Located in the quiet piedmont area of the Shannan Region, the Samye Monastery is the first temple to be built in Tibet and the first complete with the three Buddhist jewels of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. (Photo/Xinhua)
The temple was built by the Trisong Detsen (reigned 742-798) of the Tubo Kingdom and was presided over by the Buddhist master Padmasambhava. The Detsen contributed a lot to the project. First, it was said the name (meaning surprise in Tibetan) originated from an exclamation he made. When the temple was completed, Detsen took part in the foundation ceremony and then ordained seven descendants of blue blood to cultivate in the temple. They became the first group of monks to live at the temple and later the so-called 'Seven Enlighten Disciples of Samye'. Since then, Buddhism had become widespread within Tibet and forms a branch of splendid culture. Now, the temple is listed as one of the cultural relics of national importance under the protection of the state.
