Samye Monastery (Sangye Si)
Samye Monastery (Sangye Si)
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Samye Monastery, Tibetan’s first monastery and first college, locates in Shannan Region. It was constructed by the King Trisong Detsen of the Tubo Kingdom, and the monastery was also presided over by the Buddhist master Padmasambhava or Gulug Rinpoche. Detsen took part in the foundation ceremony and later he ordained seven descendants of blue blood to cultivate the monastery. They were called ‘Seven Enlighten Disciples of Samye’. Since then, Buddhism has widespread within Tibetan plateau. Samye was destroyed several times by civil war, fire and earthquakes respectively. Today, only partially of its original 108 buildings survive or have been rebuilt.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.5
61 reviews
Excellent
46
Very good
12
Average
2
Poor
0
Terrible
1
Flipnchat
Scotland, UK127 contributions
Jul 2014 • Solo
This morning at prayers it was apparent how young all the monks are here. Even the head guy was under 30. The younger boys were hiding behind a wooden column and others kept peeping to see if the head man was still watching. A few had asked if they could be excused and he nodded silently dispassionately. He looks like a young man with an old mans responsibilities. If you can find the moody guy from the main temple ask him about the elusive statue. On the left, beside the entrance to the main temple is a small door. Filling the space inside this small room is the thousand armed Chenresi statue. In the palm of each hand is an eye. This is incredible. What amazing end to a great stay.
Written October 13, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
taitaimimi
Beijing, China46 contributions
May 2021 • Family
Huge monastery in a valley. It has a mixture of different styles and is very impressive and richly decorated. Some impressive wall paintings.
Written May 9, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dillen_Fried
Antwerp, Belgium142 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
I was there in September with a group of 12 people. We arrived in the early afternoon from Lhasa. We stayed one night in the Friendship Hostel, 50 m from the East Gate.
We went to afternoon prayers. There was a group of Buddhist from Singapore which had requested (and payed?) a special service at the Maitreya Buddha. There was a ritual bath of the statue, monks were praying their mantra’s, monks went into trance …. We had the whole ceremony with throat singing, cymbals, horns..Very spiritual and mystic.
Don’t forget to climb the temple until the 4the floor.
Afterwards we did the outer Kora and the Upper Kora. The Upper Kora is a walk on the nearby hills, starting somewhere at the end of the street at the East Gate. At the beginning there are some stairs. Eventually you arrive at a Stupa. You can continue walking on the ridge for about 1km. There are several stupa’s with prayer flags, mani stones. From the top you have a superb view on the valley with the temple, on the other side a view on the river with its sand dunes next to it, with snow capped mountains in the back. The whole place was very tranquil. You could hear the birds singing in the trees in the valley.
Stay overnight in the Friendship Hostel. It is pretty basic, rooms are on top. In the restaurant you can sit shoulder to shoulder with monks who come to eat their yak noodles. Superb athmosphere!!
.
We went to afternoon prayers. There was a group of Buddhist from Singapore which had requested (and payed?) a special service at the Maitreya Buddha. There was a ritual bath of the statue, monks were praying their mantra’s, monks went into trance …. We had the whole ceremony with throat singing, cymbals, horns..Very spiritual and mystic.
Don’t forget to climb the temple until the 4the floor.
Afterwards we did the outer Kora and the Upper Kora. The Upper Kora is a walk on the nearby hills, starting somewhere at the end of the street at the East Gate. At the beginning there are some stairs. Eventually you arrive at a Stupa. You can continue walking on the ridge for about 1km. There are several stupa’s with prayer flags, mani stones. From the top you have a superb view on the valley with the temple, on the other side a view on the river with its sand dunes next to it, with snow capped mountains in the back. The whole place was very tranquil. You could hear the birds singing in the trees in the valley.
Stay overnight in the Friendship Hostel. It is pretty basic, rooms are on top. In the restaurant you can sit shoulder to shoulder with monks who come to eat their yak noodles. Superb athmosphere!!
.
Written November 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Clara T
Edmonton, Canada137 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
Large monastery.Very nice. Some of the group also climbed Hipo Ri. Considered a power centre. Small town where cattle,sheep, dogs and cats wander the streets at will.
Written October 3, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisa P
Singapore261 contributions
Nov 2013 • Solo
Had to endure a very very dusty drive with lots of sand along the route to Samye. Even with the windows of the vehicle wind up, I covered myself with a towel. I even wondered if we would arrive. Then came the first step into this special place.
Samye, Tibet's first monastery, has this sacred, "magic touch" that words cannot describe. Despite the noise, various activities and many stalls and dirt streets outside, the monastery stands alone majestically. When we arrived in the main hall, there was some kind of puja going on and after the puja, the monks distributed goodies that were blessed during the ceremony. By then I had proceeded to the upper floors but my guide went back to get some of the distributed goodies and came back very happy. He wrapped them carefully with whatever he could, to bring back home and gave 2 sweets to me. I think it meant alot for the local Tibetans to receive blessed items from a temple and these were from Samye!
Near the entrance of one of the halls, at the bottom of a wall, there were 2 small holes (entrance and exit) which were only big enough for a human to crawl through. One really has to crawl on all fours with no extra space. My guide told me to crawl into it. I crawled into it, went up a ladder and then crawled out of the "exit hole". He explained that the ease with which a person passes through the entrance and exit, signifies the extent of a person's good and bad karma.
On the upper floor, there is a monastery stall selling items that are blessed from the monastery, including a booklet that explains the significance of these items. Since I bought 2 "stamp" pendants, the man allowed me to photograph one of the pages (without buying the booklet) depicting Padmasambhava's stamp to the Samye Protector.
The monastery restaurant serves good food. I took both lunch and dinner there. And the toilet (pretty modern by their standards) was the cleanest in all the public toilets (including monasteries, eateries, restaurants and whatever) that I had been to throughout my trip. Feeling so deprived of a good toilet after many days, I was really thankful for it and even went back to use it before going back to the guesthouse outside the monastery compounds ;) If you visit Samye and need to use the loo, do check this out.
Since I had already come all the way to Samye, I wanted to do the kora around this sacred monastery and was happy I did it. It was close to 7 pm but surprisingly, despite the very cold evening, there were local Tibetans circumambulating too. I ended up doing 3 rounds, soaking in the cool, silent, magic atmosphere and surroundings. Again, the local Tibetans stared and smiled, as I was the only tourist strolling amongst them.
When we left Samye the next day, the driver at one point showed me a river/lake where he said was the usual spot where tourists take the boat to Samye during the warmer months. I will surely visit Samye again the next time I go to TAR.
Samye, Tibet's first monastery, has this sacred, "magic touch" that words cannot describe. Despite the noise, various activities and many stalls and dirt streets outside, the monastery stands alone majestically. When we arrived in the main hall, there was some kind of puja going on and after the puja, the monks distributed goodies that were blessed during the ceremony. By then I had proceeded to the upper floors but my guide went back to get some of the distributed goodies and came back very happy. He wrapped them carefully with whatever he could, to bring back home and gave 2 sweets to me. I think it meant alot for the local Tibetans to receive blessed items from a temple and these were from Samye!
Near the entrance of one of the halls, at the bottom of a wall, there were 2 small holes (entrance and exit) which were only big enough for a human to crawl through. One really has to crawl on all fours with no extra space. My guide told me to crawl into it. I crawled into it, went up a ladder and then crawled out of the "exit hole". He explained that the ease with which a person passes through the entrance and exit, signifies the extent of a person's good and bad karma.
On the upper floor, there is a monastery stall selling items that are blessed from the monastery, including a booklet that explains the significance of these items. Since I bought 2 "stamp" pendants, the man allowed me to photograph one of the pages (without buying the booklet) depicting Padmasambhava's stamp to the Samye Protector.
The monastery restaurant serves good food. I took both lunch and dinner there. And the toilet (pretty modern by their standards) was the cleanest in all the public toilets (including monasteries, eateries, restaurants and whatever) that I had been to throughout my trip. Feeling so deprived of a good toilet after many days, I was really thankful for it and even went back to use it before going back to the guesthouse outside the monastery compounds ;) If you visit Samye and need to use the loo, do check this out.
Since I had already come all the way to Samye, I wanted to do the kora around this sacred monastery and was happy I did it. It was close to 7 pm but surprisingly, despite the very cold evening, there were local Tibetans circumambulating too. I ended up doing 3 rounds, soaking in the cool, silent, magic atmosphere and surroundings. Again, the local Tibetans stared and smiled, as I was the only tourist strolling amongst them.
When we left Samye the next day, the driver at one point showed me a river/lake where he said was the usual spot where tourists take the boat to Samye during the warmer months. I will surely visit Samye again the next time I go to TAR.
Written December 18, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
arg02
Oslo, Norway479 contributions
Oct 2019
If you are travelling in Tibet, you should take the opportunity to visite the Samye Monastery. The first buddhist monastery in Tibet, and the place where buddhism started in Tibet. Established in around 780, and restored and renovated, the monastery is really beautiful, and around 200 monks make it a lively place. Even the site, with mountains all around make the place worth visiting. Take the kora With fellow pilgrims.Travel permit is needed. You can get it via your agencie.
It's a 3 hours drive from Lhasa to Samye, but you should seriously consider staying there overnight, and include a visite to the Chim Puk Hermitage including a fine hike up to the caves and even up to the top of the peak (if you are acclimaticed). Bring water.
It's a 3 hours drive from Lhasa to Samye, but you should seriously consider staying there overnight, and include a visite to the Chim Puk Hermitage including a fine hike up to the caves and even up to the top of the peak (if you are acclimaticed). Bring water.
Written November 6, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia M
San Francisco, CA174 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
While this is a pilgrimage due to the need to register with the Chinese government it is worth the effort. The trip will take about 5 hours from Lhasa and you should plan to stay overnight at the Samye Monastery Hotel.
There are the 4 sacred stupa's of buddha there ! red- birth, 2)white, learning, 3)black- death and 4) green- enlightenment. Guru Rinpoche who founded Tibetan Buddhism spent his time there and in the surrounding caves. It is because of him and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal -Tibetan Buddhism was established with the help of the reigning King.
You will hear and can participate in morning chants with the monks and will not be rushed through the monastery like many other places in Tibet. Donations are as you see fit and there is a nominal entrance fee but this is like entering back over 1000 years in time- so enjoy and bring a mala to pray for what you need and what the world needs now.
There are the 4 sacred stupa's of buddha there ! red- birth, 2)white, learning, 3)black- death and 4) green- enlightenment. Guru Rinpoche who founded Tibetan Buddhism spent his time there and in the surrounding caves. It is because of him and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal -Tibetan Buddhism was established with the help of the reigning King.
You will hear and can participate in morning chants with the monks and will not be rushed through the monastery like many other places in Tibet. Donations are as you see fit and there is a nominal entrance fee but this is like entering back over 1000 years in time- so enjoy and bring a mala to pray for what you need and what the world needs now.
Written September 20, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
wenlong3788
Bacolod, Philippines1,821 contributions
May 2013 • Friends
The best place for those into spirituality and art. Good vibes reverberate when you go there and for us, an overnight trip just wasn't enough. We were also lucky to be there a day before Saga Dawa Duchen (anniversary of Buddha's birth, enlightenment and passing) and had the merit to attend an empowerment! The main prayer hall houses many important relics in Tibetan Buddhism, like the Guru Rinpoche statue that He himself commented to be "exactly" identical to his features, the miraculous stamp that Guru Rinpoche left to Pehar, etc. Best place in Tibet for me. It would be better to stay a little longer to explore the caves nearby.
Written September 3, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jamlajatt
Solihull, UK60 contributions
Dec 2018 • Friends
You have to visit this, the oldest and first monastery. We are lucky to experience the chanting and praying over 2 hours and the Monitor or head monk blessed us and allowed us to video the whole event and have a picture with him. This is the monastery to visit, dating back to year 757 !
Written December 1, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
John and Deb K
Karratha, Australia822 contributions
Sep 2018 • Couples
It's not easy as a westerner to visit - you need a guide, Tibet permit and alien pass to get these you need to visit the police headquarters in the nearby city, these passes are required due to the proximity of the boarders of India and Butan - just in case you decide to slip over the boarder! But if you are interested in tibetan culture it is worth the trip. The drive up there was lovely with amazing scenery of the Bramaputra River and prayer mountainThe monestry was built in the mid 8th century 775AD it is the first buddhist monsetry built in Tibet with the help of Indian Masters. Well worth it if you have the time.
Written October 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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