Gonchen Monastery
更庆寺
A Sakya monastery beside the Derge Printing House, once the family temple of the Derge chieftains. Together they form the religious and cultural heart of Derge County town.
Gonchen Monastery stands beside the Derge Printing House in Derge County town. It is a Sakya monastery of Tibetan Buddhism and was historically the family temple of the Derge chieftains. Its name means “great monastery,” and the Gonchen township of Derge County takes its name from it. The halls contain murals and statues, and devotees walk around the monastery early in the morning and at dusk. It can be visited together with the Printing House, a few minutes’ walk away. Please walk clockwise around the site, and ask the monks’ permission before photographing inside the halls.
Opening hours
Open daytime