Shakya Monastery

Located in Sakya, the Monastery stands in two parts on either side of Dongchu River. This Monastery is the centre of the Sakyapa Sect (White Earth Order). The northern part of the monastery was built in the year 1079 and the southern founded in 1268 by a famous Abbot of Sakya, Pagpa, who once ruled the whole of Tibet during the Yuan Dynasty and unfortunately, only the southern part remains. The State Council has classified it as a national protected monument, owing to its valuable number of Buddhist sutras and cultural remains.The Monastery is different from other monasteries because of its architecture, it looks more like a fort instead of a religious institution from the outside. The monastery has big walls with watch towers on each of the corners and has various interesting items for a visit inside!