Southwest of Shigatse, in the town of Gyantse, is the Pelkor Chode Monastery, a huge temple with a unique history and a wealth of Buddhist art. The Monastery was founded in 1418. Originally the compund housed approximately 15 different monastaries, made up of three different sects in a rare instance of tolerance amongst the Tibetan orders of Buddhism. Today, however, the monastery compound is much emptier and is maintained by monks of the Gelugpa sect alone.

The halls and chapels of the monastery are not lit and you may wish to prepare a flashlight for your explorations.

How to get there: The Pelkor Chode and the Gyantse Kumbum sit on the northern hill overlooking the town of Gyantse’s one intersection.
Opening hours: Subject to change, but roughly 10am to 1pm and 3pm to 6:30pm.
Costs: There is an RMB30 entry fee which includes visiting the Gyantse Kumbum.