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Iconic Sights in Shigatse

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Updated Apr 20, 2026
By ChinaTravelVIP  
As Tibet’s second-largest city, Shigatse is best known as the seat of the Panchen Lama. We will showcase Shigatse’s most iconic sights so that visitors can enjoy the most spectacular scenery.

Shigatse, formerly known as Tsang by the Tibetans, is an ancient region situated at an altitude of 3,830 metres above sea level. As Tibet’s second-largest city, Shigatse is best known as the seat of the Panchen Lama. Situated on the alluvial plain at the confluence of the Yalong Tsangpo and Nyangchu rivers, Shigatse was once the political, religious and cultural centre of ‘Back Tibet’. The famous landmarks in Shigatse are considered the city’s calling cards, such as Mount Everest, standing at an altitude of 8,848.13 metres, and Sakya Monastery, one of the six great monasteries of Tibet, founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447. In this article, we will introduce the iconic sites of Shigatse so that tourists can appreciate the most splendid scenery.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on the surface of the Earth, with an altitude of 8,848.86 metres above sea level. It is located on the Asian continent, in the Himalayan mountain range, specifically in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range; it marks the border between China and Nepal, considered the highest border in the world. Mount Everest is covered in eternal snow. Its snow-capped peak reflects the sun’s silvery rays, year after year, with its base shrouded in clouds. The best time to visit Mount Everest is from April to June; this is a golden period for mountaineers, as there is little rain or snow. Every year, a large number of brave mountaineers come from all over the world to explore the world’s highest mountain and fulfil their lifelong dream.

Sakya Monastery

Sakya Monastery is the main monastery of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and is situated in Sakya County, Shigatse Prefecture, in south-western Tibet. About 160 km south-west of Shigatse, the monastery lies on the hillside, on the road to Tingri. The northern part of the monastery was founded as the seat of the Sakya sect in 1073 by Khon Khonchong Gyalpo, a Nyingmapa monk from the wealthy and powerful Tsang family. Whilst travelling through the region, he came across the small shrine and asked the local inhabitants for permission to build a monastery on the site. Situated on the hill on the north side of the Zhongqu River, the monastery was built on a grand scale, with many different buildings, sacred statues and scriptures. It later included a stupa containing the sacred relics of KhonKhonchongGyalpo. The monastery contains many Thangka paintings, some of which date from around 1270 AD. The most historic Thangka depicts the meeting between Phapka and the famous Mongol ruler of China, Kublai Khan, who had heard the teachings of the Sakya sect. He invited Phapka and Sakya Pandita, the fourth of the five founders, to teach Buddhist philosophy at his court, through which Vajrayana Buddhism began in China.

Palkhor Monastery

Palkhor Monastery, situated 100 km east of Shigatse, is a monastery that combines Han, Tibetan and Nepalese architectural features. As it is home to three sects—Sakyapa, Kadampa and Gelugpa—at the same time, it holds a prominent place in the history of Tibetan Buddhism. According to the Tibetan calendar, the Saka Dawa Festival is celebrated on 15 April each year to commemorate Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism. During the festival, some 500 lamas chant sutras and devout pilgrims gather at the monastery. It houses around 100,000 images of various icons, with a total of some 3,000 statues.

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