Scenic spot introduction:

Samye Monastery was first built in the 8th century during the Tubo Dynasty. It is the first monastery in Tibet to ordain monks and is known as "the first temple in Tibet".

Attractions distribution:

Samye Monastery, also known as Cunxiang Monastery and Wubian Monastery, is located in Samye Town, Zhanang County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, at the foot of Habu Mountain on the north bank of the Yarlung Zangbo River. The architecture of the entire monastery is arranged according to the layout of the universe in Buddhist scriptures: the central "Uzi Hall" represents the center of the world, Mount Xumi; the Sun Hall and the Moon Hall are built to the north and south of the hall, namely the Sun and Moon States; four red, white, green and black pagodas are built on the four corners of the Uzi Hall; there are also 4 large halls and 8 small halls evenly distributed around the hall, namely the twelve states; the outer periphery of the temple complex is surrounded by a circular wall.
The architecture of Samye Monastery combines Tibetan, Han and Indian styles, so it is also called the Three-style Monastery. The monastery treasures and preserves the historical, religious, architectural, mural and sculpture heritage of various periods in Tibet since the Tubo Dynasty. It is one of the ancient and unique early cultural treasures of the Tibetan people and a model of the motherland's national cultural heritage.

Scenic spot qualifications:

National 4A-level scenic spot, national key cultural relic protection unit

Scenic spot features:

Cultural tours, photography, sightseeing, historical tours, religious tours, temples, historic sites
Attraction Address
Travel Guide

travelling guideline:

Tour: The best place to take photos of the unique round shape of Samye Monastery is on the sacred mountain of Haiburi in front of the temple. If you don’t want to climb the mountain, you can take photos at the pagoda on the mountainside, but the picture will not be as clear as at the top of the mountain.

Accommodation: Due to the long journey, you can consider staying overnight locally. There is a small hotel in the temple. The price of individual rooms ranges from 15 to 40 yuan per person, but the food quality of the restaurant there is not high.

Best time to visit:

April-October

Tourist Transportation

Scenic spot location:

China > Tibet Autonomous Region > Shannan City > Zhanang County

How to get there:

Samye Monastery is located in Shannan, Tibet. It can be reached by car from Tsetang, which takes about 2 hours. You can also take a boat across the Yarlung Zangbo River and then transfer to the bus. A boat trip on the Yarlung Zangbo River takes about 1 hour (one way), and then take a half-hour car ride to the destination, and the return time is roughly the same.

Scenic area map:

Click to expand the scenic area map

Attraction Tickets

Ticket prices for Samye Monastery:

There is no entrance fee to the temple, but there is a 45 yuan ticket to enter the main temple, Utse Hall. It is free for Tibetans and half price for students.

Scenic area opening hours:

9:00-16:00, generally it takes 2-3 hours to visit Samye Monastery

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