Sakya Monastery – built in 1073 A.D. in the Sakya County of Shigaze Prefecture, the Sakya Monastery is the patriarch temple of the Sakya Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The temple was enlisted as one national key cultural relic protection site by the State Council in 1961.

Taking up an area of 45,000 square kilometers, Sakya Monastery is one of the biggest monasteries in Tibet. With the largest number of cultural relics and precious ancient scripture books, it is renowned as the "Second Dunhuang" (Dunhuang often refers to Dunhuang grottoes featuring historic and religious murals and ancient books, which locates in desert edge on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China's Gansu Province).

Between 2002 and 2008, large maintenance funds were allocated to the monastery by the central government.

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows a monk walking through the main gate of Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows the scenery of Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows a monk lighting butter lamps in the Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows the scenery of Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows the wall of Buddhist scripture and books in the Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]

Photo taken on Apr.30th, 2014 shows the scenery of Sakya Monastery.[Photo/Xinhua]