Built in 1899 (Year of Iron Bull according to Tibetan calender), Rongbuk Monastery was founded by Nyingmapa Lama Ngawang Tenzin Norbu.

At 5,100 meters above sea level, the monastery is the highest Buddhist shrine in the world, just a few miles away from the tongue of the Rongbuk Glacier, where the Base Camp for expeditions is established near the base of the north side of Mt. Qomolangma (or Mt. Everest).

In front of the Monastery, there is a large, round, terraced chorten containing a reliquary.

The ancestral seat of Rongbuk Monastery and other eight satellite lamaseries now home around six hundread monks and nuns among whom there are dozens of people from neighboring Nepal.

Each year, the Monastery will hold speical ceremonies for pilgrims coming from far at certain times of the year, which can be traced back to the teachings given by previous great Nyingma achievers.

Standing high with dramatic views, Rongbuk Monastery is now easily accessible by road in a two to three hour drive from the Friendship Highway from either Shelkar (New Tingri) or Old Tingri, Shigatse Prefecture.

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