Ganden Sumtseling Monastery

Ganden Sumtseling Monastery

The Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (Chinese: 松赞林寺 Sōngzànlín Sì) is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery situated 5 kilometres from the city of Zhongdian in Yunnan province, China. According to local guides, the monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is sometimes referred to as the Little Potala Palace; it was built in 1679, was extensively damaged in the Cultural Revolution and subsequently rebuilt in 1983; at its peak the monastery contained accommodation for 2000 monks; it currently accommodates 700 monks in 200 associated houses.