Kumbum

Kumbum (koom'boom') [key], large lamasery at Huangchang, NE Qinghai prov., China, c.12 mi (20 km) SW of Xining. Long a renowned pilgrimage center, it stands on the spot where Tsong-kha-pa (b.1417), the great Tibetan reformer of Lamaism (see Tibetan Buddhism), is said to have been born. Its Living Buddha became (1952) the 10th Panchen Lama of Tibet. The lamasery is sometimes spelled Gumbum.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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