Sakya Monastery

The monastic town of Sakya (4280 m) is very Tibetan in character and is one of Tsang's most important historical sights - even more than Gyantse. Because the monastery was built by a chalky hill, it was named Sakya, meaning pale earth in Tibetan. When the visitor approaches this massive structure, he will see a great monastery in an imposing square citadel. The outer wall is painted red, white and black vertical stripes, each representing the different manifestations of Buddha, a unique feature of Sakya. The Lakang Qinmu Hall, the main structure in the complex, occupies an area of 5,500 square meters with a height of over 10 meters. Sakya's principal attractions are its northern and southern monasteries on either side of the Trum Chu.

Sakya reached its heyday in the second half of the 13th century, when it was showered with gifts and privileges and given control over all Tibet by Kublai Khan, the Mongolia emperor of China. A separate sect of Tibetan Buddhism, named Sakyapa, also took from here.