Ganden Monastery

Located around 46km east of Lhasa, Ganden Monastery has a magnificent setting on top of Wangbur Mountain at a dizzying altitude of 4300m, with panoramic views overlooking the Kyi Chu Valley. One of the first and largest monasteries in Tibet, Ganden was founded in 1409 by Tsongkhapa the revered master of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) order of Tibetan Buddhism. Before the destruction caused by the Red Guards in 1959 there were around 2,000 monks at Ganden, now there are only 360. Much of the monastery has since been reconstructed and includes eight main structures, the central building housing the Gold Tomb of Tsongkhapa, and a main assembly hall supported by over a hundred columns that is large enough for thousands of chanting monks. One of the highlights of a visit to this monastery is the Ganden Kora, a pilgrimage hike circumnavigating the holy sanctuary with panoramic views of the Lhasa River Plains and mountains beyond. On this gentle 45 minute you will come across numerous shrines in rock fissures, fluttering prayer flags, a sky burial site, yak butter offerings and devoted pilgrims prostrating along the way.