Samye Monastery stands on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Shannan, about two to three hours by road from Lhasa. It was founded in the eighth century and is traditionally described as the first Buddhist monastery established in Tibet, built at a time when Buddhism was being formally adopted by the Tibetan court and the first Tibetan monks were ordained here.
The plan
Samye is remarkable for its layout. The whole complex is arranged as a three-dimensional mandala, the diagram of a cosmic order that underlies much of Tibetan Buddhist art. At the centre stands a tall temple representing Mount Meru, the axis of the world; around it are four smaller temples facing the cardinal directions, representing the continents; and further out are smaller buildings and a circular wall of stupas representing the outer ring of mountains. The scheme is not decorative but doctrinal, and it is unusual to find it realised on this scale in stone and timber.
The central temple
The main building, the Utse, rises through three storeys, and each level is built in a different architectural style: Tibetan at the bottom, Chinese in the middle and Indian at the top. Inside, the halls and chapels hold images, murals and a quantity of old sculpture, and the corridors are decorated with painted scenes from scripture and history. From the upper floor there is a good view over the whole mandala arrangement below, which is the best way to understand a plan that is hard to read at ground level.
The Yarlung valley setting
Samye sits in the valley where the Tibetan monarchy first established itself, and the surrounding countryside holds some of the oldest sites in the country, including the Yumbulagang palace and the first cultivated fields. The area is dry, sandy and windy, with a big sky and the river close by. The monastery's own surroundings have a substantial resident population of monks, dogs and pilgrims, and the walk around the outer stupa wall is a pleasant half hour.
Practical notes
Samye is reached by road from Lhasa, crossing the Yarlung Tsangpo either by bridge or by ferry depending on the route, and is often combined with a visit to the Yumbulagang palace and the tombs of the Tibetan kings. There is an entrance fee. Foreign visitors travel under the standard Tibet permit system and with a guide. Allow two to three hours on site and bring water and sun protection, since much of the visit is outdoors.
