Samye

Samye Monastery situated in the middle of the sandy Samye valley and approached via a beautiful river crossing, is deservedly the most popular destination for tourists and has a magic about it that makes many travelers stay longer than they had intended. Built in the mid-8th century during the reign of King Trisong Detsen, Samye is the very first formal Buddhist Monastery in Tibet and it represents the Tibetan state's first efforts to allow the Buddhist faith to set down roots in the country.

The whole construction of the monastery with its numerous stupas, high and expansive building as well as its grand and broad scale is designed in the shape of a \"mandala\". The monastery has a well-known and highlighted mixed perfection of Han, Tibetan and Indian style architecture which can be seen in the main hall and the numerous relics such as wood and stone carvings, frescos and statues kept in the monastery. Over the centuries it has come under the influence of the Nyingma, Sakya and Geluk schools and is thus considered a symbol of Tibet’s national identity.