Samye Monastery (桑耶寺, Sang Ye Si) has always been known as the first one built in Tibetan region for local religion. Samye, in Tibetan means immensity, contemplation or beyond imagination. Chinese government regards it as a key cultural heritage for careful protection. It is located on Zhama mountainside in northern bank of Yalung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra) in Shannan region, about 38 kilometers to Zedang Town. 

Samye Monastery was built in 762 AD at the birthplace of Tibetan King Trisong Detsen (赤松德赞) under the supervision of Master Lianhuasheng. After completion in 779 AD, King Trisong Detsen invited local and Indian monks to teach Buddhist ways and they have done a lot of works for the monastery. Seven men from Tibetan aristocratic families became Buddhist masters, who were appointed as Buddhism lecturers. They have been praised as the pioneers in promoting Tibetan Buddhism. King Trisong Detsen declared Tibetan had to believe in Buddhism. 

Samye Monastery is famous for its large number of tall, spacious and majestic halls, which were constructed in combination of Tibetan, Han Chinese and Indian architectural artistries with great techniques in religious murals, Buddhist images and many invaluable relics. Additionally, the ambient of Samye Monastery is like a tranquil forest, where a national scenic area located. 

The monastery collects the historical heritage about religion, architecture, and fine arts since the Tubo (Tu-fan) Dynasty. The Boundless Universe in Buddhism is the idea that was adhered by Samye Monastery’s architecture. The Wuzi Hall represents the center of the world, surrounded by the four lesser ones that stand for our planet’s continents. The Sun and the Moon Halls are the sun and the moon respectively in the universe. The outer walls of Samye mean the walls of world’s boundaries. The four pagodas, red, white, green and black, of which each of them is built in one of the four sides of the monastery, are for expelling all evils and keeping any disaster to be happened. Each of the four sides of the outer walls has a great gate, the eastern one is the main one. 

“The Historical Records of Tibet” is a 92-meter-long mural in the main hall reproduces the stories from the marriage of an ogress and a monkey who have been seen as the origin of Tibetan people, to Dalai Lama IX, Lungtok Gyatso (1806 – 1815). 

Travel Tips 

Best travel duration about 3 hours. Photographs can be taken in most part of Samye Monastery, but for politeness, it is better to ask a Buddhist monk for permission before shoot. As a Buddhist holy land, Samye Monastery is so silent and if you would like to stay, you are to be with pilgrims and monks here. Their innocent smiles will make you have peace of mind with a sense of security. 

Transportation: It takes about three hours at Lhasa to Samye Monastery. From Zedang Town, you may take a bus as far as Samye Dukou. After alighting, on board a ferry to cross the Brahmaputra River, take a van to the main gate of the monastery. It is important to ask how much the fare is every sort of transportation in advance!

Mountain-South lies in the south of Gangdisi Mountain (冈底斯山) and Nianqing Tanggula (Dangla) Mountains (念青唐古拉山). It reaches the Qu’shui Bridge (曲水大桥) of Brahmaputra River that goes Lhasa to the north, Shigatse to the west and Nyingchi where it is the lowest altitude area of Tibetan Plateau to the east. The regional capital Zedang Town (泽当镇) is known for legend of ancient macaque becoming man. There are much ancient architecture, relic sites, tombs and old monasteries, also many hills and temples of lesser known but they really have very long history and having high influential status in Tibetan culture. The Mountain-South Region is the wealthiest and having longest history in Tibet. It is the place of origin of Tibetan civilization. 

Zedang Town 

The town is in the south bank of Brahmaputra River to southeast Lhasa. It is the regional economic, cultural and religious center. The first Tibetan palace, Yumbulagang (雍布拉康) and Changzhu Monastery (昌珠寺) in which Princess Wencheng (文成公主) had been lived, were all established. It is also the origin of Tibetan folk. It is told that the cave inside the Gongburi Mountain (贡不日山) in the east of the town was the living place of Tibetan ancestors. 

Yumbulagang Palace (雍布拉康) (Ticket: 30 RMB) 

It is in southeast Zedang Town. Take a taxi, 80 to 100 RMB including return trip that to reach the foot of Zhaxiciri Mountain (扎西次日山), climb it on foot. If you hire a mobile rickshaw it costs 40 to 50 RMB. 

Yumbulagang is the first imperial palace in Tibetan history, founded about 2,100 years ago. “Yumbulagang” means “Mother’s Womb” in Tibetan. The murals inside the palace vividly depict the historic events of the first Tibetan emperor, the first buildings and agricultural field. These murals take you to the scenes of legendary ancient Tibetan imperial life! 

There is a fountain called “Ge’erquan”, which is located about 400m northeast of Zhaxiciri Mountain. It flows in all seasons. The fountain water is said to be curing various diseases, the pilgrims come here to drink the water which makes their souls clean.