Gonchen Monastery

The monastery displays white, dark red, and gray striped walls, reflecting the architectural elements characteristic of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Founded in 1448 by Thang Tong Gyalpo, a Buddhist yogi and physician who constructed iron suspension bridges throughout the Himalayas and founded Tibetan opera.

The three inner sanctums contain dedicated spaces for Guru Rinpoche, Sakyamuni Buddha, and the future Buddha Maitreya, representing central figures in Buddhism.

Monks at the Derge Parkhang printing house produce 2,500 pages daily using traditional methods, maintaining ancient printing techniques without electricity.

The monastery houses 217,000 engraved blocks of scriptures from various Tibetan Buddhist sects, preserving texts through traditional woodblock printing methods.

Location:

Inception: 1448

GPS coordinates: 31.80571,98.58297

Latest update: March 25, 2025 11:56