# Drepung Monastery (哲蚌寺)

Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region · Southwest, China · Guidebook rating: 4/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/drepung-monastery
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥60
- **Opening hours:** 9:00–16:00. Debates start at 14:30. Most of the halls are closed in the afternoon.
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Getting there:** Take a bus and get off at Drepung Station (哲蚌寺站), then walk up the Dangba Road for about 30 minutes.
- **Good for:** Temples

## About Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet, covering 200,000 square metres, and has four dratsang. It was founded in 1416 by a disciple of Tsongkhapa. The Great Assembly Hall is the main building, supported by 183 pillars, and can hold 9,000 monks for scripture recitation. The Tsomchen Hall houses the stupas of the first to fourth Dalai Lamas.
Ganden Phodrang, formerly known as Tusita Palace, meaning 'Palace of the Heavenly Gods', is located inside Drepung Monastery. It was home to the first to fifth Dalai Lamas before they moved to the Potala Palace.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Sera Buddha Festival (Shoton): On the first day of the Lhasa Shoton Festival in early August, the most important event is the unveiling of the giant thangka at Drepung Monastery. Crowds fill the streets before dawn, and every minibus is packed with people heading to Drepung. Cars can only park at the foot of the hill, and the walk to the monastery is long.
- 2. Blessings: At sunrise, a giant thangka about 100 metres long unrolls across half the hillside. Tibetan pilgrims crowd beneath it, press the edge of the thangka to their heads and pray. Then they queue for a long time to walk around the thangka and receive a blessing by having their heads touched.
- 3. Photography: The best place to photograph the giant Buddha is the platform on the mountain opposite.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 536. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
Site: China Trip (https://cnatrip.com) — independent China travel guide in 13 languages.