Sakya Monastery

Located in the center of the Sakya Sect, southwest of Shigatse, Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. In Tibetan language, the word Sakya means "gray soil", referring to the weathered gray earth on the Bonbori Hill where the monastery is located.

Sakya Monastery comprised of Northern Monastery and Southern Monastery, and both are were built by Khon Konchog Gyalpo in 1073. Today the Northern Monastery is visible only as a ruin. The Southern Monastery was built like a fortress and was surrounded by a moat. It walls were painted in red, white and grey which indicate Manjusri Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshvara and Vajradhara.

Highlights of Sakya Monastery

Tibetan Buddhist Scriptures

Sakya Monastery is honored as the "Second Dunhuang", because of its collection of numerous Tibetan Buddhist scriptures, murals and Thangkas. According to statistics, about 40,000 volumes of scriptures are housed here. At the rear and both flanks of the Sutra Hall, giant wooden shelves reach up to the ceiling, with 57m in length, 11m in height and 1m in width. The most precious is Burde Gyaimalung, which records Tibetan religion, history, philosophy, literature, agriculture and animal husbandry.

Murals & Thangkas

Most of the murals are from Yuan Dynasty. The most outstanding and precious are the portraits of Phakpa (the former Sakya ancestors) meeting with Kublai Khan ( the founder of Yuan Dynasty). There are over 3,000 "Thangkas" from different dynasties. Among them, the 360 from Song, Yuan and Ming Dynasties are the most precious.

Main Chanting Hall

The Main Chanting Hall, also called Lakhang Chenmo in Tibetan language, is the must-see for all visitors. It is enough big about 5,800 square meters to hold about 10,000 monks chanting sutras together. The forty huge vermilion pillars supporting the ceiling, and four of them are about 1 meter in diameter.

Buddhist Rituals

Coming here in summer and winter, you can experience the large-scale and characteristic Diamond Buddhist Rituals. When performing the Holy Dance which vividly reflects the basic content of Tibetan Mizong holy dance killing devils, the dancers all wear masks of Sakya Monastery Guard God and other different holy beasts. You can also see thousands of lamas and the crowd will come and worship for the holy dance bringing happiness and fortune to human being.

How to get there?

Take buses from Shigatse to Sakya every other day and return on the second day. The one-way fee is about ￥55.

Travel Tips

1. The opening time: 09:00am to 18:30pm.
2. After entering the monastery, tourist should walk clockwise from left to right.
3. Dawn and dusk will be the best photographing time of Sakya Monastery. Before you taking photos of the monks in the Monastery, please ask for permission.
4. Be sure to respect the local customs and religious beliefs.
6. Take enough clothes to keep warm, sunglasses and suncream to avoid sunburning.