Samye Monastery
བསམ་ཡས། 桑耶寺
The first Tibetan monastery with all three Buddhist jewels: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Its layout follows the Mount Meru cosmology, and it combines Tibetan, Chinese and Indian architectural styles.
Samye Monastery lies on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo in Zhanang County, Shannan. It was founded in the second half of the 8th century by Trisong Detsen, with Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita presiding. It was the first monastery in Tibet where monks were ordained. The whole complex follows the Buddhist cosmology. The central Utse Hall represents Mount Meru. Its lower level is Tibetan in style, the middle level Chinese, and the top level Indian. Around it are the halls of the four continents and eight subcontinents, four stupas in red, white, green and black, and an encircling wall. Admission is about 40 yuan, and visitors can climb to the top floor to look over the monastery. It is about 150 kilometers from Lhasa, roughly 2.5 to 3 hours by car. You can make a day trip or stay overnight in Tsedang, Shannan. The sand dunes along the river on the way are striking.
Opening hours
About 09:00–17:00
Nearby sights
- Ganden Monastery
- Princess Wencheng Live Performance
- Drak Yerpa
- Ani Tsankhung Nunnery
- Makye Ame
- Guangming Sweet Tea House
- Jokhang Temple & Barkhor Street
- Tromsikhang Market