Brief / profile

Famed as “the Second Dunhuang”, Sakya Monastery is a must-go resort for tourists. Moreover, this is a hot scenic spot for its historical deposits.

Location
The Monastery stands in Sakya County, Dingri.

Why got its this name
Thanks to the gray soil surrounded and walls painted in red, white and gray, the monastery got the name of Sakya Monastery (sakya means gray soil in Tibetan).

History
Sakya Monastery boasts a history of 900 years. In the late 13th and early 14th century, it was in the political and religious capital of Tibet in a river valley. The monastery was divided into 2 parts: the northern section and the southern section. The first section had been ruined and the second section was also damaged by fire. Unfortunately, Sakya Monastery underwent damage again during the period of China Cultural Revolution in 1970s.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery.
The monastery in a square shape covers an area of 14, 700 square km. It has a tremendous collection of highly priceless art works such as handwriting sutra. Besides, there about 3,000 pieces of sutras with a history of thousands of years. Furthermore, the unique mural here is quite different from that of Dunhuang is still passing on.

Present condition
At present, most of the buildings in the monastery are relics.

Transportation.
You can get to the Sakya by bus at the Shigatse Bus Station to Sakya. After 5-minute walking, you will reach the Sakya Monastery.

Admission fee.
The admission fee for the monastery is RMB 45.

Note
It’s open to the public form 9:00 to 12:00 in the morning and from 14:00 to 18:30 in the afternoon. Generally speaking, 3 hours is enough for a close visit of the Sakya Monastery. Anyway, it’s all up to you. in addition, the best time for a visit here is summer and winter if you’d like to have the experience of Diamond Buddhism Rituals. Moreover, summer and winter are also best seasons to tour the entire monastery.