Drepung Monastery

The largest of the three great monasteries of the Gelug Sect in Tibet, the Drepung Monastery (http://www.drepung.org/) is situated on the southern side of Mount Ganpoi Uze, about 10 km northwest of Lhasa. The monastery covers an area of 250,000 sq. m, and with over 10,000 monks at its peak.

The main buildings of the Drepung Monastery included Ganden Podrang, which at one time was the residence of the Dalai Lama; the Main Assembly Hall, where important rituals are held; four dratsang (colleges), which are the main units of the monastery; and khangtsen (dormitories), which are divided according to the regions from which the monks came.