Seda Sky Burial Platform – Ticket Price, Opening Hours, Location, and Highlights

The Seda Sky Burial Platform (色达天葬台) is situated in the northeastern part of the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, China. With an average elevation exceeding 4,000 meters, it is perched atop a relatively level slope on a hillside. Adjacent to a small white stupa, the platform is enclosed by iron railings, forming a flat area roughly the size of a basketball court, designated for sky burials. In close proximity, an area is demarcated with poles for family members to observe the ceremony.

Alongside the sky burial platform, there are other structures showcasing the sky burial culture, including reliefs depicting the Six Realms of Existence, the Eight Great Charnel Grounds, the Skull Palace, and the Yama Cave.

Sky burial is a prevalent burial practice among Tibetans, who consider the offering of the soulless “body shell” to vultures as a profoundly sacred act of giving. Therefore, it is important to approach a sky burial with reverence and recognize it as a noble and sacred ritual, rather than viewing it with distasteful or fearful eyes.

At the Seda Sky Burial Platform, the sky burial ceremony commences at 13:00 every afternoon. Unlike other Tibetan sky burial platforms, this one is more inclusive and allows visitors to observe the ceremony. However, photography is strictly prohibited out of respect for the deceased and their families. During the ceremony, a curtain is drawn to shield the deceased from view. The sky burial master, adorned in a vibrant robe, proceeds to dismember the body, filling the air with a pungent odor. Vultures flock to the site and eagerly consume the remains once the sky burial master completes their task.

Below the Charnel Grounds platform, on the square of the smoke offering altar, verses related to the Charnel Grounds are intricately carved onto black marble in three languages – Tibetan, Chinese, and English. These verses, along with teachings on impermanence, provoke profound contemplation.

Basic Information

Location and Transportation

The Seda Sky Burial Platform is situated between the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy and the county town, approximately 20 kilometers away from Seda County and about 3 kilometers from the Wuming Buddhist Academy. You can only get there by foot.