The large, active, Gelugpa-sect Riwo Dechen Monastery sprawls above Chongye's old town across the lower slopes of Mt Chingwa below the fort. The main assembly hall has a statue and throne of the fifth Dalai Lama. Just below the monastery is a grand new chörten.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.88 MILES
About 170km southeast of Lhasa, on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) is Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet. Founded in…
22.88 MILES
The central building of Samye, the Ütse comprises a unique synthesis of architectural styles. The ground and 1st floors were originally Tibetan in style,…
24.64 MILES
Chim-puk Hermitage is a collection of cave shrines northeast of Samye that grew up over the centuries around the meditation retreat of Guru Rinpoche. Chim…
12.61 MILES
Dating back to the 7th-century reign of Songtsen Gampo, Tradruk is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Tibet. It was founded at the same time as Lhasa…
22.39 MILES
Hepo Ri is the hill some 400m east of Samye where Guru Rinpoche vanquished the demons of Tibet. A 30-minute climb up the side ridge brings you to an…
10.85 MILES
A fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung Valley, Yumbulagang is considered…
19.44 MILES
Although a small monastery was founded at the present site of Mindroling as early as the 10th century, the date usually given for the founding of…
0.91 MILES
The tombs of the Tibetan kings at Chongye represent one of the few historical sites in the country that give any evidence of a pre-Buddhist culture in…
Nearby Ü attractions
0.21 MILES
This dzong can be seen clearly from Chongye town and from the burial mounds, its crumbling ramparts straddling a ridge of Mt Chingwa. Once one of the most…
0.91 MILES
The tombs of the Tibetan kings at Chongye represent one of the few historical sites in the country that give any evidence of a pre-Buddhist culture in…
6.54 MILES
A minor site thought to date back to 1017, Tangboche Monastery is about 15km southwest of Tsetang on the way to Chongye. Atisha, the renowned Bengali…
10.04 MILES
A popular pilgrimage site associated with the illustrious Milarepa (1040–1123), the scenic ruins of Rechung-puk Monastery are set high on a dramatic…
10.85 MILES
A fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung Valley, Yumbulagang is considered…
12.61 MILES
Dating back to the 7th-century reign of Songtsen Gampo, Tradruk is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Tibet. It was founded at the same time as Lhasa…
15.76 MILES
Inside the main assembly hall the principal image to the left is of a 1000-armed Chenresig dating back to the time of King Songtsen Gampo. According to…
8. Ganden Chökhorling Monastery
15.88 MILES
This 14th-century monastery was originally a Kagyu institution, but by the 18th century the Gelugpas had overtaken it with the blessing of the seventh…