Natang Monastery
Highlight tourist attraction in central Tibet
Natang Monastery, located 15 Km away from Shigatse, is constructed in 1033. This monastery is 400 years older than Tashilhunpo Monastery.This monastery is famous for its workshops for printing Buddhist sutras. Hundreds years before, as the purpose of save and carry on the Tibet ancient books and scriptures, many Tibetan printing workers were trained in the scripture printing house of Natang Monastery. Later, those workers played an essential role in inheriting and developing the culture and printing skills of Tibet.
Natang Monastery was also the house and school for many famous monks, for example, the first Dalai Lama Genguozhuoba, who was initiated into monkhood and learned Buddha doctrine here for 17 years before the completion of Tashilhunpo Monastery. Also, the chief master of Chogyal Phakpa lived here as well.