Katok or Katok Dorjeeden is one of the six principal monasteries of Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Katok Monastery was founded in 1159 by a younger brother of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo, Katok Dampa Deshek, at Derge, the historic seat of the Kingdom of Derge in Kham. Katok Monastery held …

Dzongsar Monastery was originally founded in 746 AD by a Bönpo Lama. The original Bönpo Gonpa was later transformed into a Nyingma and a Kadampa temple at some stage but it wasn’t until 1275 that it was founded as a Sakya monastery by Drogön Chögyal Phagpa. Dzongsar had between 300 …

Gonchen (also known as Derge Monastery) is a large Sakya Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the town of Derge, in Sichuan, China. Gonchen is located in the ethnic Tibetan cultural region of Kham. Gonchen Monastery was founded by Thang Tong Gyalpo (or Tangton Gyelpo) (1385-1464), a Buddhist yogi and polymath, physician, …

This temple is more than 1300 years old and built by the Chinese Princess Wen Cheng who married the famous Tibetan King – Tsongtsen Gampo in the 7th Century A.D. She brought with her the famous Sakyamuni statue and is still venerated today at the Jokhang Temple in Lhasa. Both …

Achung Namdzong is revered as one of the 25 important power places of Kham and Amdo, specifically symbolizing the mind aspect of Buddha mind. During persecution of Buddhism in Central Tibet by the last king of Tibet, the three high scholars fled from Lhasa to Amdo and stayed  in the …