Densatil Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Sangri County, China

Densatil Monastery stands on a hillside above Rigang village in Sangri County, at about 4,400 m, measuring roughly 500 m north to south and 1,000 m east to west. From west to east come Phagmo Drupa's meditation cave, the eight-sided tashigomang stupa Gurmang Chöten, monks' quarters, the assembly hall, the main hall and a temple. The main hall, of about 1,570 sq m on 36 pillars, has 1.2 m thick stone walls and murals, some inscribed in Chinese; its top floor is Chenga Drakpa Jungne's residence in a Chinese-style tower.

The monastery was founded in 1158 by Phagmo Trupa Dorje Gyelpo and became a major center of religious authority. From the 1300s to the 1400s, the Phagmo Trupa family ruled Tibet from this location.

The monastery's name comes from the hermitage Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyelpo built here, called Densatil, and the site gave the Phagdru Kagyu school its name. The red Tsuglag Khang Marpo, its walls now broken, held eighteen silver reliquaries and stupas of Phagmo Drupa and the Lang rulers, some tashigomang stupas carrying at least 2,200 deity figures. The cave shrine holds Dorje Gyelpo's staff, a conch with footprints and a pearl-studded brass hat offered by the Lang family.

The monastery is reachable from Tsetang via road S302 to Jiang village, after which you can hike steeply upward or take a jeep. It helps to start early and watch the weather, as the mountain elevation can be physically demanding.

The monastery's metal sculptures were not placed in shrines but around the bodies of reliquary stupas, at least 2,200 figures on the eight tashigomang stupas alone. In 2005, rebuilding work at the site unearthed over 600 objects, among them some 300 sculptures kept locally.