Drepung Monastery
འབྲས་སྤུངས་དགོན་པ།
Once the largest monastery in the world, with white monastic quarters that spread across the hillside like heaps of rice. The annual Shoton Festival, with its giant thangka display, and views over the Lhasa River valley make it the most impressive monastery in Lhasa.
Drepung Monastery lies on the southern slope of Mount Gephel, about 8 km west of central Lhasa. It was founded in 1416 by Jamyang Choje, a disciple of Tsongkhapa. Its Tibetan name, Drepung, means “heap of rice,” named for the white buildings that cover the hillside like piled grains. Historically it was the largest Gelug monastery, with nearly 10,000 monks at its height. The 5th Dalai Lama lived here before the Potala Palace was completed, at the Ganden Phodrang, which marked the beginning of Gelug rule over Tibet. Highlights include the Tsokchen Hall (an assembly hall that can hold thousands of monks, with a Maitreya statue and numerous thangkas), the Ganden Phodrang (the former palace of successive Dalai Lamas), the four great colleges (Loseling, Gomang, Deyang, and Agyu), the giant copper cauldrons in the monastery kitchen, the thangka display ground on the hillside behind the monastery (on the first morning of the Shoton Festival, a giant thangka is unveiled here, drawing tens of thousands of worshippers, one of Tibet's most spectacular religious events), and views over the Lhasa River valley from the upper monastery. Admission is 50 CNY (free in some periods since 2023; check with the official source). The monastery is large and built into the mountain, with a long uphill climb from the gate to the Tsokchen Hall. It is recommended to take the shuttle inside the monastery or walk slowly. Visits take about 2–2.5 hours. The nearby Nechung Monastery, home to the protector deity and featuring beautiful murals, can be visited at the same time. Transport: take bus 24 or 25 to the Drepung Monastery stop, then walk or transfer to the monastery shuttle to get up the hill. A taxi takes about 30 minutes. Notes: at an altitude of about 3,800 metres, climb slowly. For the Shoton Festival thangka display, people set out at 4–5 a.m. to secure a spot. The monks' residential quarters are private, so do not enter them. Photography is prohibited inside halls.
Opening hours
09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Nechung Monastery
- Lhalu Wetland
- Norbulingka
- Tibet Museum
- Chakpori Hill Viewpoint
- Tibet Yak Museum
- Potala Palace
- Lukhang Park