Sakya Monastery, Buddhist monastery in Sagya County, Tibet

Sakya Monastery is a major Buddhist temple complex in Sa'gya County, Tibet, with buildings spread across both banks of the Zhongqu River. The northern section sits on the slopes of Mount Benpo, while the southern section occupies flat terrain below.

Sakya Monastery was founded in 1073 by Khön Könchok Gyalpo, a former Nyingmapa monk of the Khön family, as the seat of the Sakya school. In 1268 Drogön Chögyal Phagpa ordered the southern monastery built across the Zhongqu River; 130,000 workers were reportedly drafted. Its abbots governed Tibet under Yuan overlordship in the 13th and 14th centuries. Most of the southern monastery burned in the 16th century and was restored to its former size only in 1948.

The monastery walls carry three colors marking different bodhisattvas: red represents Manjushri, white represents Avalokiteshvara, and blue represents Vajrapani. This color scheme gave the Sakya school its nickname as the Flowery or Variegated tradition.

The monastery stands at 4,316 metres on the slopes of Mount Benpo, so allow time to acclimatise before walking the grounds. The southern monastery is a walled square compound measuring 214 by 210 metres, with its only gate in the middle of the east wall. The inner wall is 8 metres high and 3 metres thick, and a lower earthen outer wall with a moat surrounds it.

The library's heaviest scripture weighs over 500 kilograms, the heaviest in the world. It also holds palm-leaf manuscripts preserved by the arid climate. The main library hall has a 66-meter mural of the Buddha's life and more than 1,100 pieces of Yuan-dynasty porcelain.