Top Choice Buddhist Monastery in Tsurphu Valley
Tsurphu Monastery
Tsurphu has four main buildings and you could easily spend half a day here – longer if you plan to do the excellent outer kora (pilgrim circuit). If you're short on time, concentrate on the large central assembly ha…
Top Choice Buddhist Monastery in Mamba
Drigung Til Monastery
Drigung Til sprouts from a high, steep ridge overlooking the Zhorong-chu Valley. The 180-degree views from the main courtyard are stunning and it’s a joy to hang out in the courtyard by the monastery to take in the …
Top Choice Lake in Northern Ü
Nam-tso
The waters of sacred Nam-tso, the second-largest salt lake in China, are an almost transcendent turquoise blue and shimmer in the rarefied air of 4730m. Most people come here for the scenery and for the short but pi…
Top Choice Buddhist Monastery in Northern Ü
Sili Götsang
A 4km drive north of the turn-off to Taklung brings you to Sili Götsang, an amazing eagle’s-nest hermitage perched high above the main road, home to 10 resident monks.
Buddhist Monastery in Nyima Jiangre
Dzongsar Monastery
About 1km northwest of town is the Drigungpa-school Dzongsar Monastery. A short but steep climb brings you to a monastery located on a jagged slope; its name soon becomes clear – the monastery is a converted dzong. …
Buddhist Monastery in Northern Ü
Taklung Monastery
Dynamited by Red Guards and with ruins still visible in the green fields of the Pak-chu Valley, the sprawling monastic complex of Taklung is around 120km north of Lhasa. Rebuilding continues but not on the scale of …
Buddhist Monastery in Lhundrub County
Nalendra Monastery
Ruins dwarf the rebuilding work at Nalendra, but it's still an impressive monastery. Founded in 1435 by the lama Rongtonpa (1367–1449), a contemporary of Tsongkhapa, it was largely destroyed in 1959. Where there wer…
Buddhist Monastery in Reting Valley
Reting Monastery
Founded in 1056, Reting Monastery was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Once the seat of the Reting Rinpoche, several of whom served as regents during the minority of underage Dalai Lamas, the tem…
Buddhist Monastery in Rutok
Rutok Monastery
Founded in the 12th century as a Black Hat monastery, Rutok Monastery converted to the Yellow Hat sect in 1509 during the reign of the second Dalai Lama. Before destruction in 1959 it was home to 35 monks, though on…
Buddhist Site in Nyima Jiangre
Chulong Nunnery
Founded by Drignung-Til as a branch of the Drigung Kagyu school in 1253, Chulong's 112 resident nuns are now members of various Red Hat sects. Inside the main assembly hall look for statues of Guru Rinpoche flanked …