Drepung Monastery

Drepung Monastery, founded in 1416, was at its height the largest monastery in the world, home to nearly 10,000 monks and functioning as a virtual city with its own government, economy, and college system. Its name means "Rice Heap" — a reference to the clusters of white buildings cascading down the southern slope of Gephel Ri hill, eight kilometres west of central Lhasa. Today around 600 monks live and study here. Drepung is the seat of the Loseling and Gomang colleges, two of the most prestigious debating institutes in Tibetan Buddhism. The monastery's Thangka Festival during Shoton (Yoghurt) Festival sees a colossal ceremonial thangka unveiled on the hillside at dawn — one of Tibet's most spectacular annual events. Acclimatise before visiting as the site is at approximately 3,800 metres.