Gruschke on Shadzong Ritrö

Gruschke describes Shadzong Ritrö as lying on Amnye Chi Ri and lists its various names as Shva rdzong ri khrod dma, Shva rdzong sgrub sde, Xiazong Si, and Xiajun Si (46 1). He draws on Xie et al. 2 when writing that it is one of four meditiation spots in Amdo called “the four djung” (46 3). He explains in an endnote (219 4 n. 124) possible meanings of this term, ranging from “chasm” to “naturally arisen (place).”

One interesting section includes his descriptions of various important personnages who have passed through or resided in Shadzong Ritrö. He states that (according to legend and his informants), the pilgrim Fa Xian (337-422) passed through here, that an existing hermitage was expanded here sometime between 1127-1130, and that in 1359, the Fourth Karmapa stayed here while travelling to the Yuan dynasty capital (46 5). Citing David-Néel 6 and The Blue Annals 7, he states that during the Karmapa’s stay here he gave the three year old Tsongkhapa his novice upasaka vows here. He also states that in 1746 Kumbum’s tulku Losang Künga was abbot here. His most recent description of the temple states that as of 1996 two of the three temples had been rebuilt, and two monks lived there maintaining them (CMCR 8, Pu 9, Xie 10).

References: 
Gan Qing Zang Chuanfojiao Siyuan [Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries of Gansu and Qinghai]
Gan Qing Zangchuan Fojiao Siyuan [Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries of Gansu and Qinghai]
Qinghai De Siyuan [Monasteries of Qinghai]
The Blue Annals
The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces: Vol 1. The Qinghai Part of Amdo
Unbekannte tibetische Texte
Zhongguo Wenwu Dituji [An Atlas of Chinese Cultural Relics: Qinghai Volume]
Place Reference: 

Shadzong Ritrö

ཞ་རྫོང་རི་ཁྲོད་
夏宋寺
xià sòng sì
Gruschke on Shadzong Ritrö

Tibet Outside the TAR on Shadzong Ritro

Marshall and Cooke provide a brief history of Shadzong Ritrö in their book, Tibet Outside the TAR. Drawing on the Bright Mirror of Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries in Qinghai 1, they state that Faxian passed through the area in 339 CE, at the place which would become Shadzong Ritrö (1645 2). They then suggest that Buddhist influence in the area might have increased either with the Tang dynasty or with the persecution of Buddhists by Langdarma (thus forcing Buddhists to outlying areas such as Pingan).