List of Tibetan monasteries

This list of Tibetan monasteries is a listing of historical and contemporary monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism within Tibet itself and abroad: The list includes monasteries that were within Tibetan borders when extant, or that were culturally included within the Tibetan tradition.

Tibet is home to numerous Buddhist monasteries. Included are monasteries which belonged to historical Tibet but may now lie within other Chinese provinces.

Samye Monastery in Dranang

Ganden Monastery in Lhasa

Sera Monastery in Lhasa

Drepung Monastery in Lhasa

Tashilhunpo in Shigatse

Name	Type	Location	Tradition	Established	Destroyed	Size (# monks)	Note
Menri	Monastery	Ü	Bön	1072, 1405, 1967 in India	1386, 1966	200+
Alchi	Monastery	Ladakh	Gelug	1000 (approx.)
Dorje Drak	Monastery	Lhoka	Nyingma	1400, 1720, 1960s in India	1717, 1960s		One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Drepung	Monastery	Lhasa	Gelug	1416		300 (7700 in 1930s)	Home monastery of H.H. the Dalai Lama.
Drigung	Monastery	Lhasa Prefecture	Kagyu	1179, 1980s	1960s	250-300
Dzogchen	Monastery	Kham	Nyingma				One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Ganden	Monastery	Lhasa Prefecture	Gelug				Seat of the Ganden Tripa.
Gongchen Monastery	Monastery	Kham
Gongkar Chöde Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Gyumay and Gyuto Lower and Upper Tantric Colleges		Tsang					[1]
Hemis	Monastery	Ladakh	Drukpa
Jokhang	temple	Lhasa	Gelug				Lhasa main temple. Said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo in 647; a major pilgrimage site.
Jonang Phuntsokling Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Kardang	Monastery	Lahaul	Drukpa				Main monastery in Lahaul.
Karma Gön Monastery	Monastery	Kham
Katok	Monastery		Nyingma				One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Keru Temple	Temple	Ü
Kharchu Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Khomthing Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Khorshak Temple	Temple	Western Tibet
Kirti Gompa	Monastery	Amdo	Gelug
Kumbum Monastery	Monastery	Amdo
Labrang Monastery	Monastery	Amdo
Labrang	Monastery		Gelug
Magur Namgyal Ling		Amdo
Menri Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Mindrolling	Monastery	Lhokha	Nyingma				One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Nalendra Monastery	Monastery	Penpo					[2]
Namdzong Nunnery	Nunnery	Amdo
Namgyal Monastery	Monastery	Lhasa
Nangshi Monastery	Monastery	Ngaba, Amdo
Narthang Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Nechung Temple	Temple	Lhasa
Ngor		Ü	Sakya	1429	1959	a few, >100
Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple	Temple	Ü
Pabonka Hermitage	Hermitage	Lhasa	Gelug	7th century			Independent before 1959, has belonged to Sera since 1980.
Gyantse Palkor Chöde Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Palpung	Monastery		Kagyu				Seat of the Tai Situpa and Jamgon Kongtrul.
Palyul	Monastery	Palyul	Nyingma				One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries." other Branch "Namdroling Monastery" established by Penor Rinpoche at INDIA, since 1963
Pomda Monastery	Monastery	Baxoi
Punakha Dzong	Dzong	Bhutan	Drukpa				Winter home of the Central Monk Body.
Ralung Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Ralung	Monastery		Drukpa				Seat of the Gyalwang Drukpa.
Ramoche Temple	Temple	Lhasa
Rato Dratsang	Monastery	Karnataka	Gelug				Formerly on the outskirts of Lhasa, but now re-established in south India.
Ratö Monastery	Monastery	Ü
Reting	Monastery	Ü	Gelug
Riwoche	Monastery	Kham	Kagyu				Seat of the Taklung Kagyu lineage.
Rongwo Gönchen Monastery	Monastery	Amdo
Sakya	Monastery	Tsang	Sakya				Seat of H.H. the Sakya Trizin.
Samye Monastery	Monastery	Ü		775 - 779	many times
Samye			Nyingma				First monastery in Tibet, established by Padmasambhava and Shantarakshita.
Sekhar Guthok Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha					[3]
Sanga Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Sera	Monastery	Lhasa	Gelug				Largest monastery in Tibet, containing numerous colleges.
Shalu	Monastery	Tsang	Sakya
Shechen	Monastery	Kham	Nyingma				One of the six "Nyingmapa mother monasteries."
Simbiling Monastery	Monastery	...
Spituk	Monastery	Ladakh		Gelug
Surmang Monastery	Monastery	Kham	1988
Surmang			Kagyu				Seat of the Trungpa tülkus.
Tabo	Monastery	Spiti	Gelug				Largest monastery in Spiti.
Taklung Monastery	Monastery	Ü
Taktsang Monastery	Monastery	Dzoge, Amdo
Tashichho Dzong	Dzong	Thimphu	Drukpa				Houses the Central Monk Body in summer.
Tashilhünpo	Monastery	Tsang	Gelug				Seat of the Panchen Lama.
Tholing Monastery	Monastery	West Tibet
Tibet Institute Rikon	Monastery	Switzerland	Nyingma				Since 2007, the monastery comprises representatives of all four great traditions : Nyingma, Kagyu, Sakya and Gelug.
Tingri Monastery	Monastery	Tsang
Tradruk Temple	Temple	Lhokha	Gelug				The largest, oldest and most important monastery in the Yarlung Valley. Said to have been built by King Songtsen Gampo.
Trathang Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Tsandan Monastery	Monastery	Nagchu
Tsaparang Monastery & Palace Complex		West Tibet
Tsethang Monastery	Monastery	Lhokha
Tsö Monastery	Monastery	Amdo
Tsozong Gongba	Monastery		Nyingma
Tsurphu	Monastery	Ü	Kagyu				Seat of H.H. the Gyalwa Karmapa.
Yama Tashikyil		Rebkong, Amdo
Yarchen Gar	Monastery		Nyingma	1985		10000	Largest monastery in the world.
Yemar Temple	Temple	Tsang
Yerpa	Monastery	Lhasa "Collar"	Gelug	600-700	1959	0	Famous meditation site of King Songtsen Gampo and Padmasambhava; 300 monks lived here in 1959.
Yungdrungling Monastery	Monastery	Tsang					[4]

External links

• Monastery List for Tibet, Mapping Buddhist Monasteries Wiki
• Monastery list with coordinates

1. Berzin, Alexander (1991-09-01). "A Brief History of Gyumay and Gyuto Lower and Upper Tantric Colleges". Study Buddhism. Original version published in "Gelug Monasteries." Chö-Yang, Year of Tibet Edition (Dharamsala, India), (1991). Retrieved 2016-06-06.
2. Berzin, Alexander (1991-09-01). "A Brief History of Nalendra Monastery". Study Buddhism. Original version published in "Sakya Monasteries." Chö-Yang, Year of Tibet Edition (Dharamsala, India), (1991). Retrieved 2016-06-06.
3. Berzin, Alexander (1991-09-01). "A Brief History of Drug Sang-ngag Choling Monastery". The Berzin Archives. Original version published in "Kagyü Monasteries." Chö-Yang, Year of Tibet Edition (Dharamsala, India), (1991). Retrieved 2016-06-06.
4. Berzin, Alexander (1991-09-01). "A Brief History of Yungdrungling Monastery". The Berzin Archives. Original version published in "Bön Monasteries." Chö-Yang, Year of Tibet Edition (Dharamsala, India), (1991). Retrieved 2016-06-06.