Samye Monastery

The Samye Monastery, built in 779, was the headquarters of the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. the Minchuling, another important monastery of the Red Sect. It was constructed much later-during the mid-17th century-by monk Jumei Dorje. During the reign of the Qing emperor Kangxi, the Minchuling Monastery was destroyed by the Dzungar Mongols from Xinjiang but it was later repaired. Its monks are known for their calligraphy.

The building of the Samye Monastery greatly influenced the rise of Lamaism in Tibet. After Princess Jin Cheng's son Trisong Detsen succeeded to the throne, he introduced a series of reforms based on his father's administrative system, developed the economy, restricted Bon and expanded Buddhism. He also invited the Indian monk Padmasambhava to Tibet and asked him to supervise the construction of the Samye Monastery. Eventually, seven members of aristocratic families were accepted into the faith and became known as the "Seven Men of Great Awakening".

The Samye Monastery was designed in accordance with the Buddhist interpretation of the world and was patterned after the Otantapuri Cathedral in India. In its center is the Wuce Hall, which is comprised of the Zulakang (Buddhist Shrine) and the middle and the large paths and which symbolizes the center of the world. The Hall of the Sun and the Hall of the Moon represent the sun and the moon; the red, white, green and black pagodas, the four heavenly Kings. The four facades of the Wuce Hall represent the characteristic features of the "Four Great Continents".