generally identify themselves as followers of Tibetan Buddhism or a native animist tradition known as Bon. On the other hand, there is also a minority population of Tibetan Muslims, and a smaller population of Tibetan Christians in eastern Tibet and northwestern Yunnan, China.

Tibetan cooking reflects the people’s religious dietary restrictions and adaptation to high altitudes. In Tibet, the most important crop to be cultivated is barley. The dough made from barley flour, called tsampa, is the staple food of Tibetans. This is either rolled into noodles, or made into steamed dumplings called momos. Meat dishes are likely to be yak, goat, or mutton, often dried, or cooked into a spicy stew with potatoes. Mustard seed is also cultivated in Tibet, and therefore features heavily in its cuisine. Yak yogurt, butter and cheese are frequently consumed, and yak yogurt is considered a privileged food.

Most parts of Golok are around 4,000 meters or 13,120 feet above sea level and that is why the summers are short, and winters are long and cold. Golok is famous across the Tibetan cultural sphere as the home of Amnye Machen, one of the four holy mountains of Tibet. The Amnye Machen peak rises 6,282 meters or 20,605 feet and is the highest mountain in Amdo. Each year, the Amnye Machen peak draws thousands of pilgrims who circumambulate around the mountain, as part of their religious practice. The circumambulation circuit around the sacred peak takes around seven days.

There is another famous and holy mountain in Golok, known as Nyenbo Yurtse. The sacred Nyenbo Yurtse is situated in the remote eastern corner of Golok prefecture and is stands at 5,369 meters or 17,611 feet tall. This mountain receives very little visitors, such as foreign trekkers, but is one of the most beautiful places in all of the northern Tibetan Plateau. At the base of the mountain, there is a deep fresh-water lake, and several regional tributaries feed this beautiful lake. The Golok prefecture is filled with grasslands, valleys, rivers and lakes. The famous Yellow River flows through Golok prefecture while carving a spectacular and awe-inspiring canyon in its wake.

Many of the descendants of Rinpoche’s paternal family currently live in Aba, which is the neighbouring land of their ancestral homeland, Golok. Aba, which is also known as Ngaba (as in the map below) or Ngawa County is part of Sichuan Province in China, while Golok itself is part of Qinghai province. Nevertheless, Aba is located in the remote northwestern part of the prefecture, on the border with Qinghai and Gansu. Aba has 70,000 inhabitants, about 8,000 of them Tibetan monks. The major city of the county, known as Aba City, has about 20,000 people. There are 37 monasteries in the area, two of the largest are in Aba City itself. To the south of the city it is mainly grasslands and forested valleys.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche’s father Lobsang Gyatso (right) had a close relationship with His Holiness the Dalai Lama (left). Lobsang Gyatso had a school in Taiwan that taught Tibetan language and culture, playing an important role in preserving Tibetan culture outside of Tibet.

His Eminence Tsem Rinpoche’s paternal family. From left to right: half-sister, half-brother, father (Lobsang Gyatso), niece, and half-brother.

A map showing Golok, in Amdo Prefecture

Traditional Tibetan tents found in Golok

Amnye Machen in Golok is one of the four main holy mountains of Tibet

The area around Mt Nyenbo Yurtse, Golok, is excellent for hiking

A deep fresh water lake sits at the base of Mt Nyenbo Yurtse, Golok

The Yellow River flows throughout Golok prefecture creating awesome canyons

A map showing the area of Aba, in Sichuan province in south west China

Aba, Sichuan

Kirti Gompa, or Gerdeng Monastery, is a Gelugpa monastery on the northwestern edge of the town in Aba, Sichuan

Aba, Sichuan

My father's relatives in Aba with two of my Malaysian students who visited in 2005

Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s relatives in Aba with two of Rinpoche’s Malaysian students who visited in 2005

Zi Lang Monastery in Aba that was built by Tsem Rinpoche’s father

The prayer hall of Zi Lang Monastery, Aba

Altar inside Zi Lang Monastery

Thangkas inside Zi Lang Monastery

Holy and precious items donated by Tsem Rinpoche’s father to Zi Lang Monastery

Plaque in Chinese language in the monastery that my father built in Aba, at the bottom is the photo of my father's first wife

Dedication plaque in Chinese language in Zi Lang Monastery that Tsem Rinpoche’s father built in Aba, at the bottom is the photo of Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s first wife

Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s first wife

Plaque in Tibetan language in the monastery that my father built in Aba, at the bottom is the photo of my father's mother, and my father's brother

Dedication plaque in Tibetan language in Zi Lang Monastery that Tsem Rinpoche’s father built in Aba, at the bottom is the photo of Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s mother, and Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s brother

Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s mother (seated), and Tsem Rinpoche’s father’s brother (standing)

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20 Responses to Tsem Rinpoche’s heritage in China

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Samfoonheei on Oct 10, 2021 at 4:15 pm

Its always good to know our family ‘s root history. Wow….. very rich heritage of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s family background. Not easy with extensive research only could traced back to both sides of history. Rinpoche’s heritage is truly rich in cultures and spiritually. Interesting read and beautiful pictures shared giving us a glance of the rich heritage of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche in China. Some pictures are rare and precious.
Thank you Rinpoche, Pastor David and Pastor Niral, for this informative article

Pastor Shin Tan on Dec 14, 2018 at 4:40 am

1984 Los Angeles-Left to right: Geshe Tsultrim Gyeltsen, His Holiness Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, monk assistant to Zong Rinpoche and the 18-year-old Tsem Rinpoche prior to ordination. Read more- https://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/category/me

JOY KAM on Oct 31, 2018 at 12:38 pm

View
A poem inspired by seeing a picture of my teacher, Kyabje Zong Rinpoche…

In the sport of correct views,
all that is correct is just a view,
without permanence or substance.
As long as we hold onto views,
our sufferings are gathered
to be experienced without end.

Without the strong methods of emptiness
and compassion, bereft of merit,
we sink deeper without respite.
To arise from this samsara is but
a dreamscape on the deluded mind.
Therefore seek the guru, who confers the yidam,
hold your vows and fixate on liberation
free of new creations. Free of new experiences as
there are none.

~ Tsem Rinpoche

Composed in Tsem Ladrang, Kuala Lumpur on July 7, 2014

Pastor Antoinette Kass on Sep 13, 2018 at 11:14 pm

These are beautiful pictures showing the rich heritage of H.E. Tsem Rinpoche in China. Both his mother, who is Dewa Nimbo, Mongolian Princess of Xinjiang, and her father whose family belongs to Golok in Tibet, come from regions which belong now to China.

Looking at H.E. Tsem Rinpoche’s childhood, I can imagine that it is not easy to be so far away from ‘home’, growing us in different families and different countries. I think it must be very hard to not know where to belong for such a long time and at a young age but we are most fortunate that Rinpoche kept to his goal and became a monk just as he promised to his root teacher H.H. Kyabje Zong Rinpoche, allowing us to learn the Dharma shared with the purest motivation.

Thank you very much.

Pastor Adeline Woon on Jul 29, 2018 at 1:20 am

A poem by Tsem Rinpoche

Valentina Suhendra on Jul 26, 2018 at 7:25 am

I was walking past a second hand shop on Western Ave selling old things. They had a Japanese-style clay Buddha which was beige in colour on the floor, holding the door open. I thought the shopkeeper would collect a lot of negative karma without knowing if he kept such a holy item on the floor as a doorstop. So I went in to talk to him, but he didn’t look like he wanted to talk or that he even cared. So I asked him the price and he said US$5. I purchased it so he did not collect more negative karma. I was 17 years old and that was in 1982.

I escorted my new Buddha home and washed it lightly and wiped it. I placed it on my altar and was happy with the Buddha. I would do my meditations, prayers, sadhanas, mantras and prostrations in front of this shrine daily. When I left for India in 1987, I could not bring this Buddha along and gave it to a friend. It was a nice size and I made offerings to this Buddha for many years in Los Angeles. In front of the Buddha I placed His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s photo. I remember I was so relieved that the price was affordable. But US$5 that time was still expensive for me but worth it I thought. But I was happy to have brought the Buddha home. Tsem Rinpoche

https://www.tsemrinpoche.com

Pastor Shin Tan on Jul 20, 2018 at 9:29 am

Tsem Rinpoche at Kechara Forest Retreat, Bentong, Malaysia

Jacinta Goh on May 5, 2018 at 6:13 pm

Here, we can see that Rinpoche’s background is very rich in culture. Thank you for the extensive research. I can see some similarities between the two parents’ background and surprisingly they both met in Taiwan, and not in China /Tibet. Both also seems to be doing quite well, where the mother from the royalty line and the father was a very successful businessman after he gave up his monk vow, where he helped to build a monastery. I wonder if both parents are still alive?

Valentina Suhendra on Oct 20, 2017 at 1:53 am

H.E. the 25th Tsem Rinpoche is very devoted to his root guru, H.H. Zong Rinpoche.

Fong on May 19, 2017 at 10:02 pm

Interesting how the world is so big and yet so small. How a man from Golok in Tibet meet a young lady from Xinjianga, in Taiwan. The photos shows Rinpoche’s paternal relatives in traditional Tibetan clothes and seemingly so far away from the rest of the world and yet they are only one generation away. It must have been really tough for the middle generation of Rinpoche’s father’s time to reconcile the old and the new in that short a time span.

Such a diverse background for a rich mish mash of cultures. In ancient times, they are all distinct nationalities of Tibet, Mongolia and Russia but in modern times, all under one nationality i.e. China.

Very interesting.

Stella Cheang on Apr 25, 2017 at 5:01 pm

Rinpoche’s heritage is culturally rich as well as spiritually rich. Rinpoche’s grandfather, Migyur Wang, was the last Emperor of Xinjiang. He was the direct descendent of Genghis Khan. Xinjiang, being the hilly region, situates on the northwest of China, consisted of several notable stopovers of the ancient silk road.

Rinpoche’s father is an ex-monk, Lobsang Gyatso from Golok, Tibet. He was a direct student of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and the 10th Panchen Lama. Lobsang Gyatso built the Zi Lang monastery in Aba, Sichuan. Aba is a city with about 70,000 habitants where 8,000 of them are Tibetan monks.

Thank you very much, Pastor David and Pastor Niral, for this informative article on Rinpoche’s family lineage.

Freon on Apr 11, 2017 at 11:06 pm

Dear Rinpoche,

From this article, i get to know more about Rinpoche’s father and mother’s families also about the places they came from. That is Xinjiang and Golok. This 2 places are located in China. This also mean, Rinpoche are closely related to China, even though Rinpoche was raised in USA.

If we trace Rinpoche’s reincarnate on previous life. One of Rinpoche’s reincarnate was KANG XI emperor. Rinpoche have always close with China’s peoples

Hopefully, Rinpoche can turn Dharma wheel in China soon. May China People have chances to have audience with Rinpoche.

Thank you Rinpoche

With folded hand,
Freon

wan wai meng on Apr 8, 2017 at 11:18 pm

Thank you Rinpoche, for sharing about where your parents hail from, the geography and some of the food and traditions prevailing in Xinjiang and Golok.

Sock Wan on Apr 6, 2017 at 4:43 pm

Thank you for this very interesting article on Rinpoche’s heritage and Rinpoche’s family line. It is important for a Buddhist student to know the background of the Lama (or teacher), not only his spiritual lineage but also family lineage. This is so that we know he is a qualified teacher and the teachings he gives is no doubt from a pure lineage.

Even though Rinpoche did not grow up in China and have not been living in China, Rinpoche loves China very much. Rinpoche admires Chinese culture a lot and is very familiar with Chinese cultural and family values.

Choong on Apr 4, 2017 at 11:40 pm

More on Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather and great-grandfather’s heritage in China can be gleaned here:

http://www.barkman.nl/en/werk_compleet.jsp?categorie=1&nummer=1

The above was authored by the Dutch Ambassador to China around 1947 Carl Barkman as a prelude to his book “The Mandate”.

Born in Amsterdam in 1919, Carl Barkman studied Sinology at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, with Russian as a subsidiary subject. He wrote a doctoral thesis The Return of the Torghuts from Russia to China, which was published in 1955 in Hong Kong (Journal of Oriental Studies). In 1945 he joined the Netherlands foreign service, in which he served in China and such posts as Moscow, Paris, Jakarta, The Hague (Director, European Department), and, as Ambassador in Athens, Tokyo and Seoul, and NATO in Brussels. He has always been a keen ‘China-watcher’ and student of Russian affairs, even when his duties took him to other countries.

Choong on Apr 4, 2017 at 11:35 pm

More on Rinpoche’s maternal grandfather and great-grandfather’s heritage in China can be read here:

http://www.barkman.nl/en/werk_compleet.jsp?categorie=1&nummer=1

The above was written as a prelude to his book “The Mandate” by the Dutch Ambassador to China around 1947 Carl Barkman. Carl Barkman was born in Amsterdam in 1919 and studied Sinology at the University of Leiden, Netherlands, with Russian as a subsidiary subject.

He wrote a doctoral thesis The Return of the Torghuts from Russia to China, which was published in 1955 in Hong Kong (Journal of Oriental Studies). In 1945 he joined the Netherlands foreign service, in which he served in China and such posts as Moscow, Paris, Jakarta, The Hague (Director, European Department), and, as Ambassador in Athens, Tokyo and Seoul, and NATO in Brussels.

Source: http://www.barkman.nl/en/index.jsp

Samfoonheei on Apr 4, 2017 at 3:23 pm

Beautiful history back ground or heritage of Rinpoche in China. Thank you Rinpoche,Pastor David and Pastor Niral for taking their precious time doing research on the heritage for us to read and know more .Its a wonderful write up and i do enjoyed reading even though i am not familiar with the names.
China is one of the world’s oldest civilized nation, which dates back to more than 10,000 years.Very rich in cultures, multi-ethnic states,rich landscapes and so forth.
Rinpoche ‘s heritage very interesting ,now i know a little bit more of it.So…Rinpoche’s mother Dewa Nimbo is from Xinjiang,Mongolia while Rinpoche’s ex-monk father Lobsang Gyatso is from Golok.Tibet.Both are part of China, thats made Rinpoche a chinese and was connected to China.
Wow …great Rinpoche ‘s father did build a monastery in Aba,Sichuan.
Thanks again ,Rinpoche ,Pastor David and Pastor Niral for sharing,those photos very beautiful and feeling blessed able to see the exterior and interior part of the monastery.

Bradley Kassian on Apr 4, 2017 at 5:16 am

Thank you Rinpoche,Pastor David and Pastor Niral for this wonderful write up. H.E. has a strong Tibetan, Mongolian, and Chinese heritage, with an American background too. That is perhaps how Rinpoche can relate to so many people in different cultures on their level. Having all that experience helps to understand people’s mindsets. Keep up the wonderful work you’re doing for the Dharma. So many people appreciate it. Namo Guru beh!

Anne Ong on Apr 3, 2017 at 11:14 pm

Thank you Rinpoche,Pastor David and Pastor Niral for this wonderful research and write up. Rinpoche really has a beautiful heritage and wonderful background from such a resourceful place like Xinjiang. And also because Mongolia and Tibet are also part of China that makes it so interesting. Xinjiang is truly a beautiful place. And China is really a great place to visit. Hope I have the merits to visit Xinjiang in the future._/\_

Valentina on Apr 3, 2017 at 5:51 pm

Tsem Rinpoche has a strong Chinese heritage from his biological parents. Rinpoche’s biological mother came from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China, and her family was very much respected in that region. Rinpoche’s biological father came from Golok, Amdo, Tibet Autonomous Region in China.

Today, there are Tibetans in exile that believe to be associated with China is a negative thing. However, I don’t believe that this is the case. China is a beautiful country and it is in undeniable fact that Rinpoche’s ancestors originated from that region. I am happy that Rinpoche is very open about his Chinese heritage although there is a risk of possible backlash from some group of people. It makes me respect him even more. China is a powerful country and with a very rich cultural background. Just like any other country in the world, it has a positive and negative historical background. However, it does not make the person who is associated with this country to become less valuable.