# Samye Monastery (桑耶寺)

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

## Key facts

- **Admission:** ¥40
- **Opening hours:** Summer: 9:00–17:30; Winter: 9:00–16:00
- **Time needed:** 2–3 hours
- **Getting there:** 1. Take a hitchhike vehicle heading to Tsedang from Lhasa and get off at Sangye Ferry (桑耶渡口), a 3-hour journey. You can also take a bus from Tsedang Town to Sangye Ferry. The ferry is about 30 km from Tsedang. After getting off, cross the Yarlung Tsangpo by motorboat, or enjoy a ride on a yak-skin raft. 2. Daily buses from both Lhasa and Tsedang run directly to the courtyard of Samye Monastery. From Lhasa, catch the bus at Jokhang Square before 8:00; buses leave as early as 6–7 a.m. and arrive around noon. From Tsedang, catch the bus at the intersection with the statue at 8:00 each morning. The last bus back to Lhasa leaves around 14:00, stopping at Tradruk Temple and Yumbulagang.
- **Good for:** Architecture, Temples

## About Samye Monastery

Samye Monastery is known as “Tibet's First Monastery” and was the first temple in the history of Tibetan Buddhism to house the complete Three Jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Its murals are rich in content; the most famous is the 92-metre-long “Historical Records” mural, which narrates religious accounts of Tibetan history and ancient legends.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Accommodation: Because the journey is long, consider staying overnight locally.
- 2. Treasures: The temple preserves ritual implements once used by Padmasambhava, the founder of the monastery; all are precious historical relics.
- View of Samye Monastery from above

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 605. 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.