Samye Monastery

The Samye Monastery is at the foot of Mt. Haibusi, on the north bank of the Yaluzangbu River in Jialang county. Being the 1st monastery, belongs to the Nyingmapa and Sakyapa Sects., was built in 761. The 5th Tobu King Chisong Duosan sent envoys to Kashmir and India to invite famous lamars to teach Buddhism in Tibet. It is said that the monastery was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt three hundred years as the residence of the 6th Dalai Lamar.Finally it was completed by Rating Rimpoche.

The monastery had been combined the Chinese, Tibetan and Indian styles, in the centre of the monastery is a big square 3-storey hall with a floor space of over 8,900 square metres. The first floor is of Tibetan style, the 2nd Chinese and the 3rd Indian. To the direction of the 4 comers of the hall, 4 towers were built respectively in red, white,green and black colours. The Sangsu Monastery is a typical Buddhist building, it deserves its place in the history of architecture.