Brief / profile

The Trankdruk Monastery is a well-known monastery as well as the first Buddhist chapel built in Tibet.

Location
It’s located 5 km south of Tsedang.

Why got its this name
The monastery earned this name since “trankdruk” means a roc conquering a dragon.

History
It was constructed under the reign of Songtsen Gampo. After the monastery converted to Gelugpa, it underwent several reconstructions. After Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng moved to Lhasa, they often paid a visit here. There’s still an apartment left which is said to be the residence of Songtsen Gampo and Wencheng during their tour of the monastery. However, it has been severely damaged and restorations are badly needed.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery.
In the monastery, the main building is Tshomchen with Padmasambhava worshipped.
Moreover, there’re many willow trees around the monastery left by the Princess Wencheng.

Legend and Story
Besides, there’s also a legend about the Trankdruk Monastery. It goes like this: the monastery could be built only after Songtsen Gampo turned into a toc to an evil dragon.