List of Tibetan monasteries


This list of Tibetan monasteries is a listing of historical and contemporary monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism within the ethno-cultural Tibet itself and elsewhere. Tibetan monasteries are works of architectural, pictorial, decorative and landscape art.
NameLocationTraditionEstablishedDestroyedNote
AlchiLadakhgiles11th century
Badekar MonasteryBugat, Inner Mongolia Autonomous RegionGelug1749
Chagri MonasteryBhutanKagyu1620
Chaksam Cho RiChushul, U-Tsang14th centuryDestroyed in 1959from
Dorje DrakLhokaNyingma1400, 1720, 1960s in India1717, 1960sOne of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
DrepungLhasaGelug1416Home monastery of the Dalai Lama. Founded by Jamyang Choje. Drepung was historically the largest monastery in Tibet as well as the largest in the world until the Communist Chinese invasion.
DrigungLhasa PrefectureKagyu1179, 1980s1960s
Drongtse MonasteryTsang
DzogchenKhamNyingma1684One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
GandenLhasa PrefectureGelug14091959, 1966Seat of the Ganden Tripa. Founded by Tsongkhapa in 1409.
Gonchen MonasteryKhamSakya1729
Gongkar ChödeLhokhaSakya1464
Gyumay and Gyuto Lower and Upper Tantric CollegesTsangGelug1433 and 1475
HemisLadakhDrukpa1672
Jokhang TempleLhasaGelug652Severely Damaged by Communist Chinese People's Liberation Army in March, 1959Lhasa main temple. Said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo in 647; a major pilgrimage site.
Jonang Phuntsokling MonasteryTsangJonang14th century
KardangLahaulDrukpa12th centuryMain monastery in Lahaul.
Karma Gön MonasteryKhamKagyu1147Seat of the 1st to the 7th Tai Situpa
KatokGarzeNyingma1159One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries".
Keru TempleÜNyingmamid-8th century
Kharchu MonasteryLhokhaNyingma16th century
Khomthing MonasteryLhokha
Khorshak TempleWestern Tibet
Kirti GompaAmdoGelug1472
Kumbum MonasteryAmdoGelug1583
Labrang MonasteryAmdoGelug1709Was founded in 1709 by the first Jamyang Zhaypa, Ngawang Tsondru.
Magur Namgyal LingAmdoGelug1646
MenriÜBön14051386, 1966
Menri MonasteryTsang
MindrollingLhokhaNyingmaOne of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Nalendra MonasteryPenpo
Namdzong NunneryAmdo
Namgyal MonasteryLhasa
Nangshi MonasteryNgaba, Amdo
Narthang MonasteryTsang
Nechung TempleLhasa
Ngor TempleÜSakya14291959
Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang TempleÜ
Pabonka HermitageLhasaGelug7th centuryIndependent before 1959, has belonged to Sera since 1980.
Gyantse Palkor Chöde Monastery TsangGelug, Sakya, Kadam1428
PalpungDergeKagyu1727Founded by the 8th Situ Panchen, Seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul.
PalyulPalyulNyingmaOne of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries". Other branch "Namdroling Monastery" established by Penor Rinpoche in India, in 1963
Pemayangtse MonasterySikkimNyingma1705
Pomda MonasteryBaxoi
Punakha DzongBhutanDrukpaWinter home of the Central Monk Body
Ralung MonasteryTsang
RalungDrukpaSeat of the Gyalwang Drukpa
Ramoche TempleLhasa
Rato DratsangKarnatakaGelugFormerly on the outskirts of Lhasa, but now re-established in south India.
Ratö MonasteryÜ
RetingÜGelug
RiwocheKhamKagyuSeat of the Taklung Kagyu lineage.
RongbukBasum TownshipNyingma1902
Rongwo Gönchen MonasteryAmdo
Rumtek MonasterySikkimKagyu18th century
Sakya MonasteryTsangSakyaSeat of the Sakya Trizin.
Samye MonasteryÜ775 - 779
SamyeNyingmaFirst monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita. Heinrich Harrer in 1982 flew over "Samye; it was totally destroyed. One can still make out the outer wall, but none of the temples or stupas survives."
Sekhar Guthok MonasteryLhokha
1950 photo of in Lhodrag by Hugh Richardson. Founded by Milarepa in the 11th century
Sanga MonasteryLhokha
SeraLhasaGelugOne of the largest monasteries in Tibet, containing numerous colleges. Founded by Chöje Shakya Yeshe. :|Photo of smashed statues pieces at Lhasa's Sera Monastery destroyed by the Communist Chinese after 1959 flight of the 14th Dalai Lama to exile in India.
ShaluTsangSakya
ShechenKhamNyingmaOne of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries".
Simbiling Monastery...
SpitukLadakhGelug
Surmang MonasteryKham1988
SurmangKagyuSeat of the Trungpa tülkus.
TaboSpitiGelugLargest monastery in Spiti.
Taklung MonasteryÜ
Taktsang MonasteryDzoge, Amdo
Tamzhing MonasteryBhutanNyingma1501
Tashichho DzongThimphuDrukpaHouses the Central Monk Body in summer.
TashilhünpoTsangGelugSeat of the Panchen Lama. Founded by Gyalwa Gendün Drup.
Tawang MonasteryTawang District, Arunachal PradeshGelug1681The monastery is the second-largest in Asia.
Thikse MonasteryLadakhGelug15th century
Tholing MonasteryWest Tibet
Tibet Institute RikonRikon, SwitzerlandNyingmaSince 2007, the monastery comprises representatives of all four great traditions : Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug.
Tingri MonasteryTsang
Tradruk TempleLhokhaGelugThe largest, oldest and most important monastery in the Yarlung Valley. Said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo.
Trathang MonasteryLhokha
Tsandan MonasteryNagchu
Tsaparang Monastery & Palace ComplexWestern Tibet
Tsethang MonasteryLhokha
Tsö MonasteryAmdo
Tsozong GongbaNyingma
Tsuglagkhang TempleDharamshala, Himachal PradeshCurrent residence of the 14th Dalai Lama.
TsurphuÜKagyuSeat of the Gyalwa Karmapa.
Yama TashikyilRebkong, Amdo
Yarchen GarNyingma1985Largest monastery in the world +10000 monks.
Yarlung SheldrakU-tsangGelug18th century"Yarlung Sheldrak is a monastic community that first developed around a Padmasambhava meditation cave, possibly as early as the eighth century. It was converted to the Geluk tradition in the nineteenth century."
Yemar TempleTsang
YerpaGelug600–7001959Famous meditation site of King Songtsen Gampo and Padmasambhava; 300 monks lived here in 1959.
Yonghe TempleBeijingGelug1700sNational centre of Lama administration during Qing dynasty
Yungdrungling MonasteryTsang

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