Tashilhunpo Monastery

བཀྲ་ཤིས་ལྷུན་པོ།

Former seat of successive Panchen Lamas and the largest Gelug monastery in Tsang. The Maitreya Hall houses a gilded copper Jampa Buddha about 26 m high, a landmark of Shigatse.

Tashilhunpo Monastery stands at the foot of Nisari Mountain on the western side of Shigatse city. It was founded in 1447 by Gendun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkhapa and the First Dalai Lama. From the 4th Panchen Lama onward, it became the seat of successive Panchen Lamas. Together with the three great monasteries of Lhasa, it is known as one of the “Four Great Monasteries” of the Gelug school. The monastery is built into the hillside, with golden roofs and red walls rising in tiers. Highlights include the Maitreya Hall, which enshrines a seated image of Jampa (the Future Buddha) cast in the time of the 9th Panchen Lama. It is about 26 m tall and used about 279 kg of gold, making it one of the largest indoor gilded copper Buddha statues in the world. The 4th Panchen Lama’s stupa hall and the 10th Panchen Lama’s stupa hall, Shisong Namjie, have stupas decorated with gold, silver and jewels. The Tsokchen Hall and the debate courtyard often feature monks debating. The circumambulation path behind the monastery offers a panorama of the monastery and Shigatse city. Every year on the 14th–16th days of the 5th Tibetan month, a giant thangka is unfurled on the Buddha display terrace carved into the mountain wall. Admission is about 100 yuan, subject to on-site prices. Photography is prohibited inside the halls, though some halls allow paid photography. Getting there: a taxi or walk from the city center; morning visits are recommended. Notes: walk clockwise around the monastery, and do not touch statues or scriptures. The monastery is large with many steps, so take it slowly to avoid altitude sickness.

Tashilhunpo Monastery

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