Dzongsar Monastery, Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Dêgê, China

Dzongsar Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery southeast of Dêgê town in Sichuan, China. Rebuilt since 1983, it now has six large and small temples, 180 monk residences, and main temple buildings covering 48,200 square meters. More than 200 monks live here, and a school teaches Tibetan traditions to about 60 children.

The monastery was founded in 746 by a Bönpo Lama and was turned into a Sakya establishment in 1275 after Drogön Chögyal Phagpa returned from China. That shift reshaped the religious direction of the site and has defined it ever since.

The monastery holds texts from eight schools of Tibetan Buddhism, making it one of the few places where so many traditions exist side by side. Visitors can notice this variety in the different rituals and decorations found across the individual temples.

The monastery is southeast of Dêgê and involves walking over uneven, hilly ground between the temples, so sturdy footwear is a good idea. The site sits at high altitude, so visitors should allow time to adjust before moving around the grounds.

Dzongsar is known for incense sold as Dzongsar Tibetan Incense Powder and Sticks, made from natural herbal materials of the eastern Tibetan highlands and said to have healing effects for mind and soul and to prevent infectious diseases. The monastery also runs a school teaching Tibetan traditions, with about 60 children enrolled.