Shigatse city is the second most significant city in Tibet Autonomous Region. The city is situated at an altitude of 3,900m (12,795ft). Originally known as Shiga Samdrubtse, it was until the 16th century far less significant than the other great sites of the Nyangchu valley and its environs like Sur Sangakling, Shalu, and Gyantse.
In 1565, Shigatse was the capital of Tibet during the Rinpungpas period ruled by KarmaTseten of the Nyak family. Nyak family ruled until 1642. The Mongols sacked Shigatse and Lhasa became the capital of Tibet. Though deprived of its primary political power, Shigatse flourished as the seat of government in Tsang and as the residence of Panchen Lama. It became an important trading center. Goods imported from India included iron wares, cotton, spices, and sugar; from China, they included porcelain, tea, and figs; from Ladakh came dried fruits and turquoises.
At present, Shigatse is the capital of the Shigatse district of the Tibet Autonomous Region, responsible for the administration of 19 counties. Shigatse is about 348 km from Lhasa city and about 475km from the Nepal border.
It is the capital of the Shigatse district and the seat of Panchen Lama. Tashilhunpo Monastery is the largest monastery in the Shigatse district and the residence of Panchen Lamas. It was founded in 1447 by the first Dalai Lama on the slope of Dolmari hill. Tashilhunpo monastery is counted as the sixth largest Gelukpa monastery in Tibet and formerly housed 4000 monks but at the present day, there are only a few hundred monks.
There is around a 3km pilgrimage circuit around the complex, including Dolmari hill ridge to the rear, and the building should ideally be visited in a clockwise direction sequence from west to east.
Sakya county is located around 80km from Shigatse city. It was from here that the whole of Tibet was governed during the period of the Sakyapa hegemony from 1268 to 1365 and even now there are buildings of historic importance to be seen, which were spared the destruction of the cultural revolution. Sakya is also the name of one of the Tibetan Buddhist sects, the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
Sakya means pale earth in Tibetan which is the earth of the ridge behind and for some distance around the valley is pale grey, giving Sakya its name. The most famous attraction in this place is the Sakya Monastery.
Sakya monastery’s main temple was built early as the 8th century by Khon Family, which had been influential in Tibet. Subsequently, the monastery expanded around the valley by the five patriarchs of Sakya. At present day, there are many temples across the valley, among all the temples, the great assembly hall, or Lhakhang Chenmo is the most sacred temple in Sakya monastery.
It has one of the best ancient libraries in Tibet which is inside the great assembly hall. It led behind the line of statues to a vast collection of Buddhist texts towering to the ceiling that have been gathering dust for centuries. They have stacked two floors or eight stacks in racks, made up of pigeon holes in more than 60 sections, the length of the whole assembly hall. There in the gloom are thousands of texts the extent of which are only seen with a strong torch.
