“The land of sacredness and peace”

Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La County, also called Ganden Sumtseling Monastery or Guihua Monastery, is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple complex in Yunnan Province. Belonging to the Yellow Hat (Gelug) Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, it is the most important monastery worshiped at by Tibetans who live in Yunnan, Sichuan, and other Tibetan areas in south central China . Construction of the monastery began in 1679 and was completed two years later. Built after the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Songzanlin Monastery plays an important role in the eastern Tibetan area, so it is called the Little Potala Palace. If you can't get to Tibet, then come to Shangri-La to encounter another "Potala Palace". Ganden Songzanlin Monastery houses many religious items and precious Tibetan Buddhist cultural relics, such as gilded statues of Sakyamuni, palm-leaf scripts, thangka (religious tapestries), and golden lamps. Songzanlin Monastery is also called 'Tibetan Art Museum' #summerdestinations