Sakya Monastery is the principal monastery of the Sakyapa Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The location of the monastery is in Sakya County. It is about 160 kilometres southwest of Shigatse, on the road to Tingri in Tibet. Khon Konchog Gyalpo built it in 1073. Especially, it is on the hillside with grey earth surrounded, it means the “Grey Soil” in Tibetan. Divided by river, this monastery has two parts. There are the northern part (on the hillside) and the southern part (lies in the valley).
It is different from other monasteries in areas such as Lhasa. Because, the wall of the monastery is painted in red, white and grey stripes, which represent Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara, and Vajrapani. The monastery has a special architecture to distinguish from other Buddhist schools. Therefore, it is easy to find out from distance.
As the first temple of Sakya lineage in Tibetan Buddhism, with over 900 years history, the Sakya Monastery houses many historical sacred relics, including numerous stupas, Buddhist scriptures, magnificent artwork, Tibetan Thangkas, the conch shell which is believed to have been used by the Buddha himself. Against the walls of the hall, there are about 20.000 volumes of handwritten Buddhist scriptures. These scriptures are written with liquid gold, silver or other precious materials. Here, you can discover the history of Tibetan Buddhism and as well as its distinct subsets. Furthermore, you can also explore a combination of Tibetan Buddhism culture.
Following the Footsteps of the Sakyapa Masters
Tibet Sightseeing and In-depth Culture Experiencing Tour
