Shechen Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Kham, Tibet Autonomous Region
Shechen is a monastery complex situated in the Tibetan highlands at about 3,950 meters (13,000 feet), featuring traditional red walls and golden roofs spread across hillsides. The site includes multiple prayer halls, residential buildings, and study spaces arranged across an extensive settlement pattern.
The monastery was founded in 1695 by the scholar Rabjam Tenpai Gyaltsen under the direction of the Fifth Dalai Lama and quickly became a major center of the Nyingma tradition. Over the following centuries, it developed into a large institutional network connecting numerous temples and sites across the Tibetan highlands.
The monastery remains an active place where monks study Buddhist texts daily and practice traditional arts including ritual dances and sacred music. Visitors can observe these traditions taking place throughout the compound during their stay.
Access typically involves taking a bus from Garze to Sershul, then arranging local transport from nearby towns to reach the monastery grounds. Visitors should prepare for high altitude, thinner air, and cold temperatures that persist even during warmer months.
The monastery was historically connected to approximately 160 satellite monasteries scattered across eastern Tibet, forming one of the largest institutional networks in the region. This extensive system made it one of the most influential Buddhist organizations across the entire Tibetan highlands.
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