This monastery is a "must see" for visitors to Tibet. The monastery lies 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Shigatse. Sakya, meaning "Grey Soil" in Tibetan since the soil surrounding it is gray; it is the central monastery of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Its walls were painted in red, white and grey strips, which represent Manjushri, Avalokiteshvara and Vajrapani

Tashilhunpo Monastery, meaning "Heap of Glory", was commissioned in 1447 by Gedun Drub, the nephew of the founder of the Gelug sect, who was retroactively entitled the First Dalai Lama. As such, it is one of the six main monasteries of this Yellow-Hatted sect along with Drepung, Sera and Ganden in Lhasa and Kumbum and Labrang in Amdo. Tashilhumpo is a vast

Lying 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of Shigatse, the monastery was founded in 1040 by Chetsun Sherab Jungnay. Shalu, meaning New Bud in Tibetan, was named after a story. His teacher suggested him to built a monastery where his arrow hit. The flying arrow finally hit a new bud. In 1320, Buton Rinpoche, one of the greatest religious scholars was invited to

he monestary was established in 1416 by Tsong Khapa's disciple Jamyang Qoigyi, who was versed in both Esoteric and Exotoric Buddhism and became the first Kampo there. With the support of plutocrats, it developed as the richest monastery of Gelugpa and became the mother temple of Dalai Lamas. In 1546, the third Dalai was welcomed as the first Living Buddha

Sera, one of the three largest monasteries of Gelugpa, sits at the foothills of Tatipu. It is as prestigious as Drepung and Ganden, which both have longer histories. Sera, in Tibetan, means "Wild Rose Garden" since opulent wild rose woods once grew around it. A legend says that Tsong Khapa and his two disciples traveled in the area, spreading their religion. One day, they

Situated in Dranang, Samye Monastery was completed in 779 under the patron of Trisong Detsen. At the time of Samye's construction, Buddhism had been transmitted into Tibet, but there were no formal Buddhist priests or rituals. Trisong Detsen decided to invite Santarakshita and Padmasambhava, both Buddhist figureheads in India, to promote Buddhism