Sa Gya Temple

Sakya Monastery is the main monastery of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, founded by Kunga Gyaltsen, the founder of the Sakya school, in 1073 AD. It is divided into northern and southern monasteries, with the Zhongqu River as the boundary. The northern monastery, located in front of Benbo Mountain on the north bank, suffered extensive damage. The Sakya Monastery seen today is the southern monastery. The monastery houses a vast collection of treasures and numerous cultural relics, especially the distinctive murals from the Yuan Dynasty. Sakya Monastery not only boasts grand and exquisite architecture but also contains a large number of art-historically valuable cultural relics, such as seals, classics, and Buddha statues. Many of the extensive collections of books were inherited from the Yuan Dynasty, with many being precious rare editions and unique copies. Sakya Monastery possesses four rare treasures: the statue of Gompo Gur (a protector deity brought from India by Drukchen Pema Karpo), Langjie Qudan (a stupa built by the great translator Palden Lotsawa, from which sacred water often flows), the statue of Manjushri (the principal deity of Sakya Pandita, it is said that reciting the Manjushri Sutra for seven days in front of the statue can open the door to wisdom), and the statue of Yukam Tara (the principal deity worshipped by Phagpa). Three of these four great treasures are Buddha statues. Sakya Monastery has over 3,000 exquisite murals with a wide range of themes, covering religion, history, culture, and social life. These primarily include Buddhist scriptures, doctrines, myths and legends, historical stories, the history of the Khon family, the history of Sakya, landscapes, auspicious flowers and beasts, and decorative patterns, all presented on a grand scale with rich content.