Built in 1447, the Tashilhungpo (meaning auspicious Sumeru) Monastery is located on the southern slope of the Nyima Mountain to the west of Xigaze city in Southwest China's Tibet autonomous region. It is one of the "Four Famous Monasteries" of the Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, the other three being Sera, Zhaibung, and Gandain in Lhasa.

According to historical documents, the Tashilhungpo Monastery was built under the supervision of the first Dalai Lama Genden Zhuba, a disciple of Master Tsong Khapa, founder of the Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect). When the fourth Panchen Lobsan Qoigyi, titled by the Qing (1644-1911) emperor, became the abbot, it was expanded to a large scale. Since then, the monastery has become the residence of the Panchen Lama.

Listed as a key relic under state protection by the State Council on March 4, 1961, the monastery occupies 150,000 square meters. Facing south, the complex is built symmetrically against the Nyima Mountain. Its wall, over 3,000 meters long and built according to the topography of the mountain, surrounds 57 buildings, or more than 3,600 rooms.

The earliest building in the monastery is the Coqen Hall, whose construction lasted 12 years. Inside are 48 red pillars that support the ceiling. In the center sits the Panchen's throne.

To the left of the hall is the Maitreya Buddha Hall, with an 11-meter-tall, benevolent-looking Maitreya statue inside.

To Coqen's right is the Tara Hall, containing a two-meter-tall bronze statue of the White Tara and two clay statues of the Green Tara (Tara referring to Buddha types). The interior is decorated with schist collected at the foot of the Himalayas and radiates a peaceful aura.

In front of the hall is a 600-square-meter area where the Panchen gives Buddhist lectures and lamas discuss Buddhist scriptures.

On the surrounding stonewalls are engravings of Buddha, the four Heavenly Kings, the 18 arhats, and 1,000 statues of Buddha with different facial expressions. In the middle of the northern wall, there are engraved images of sages such as Tsong Khapa, 80 senior monks, variously styled flying apsaras (spirits), and Bodhisattva (one with perfect knowledge).

Gyinalhakang, the Han Chinese Buddhist Temple, houses many gifts to the Panchen -- such as ancient porcelain wares, gold and silver goblets, tea sets, bowls and plates, jade containers, and refined fabrics -- from the Chinese emperors of past dynasties. The earliest objects, the nine bronze Buddha statues, are said to had been brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty (618-907). A red Tara bronze statue is reportedly from the Yuan Dynasty (1206-1368). A 16.5-jin gold seal, inscribed with the three languages of Chinese, Mongolian, and Tibetan, is a gift from an emperor of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). There are also Buddhist beads made of precious stone, imperial mandates, and Buddhist scriptures.