Gongkar Chöde Monastery
གོང་དཀར་ཆོས་སྡེ
A Sakya monastery near Lhasa's Gonggar Airport that preserves original murals by the founder of the 15th-century Chinzé school of painting.
Gongkar Chöde Monastery was founded in 1464 by the Sakya master Gongkar Dorje Dampa. The painter Chinzé Chenmo created a large number of murals here, establishing the influential Chinzé school of painting, a key work in the history of Tibetan Buddhist art. The monastery lies on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo in Gongkar County, about 10 km from Lhasa Gonggar Airport and about 90 km from Tsetang, making it convenient to visit on the way to or from the airport. Few visitors come. Admission depends on the site, and photography is prohibited inside the halls.
Opening hours
Open during the day (per the temple)
Nearby sights
- Drathang Monastery
- Mindroling Monastery
- Riwo Dechen Monastery
- Tombs of the Tibetan Kings
- Tradruk Temple
- Sachu Sodang, the First Barley Field
- Yumbulagang Palace
- Lhagyari Palace Ruins