Things to do in Shigatse - Popular Shigatse Attractions

No. 1: Mount Everest

Type: Mountains, Nature & Parks

Recommended visiting: 1 day

Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world with an elevation of 8844.43 meters. Thousands of people make their expedition from far away to explore the splendid looks of “The Third Pole”. Mount Everest is located on the border of China and Nepal. The southern side is located in Nepal, very steep and difficult for regular tourists to visit. While, the northern side is located in Tibet, and goes up gradually to the Everest Base Camp locating at the altitude of 5,200m. The infrastructure in the northern Mount Everest is much better than the southern side. Travelers can take vehicle to the Everest Base Camp to get bigger views of Mount Everest. Besides, travelers are able to use electric power at EBC.

No. 2: Tashilhunpo Monastery

Type: Religious sites, Historic sites, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended visiting: 2-3 hours

Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the biggest monasteries in Tibet covering more than 300,000 square meters. It, together with Sera, Ganden and Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Kumbum Monastery in Qinghai and Labrang Lamasery in southern Gansu, is famous as “Six Great Monasteries of Gelug”. It was built in 1447 of Ming Dynasty by the disciple of Buddhism master Tsongkhapa, then became the Buddhism center of Tsang region. It has been the traditional seat of successive Panchen Lamas who is one of two most powerful leaders of Buddhists.

Tashilhunpo Monastery consists of Panchen Palace, Khenpo Congress (highest administrative office in Tsang), Hall of Panchen Lamas’ stupas, Buddhism Institute.

No. 3: Sakya Monastery

Type: Religious sites, Sights & Landmarks

Recommended visiting: 2 hours

Sakya Monastery is located on the southern side of Zhongqu River in Sakya County, Shigatse Prefecture. It is the ancestral monastery of Sakya School of Tibetan Buddhism. Sakya, in Tibetan, means gray and while earth. So you can see many temples and walls painted in gray and white.

Sakya Monastery is known as the “Second Dunhuang” because of its rich collection of arts, historical relics, including more than 24,000 Buddhism books, 3,000 Thangkas, Buddha statues, porcelains, wall paintings, etc.

No. 4: Palcho Monastery

Type: Religious Sites

Recommended visiting: 1-2 hours

Palcho Monastery was built in 1427 in a small col on the Gyantse Plain facing the Gyantse city under foot. It is a traditional Tibetan monastery which is a fusion of Han, Tibetan and Nepali architecture, and has both temples and stupa. Palcho Monastery’s symbol is its Kumbum Stupa which is famous for having 100,000 figures of Buddha in the chapels, niches and wall paintings of Kumbum.

Another feature of Palcho Monastery is the harmonious relationship between three schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery was first owned by Sakya School, and then permeated by Kadampa and Gelug School. The three schools always combated for their legitimacy. But they later agreed to accept and respect each other.