Palchoe Monastery (Palkor Choede)

(Palkor Choede is the central monastic building in the complex by the Kumbum at the far end of the old town of Gyantse. It is about a fifteen-minute walk from the Gyantse hotel. It is open from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. There is an entrance charge of 60RMB per person).

History of Palchoe Monastery:

Palchoe Monastery, or Palkor Choede Monastery, was founded by local king Rabten Kunsang in 1418, under Tsongkhapa’s disciple Khedrup Je. It is the main monastery in the Nyangchu river valley in Gyantse, Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It has been remarkably well preserved, and many of the statues and paintings inside date back to the monastery’s building.

Although the shrines are predominantly Sakya, the monastery was traditionally unaffiliated, being used as a common assembly place for the monks from all the nearby monasteries.

At present, it is looked after by Gelugpa monks. In former days, ‘Palkor Choede’ sometimes referred to the entire complex of the monastic building in the walled section of Gyantse.

The Main Building Of Palchoe Monastery:

The main building in the Palchoe monastery (Tsuklakhang) contains important wall paintings and images dating back to the 15th century. 

The main assembly hall is 48 pillared in size and surrounded by original paintings showing distinctive Tibetan style. 

In the Vajradhatu Cheple (Dorjee Ying Lhakhang), the central image is a Vairocane made of clay surrounded by four other meditational Buddhas. Moreover, the chapel houses 108 volumes of Buddha’s oral teaching written in gold ink dated 1413. One volume is displayed for pilgrims and tourists. 

According to the monks, the original scriptures, like oral teachings written in gold, are opened yearly for reading. However, the monks have a copy of the teachings to study daily. Nowadays, most cell phone brands like Apple have the Tibetan language, and it’s even more convenient for the monks to study using phones. 

On the second floor, the Arhat Chaple (Neten Lhakhang) is dedicated to the eighteen arhats in Chinese style. In Tibetan Buddhism, there are only 16 arhats. The statues inside this chapel look like bronze, but they are actually made of mud or clay. 

Just on the left side of the main building, stands the biggest stupa in Tibet Kumbum Stupa.