Gyangdrak Monastery
江扎寺
A monastery on the inner kora route south of the sacred mountain, at about 4,750 meters, where you can closely view the swastika-like patterns on Kailash’s south face.
Gyangdrak Gompa lies in the Serxung valley directly north of Darchen, below the south face of Mount Kailash, at about 4,750 meters. It belongs to the Drigung Kagyu school and is an important monastery on the inner kora route, which circles the southern side of the sacred mountain past Yinjietuo Mountain and the Thirteen Golden Stupas. The monastery is not on the main outer kora. It is a 2 to 3 hour walk from Darchen, with few visitors and a peaceful setting, and you can gaze up at the stepped textures of the sacred mountain’s south face. According to Tibetan tradition, only pilgrims who have completed thirteen circuits of the outer kora may perform the inner kora, so most visitors go only as far as the area around Gyangdrak to enjoy the view. It can serve as an acclimatization hike before the kora.
Opening hours
Daytime (open when monks are in residence)
Nearby sights
- Tarboche Flagpole
- Darchen
- Chuku Gompa (Nyenri Monastery)
- Mount Kailash & Kora
- Zutulpuk Monastery
- Dirapuk Monastery
- Drolma La Pass & Gauri Kund
- Chiu Gompa