Tashilhunpo Monastery

Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama. The monastery complex is one of the largest functioning lamaseries in Tibet, housing several hundred monks and containing important reliquary chapels including a 26-metre gilded statue of Maitreya Buddha. The monastery's white monastery walls and golden roofs sit at the foot of a rocky hill in central Shigatse, with panoramic views from the hilltop kora path. The annual Thangka festival in summer draws large crowds for the display of a massive embroidered appliqué Buddha.