Drepung is the largest monastery in Tibet. It houses 10,000 monks of the Gelugpa order. It was founded in 1416 by a displine of Tsong Khapa under the patron of a noble family and enlarged by the fifth Dalai lama. it lies 10 kms to the west of Lhasa and is built on the Mount Guopei. Drepung monastery is of great historical importance not only in that it produced some of Tibet's most renowned spiritual leaders, but alos in that it always enjoyed significant political influence. It covers a floor space of more than 200 thousand square meters. At its peaks, it had a registration of more than 10,000 monks. Many lamas had learned there. In 1994 , there were about 200 monks in residence. a significant number of the buildings were only empty shells remaining from what was apparently deliberate destruction.

One of the largest monasteries of Gelugpa, sits at the foot of Hill Tetipu. It was built by one of disciples of Zonggaba in 1419.Sera means Wild Rose Gaden since opulent wild rose woods once grew around it. Song Khapa started to built the monastery to enshrine hynagriva. The center of the Sera is the main Assembely Hall, in tibet which is the grandest hall of Sera. It ocupies a floor space of 1,000 square meters the four stories hall has four chapels in which Arhats, Manjushri, tsong Khapa and chenrezi are enshrined respectively. It has three colleges.Sera je college was first founded in 1435 and expanded by a Mongol King in 17th century. the building has five streys, covering a space of a thousand square meters. In its main hall 11 stupas of Ganden tripas and Ratreng tripas were contained. On 27th of the 12th month of the Tibetan calendar, the monastery holds the grand Sera Bungchen Festival, which attracts flocks of Buddhists and others. Sera keeps a collection of murals in perfect, original condition. Its statues of Maitreya, Bodhisattvas, and Arhats are very noteworthy. Scriptures written in gold powder, scroll paintings, tapestry portrait of Jamchen Chojey, thangkas are characteristics of Sera.

Gyantse is a small town south west of Lhasa. It is one of the monastery where the chinese have not changed much. It is known because of its fortress, the Dzong, a very special building, the kimbum, and a monastery, the pelkor Chode. the reason why people build a town there is because of the trade in wool. It was on the road to India. Nowadays it is close to the friendship highway. this is road that literally makes its name true it is a sandy road that turns out to be jammed because of erosion. The Dzong Fort is build on a hill.
there are number of monasteries inside the walls but today there is just one left. It is visited by Gelugpa monks.

Shalu Monastery was founded by Chetsun Sherab Jungary in the region of Nyangro. In the early 14th century it became the most important center of learning under Button Rinpoche. This monastery is quite different from Tibet's other monasteries as it had the Sam style of slanting ridged roofs with guttering at the eaves as the monasteries of inland China. this monastery is built in Tibetan style after all out of irregular stone slab. Judjing from its exterior appearance , Shalu was a singular mixture of the Han and Tibetan Style. Shalu monastery is small in size but it has a long history. The monastery which dates back to the 11th century, rose to prominence in the 14th century, when its abbot, Buton Rinchen Drup, emerged as foremost interpreter of Sanskrit Buddhist texts of his day. Shalu was also a centre for training in skills such as trance walking, made famous by the flying monks.

Ganden Monastery was established in around 1409 by the great master Tsongkhapa. Ganden means is the Tibetan name for the paradise of the Buddha of the future. It was for many centuries one of the main centers of the Gelugpa sect, until it was developed almost completely by Chinese forces in 1959. The three main sights of Ganden Monastery per se are the Serdung, which contains the Golden Tomb of Tsongkhapa, the Tsokchen Assembly Hall and the Ngam Cho Khang Chapel where Tsongkhapa traditionally taught his students.

The Ganden Lingkhor
A visit to Ganden Monastery is incomplete without walking its our long pilgrimage route. This walk will also introduce many aspects of a Tibetan pilgrimage route. Our path is signposted by a rich array of colorful prayer flags fluttering in the breeze. Either side, rock faces are rubbed with yak butter offerings and small shrines in rock fissures are filled with tsha-tshas, small religious offering tablets made of clay deposited by pilgrims