Riwo Dechen Monastery
རི་བོ་བདེ་ཆེན
A Gelug monastery on the hillside beside Qonggyai town, across the river from the Tibetan kings' tombs, with a panoramic view of the valley from the heights.
Riwo Dechen Monastery is built on the Chingwa Dazi hillside at the edge of Qonggyai town. It is a Gelug monastery, and the hill also holds remains of the early Tubo royal palace, Chingwa Dazi Palace, which is regarded as one of the political centers of the Yarlung dynasty before Lhasa. The monastery is small and sees few visitors, so you can quietly watch monks chanting and walking the kora. It lies about 2 km from the Tombs of the Tibetan Kings, so it is easy to visit on the same trip. The mountain road is steep and the altitude is about 3,800 meters, so go slowly to avoid altitude sickness.
Opening hours
Open during the day (per the temple)
Nearby sights
- Tombs of the Tibetan Kings
- Sachu Sodang, the First Barley Field
- Yumbulagang Palace
- Tradruk Temple
- Mindroling Monastery
- Drathang Monastery
- Lhagyari Palace Ruins
- Gongkar Chöde Monastery