Photo: Manuel Velazquez / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Sakya Monasteries
The seat and center of Sakyapas
Sakya Tradition is one of the four main Buddhist Schools in Tibet. It was from here that that the whole of Tibet was ruled during the period of Sakyapa hegemony ( 1268-1365)
It was one of the largest monasteries of Tibet.
The thick- walled monolithic southern monastery (also called Lhakhang Chenmo) is the main attraction. At present there are five rooms open to public, four of which house images and reliquary stupas containing the mortal remains of Sakya’s past throne holders, including some of original Great Five Patriachs of Sakya (1092-1280).The fifth temple contains the manuscripts.
The temples of the North are the ones along the North bank of Trum Chu river and these were built earlier then South temples. The oldest one was built by Konchok Gyelpo in 1073. Other buildings and parts were added over the years. Four-Storey Palace (Zhithok Phodrang and Sanghak Dechenling are particularly interesting.
Near Sakya Monasteries
More to see around Tsang.
-
Sight
Everest North Area (Rongphu Face)
The north face of Everest and the Rongphu Glacier, reached by road from Tingri to Rongphu and Base Camp.
-
Sight
Gyantse
Gyantse (3,950m) in the Nyang Chu valley, 254km south-west of Lhasa, is one of the least Chinese influenced towns in Tibet and is worth a visit for this reason alone.
