Overview Of This Tour
Drepung Monastery is a quiet and intimate attraction outside Lhasa. The monastery, called Drepung Gompa in Tibetan, was founded at the foot of Mount Gephel in 1416. One of the three great Gelugpa university monasteries in Tibet (The other two are Ganden Monastery and Sera Monastery), it is on the western outskirts of Lhasa. Drepung Monastery used to be Tibet's largest and most influential monastery, housing more than 10,000 monks at one time. Today, around 700 monks reside in the monastery and receive thousands of pilgrims and visitors from around the world.
The name Drepung relates to the activity of rice collection. The white walls of the monastery also resemble rice field if viewed from afar. The monastery is famous for its large white pagodas and typical Tibetan monastic architecture. Drepung monastery also hosts a prominent annual celebration of Tibetan Shoton Festival. During the holiday, you will see a giant Thangka painting on the hillside opposite to the Monastery. Thousands of worshipers come to gather at the event every year. The views from the monastery are also very stunning. Travelers can see local people walk up and down the narrow alleys between the picturesque Tibetan villages.
Drepung Monastery tour is one of the best short Lhasa tours we like to recommend to our guests. If you have half a free day in Lhasa and are looking for an extraordinary Tibetan Buddhism experience just outside the town, this Tibetan day tour with a local Tibetan English guide is a wonderful option for you!