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Narthang Monastery

Built in 1033, the famous Narthang Monastery of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat ) Sect is located about 20 kilometers (about 12.4 miles) southwest of Shigatse, Tibet.

There is a sense of destiny about the founding of the Narthang Monastery. It began when the celebrated Bengal monk Atisha (982-1054 AD) came to Tibet to spread Buddhism.  Having found Narthang an auspicious place, he concluded that it would be a good site for Buddhism. Upon his so saying, his followers took this as a scared order which has been observed ever since.

Although the Narthang Monastery is a modest size, it has a substantial history, being more than 400 years older than the Tashilhunpo Monastery . A long line of great figures are associated with the Narthang Monastery, including Gedun Drub (1391-1474), the first Dalai Lama.

There is a renowned sutra print center, the earliest one in the history of Tibet, in the Narthang Monastery. Important Tripitakas are stored here, such as Kanjur and Tanjur. Therefore the Narthang Monastery is an honored Tibet Library.
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