Tashilhunpo Monastery
Shigatse, China
Located at the foothills of the Tara Mountain near Shigatse in Tsang Province of Tibet, China is the 15th-century Tashilhunpo Monastery of the Gelugpa sect of Buddhists. The Maitreya (sitting Buddha) statue is 26.2 meters tall and is decorated with gold, copper, pearl, amber, coral, diamonds, etc. The Panchen Lama’s Palace is another magnificent sight at the Monastery that is decorated with precious metals and gems. The Kelsang Temple has a 5-meters tall statue of Sakyamuni (Buddha). Besides these, the Monastery is a treasure trove of thangkas (painted silk cloth), chinaware, glassware, murals, paintings, and other relics of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.
