The Tashihunpo Monastery is the largest in Xigaze and is located on the eastern slope of Nyima Mountain, West of the city. It is the place where the Panchen Erdeni from the fourth incarnation onwards have lived and is comparable to the Potala Palace for the Dalai Lama. The Tashihunpo Monastery is linked with, the Ganden, Sera and Drepung monasteries in Lhasa under the collective name of the “our major monasteries” of Tibetan Buddhism of the Gelug Sect. Tashihunpo is also one of the six national famous monasteries of the Yellow Sect.

Tashihunpo means the “Sumeru Longevity”. It was built in 1447 during the Ming Dynasty. In 1446, Gendun Drub, the 8th disciple of Tsongkhapa, in order to commemorate the death of Master Sherab Senga, hired craftsmen of Tibet and Nepal to elaborately design a gilded statue of Sakyamuni in Xigaze. In September 1447, the construction of the Tashihunpo Monastery commenced, and was completed over 12 years. Later, Gendun Drub was posthumously confirmed as the 1st Dalai Lama after the Living Buddha reincarnation system was established. In 1600, the 4th Dalai Lama Yonten Gyatso, served as the 16th fatai (rank) upon the invitation of the Tashihunpo Monastery, which then became the home of successive Panchen Erdenis.

Through expansion and repair over the centuries, the Tashihunpo Monastery formed its current scale with a constructed area of over 300, 000 square meters. The monastery consists of 56 halls including stupa halls and scripture halls, and is the largest religious site in Tsang. The Coqen Hall can accommodate 2,000 worshipers at the same time. In addition, there are stupa halls for successive Panchen Lamas. This monastery has the highest Maitreya Buddha gilded bronze statue in the world, which is 22. 4 meters high with an extremely vivid shape.