Shigatse is Tibet’s second largest city, situated about 190 miles (300km) from Lhasa at the confluence of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu Rivers in the south of the region. Although it has undergone rapid development in recent years it offers few tourist facilities, but is nevertheless a popular destination for adventure travellers and mountaineers, being within reach of Mount Everest.It is also a haven for pilgrims travelling from western Tibet to Lhasa.

Shigatse is 600 years old and is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, an important Tibetan spiritual leader and abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. The city offers some interesting monasteries in its vicinity

Sakya Monastery

Being 160 kilometers west of Xigaze, the Sakya Monastery is composed of Southern and Northern Monasteries. The Northern Monastery was built in 1079 and was damaged now while the Southern Monastery in 1268.
The Southern Monastery houses great amounts of cultural relics including, the titles, seals, crowns, garments and ornaments awarded by the Yuan imperial court to the local officials, the statues of Buddha, ritual instruments and porcelains from the Song, Yuan and other later dynasties, and the precious murals of historical themes. Also the monastery preserves great numbers of books such as the "Bakgyur”," Bstanggyur," Pattra-leaf scripture and other Tibetan classics on astronomy, geography, history, medicines and literature.

Shalu Monastery

The Shalu Monastery was built in the year 1000 by Sherab Jungne. The architecture of the monastery with a feature of completely Chinese Yuan Dynasty's temple, it is a rate and unique work of art, mixed feature of Tibetan and Han. The monastery enshrines various relics such as religious objects, Buddhist scriptures written on pattra leavel, and an important decree of pagpa, the Sakya abbot.

Tashilhunpo Monastery

Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of Tibet’s most revered and influential monasteries, lying about a mile (two km) to the west of the city at the base of Drolmari Mountain. It dates from 1477, having been founded by the first Dalai Lama, and became the seat of the Panchen Lama in 1713. The monastery today houses about 800 monks in its 3,229 square foot (300 sq m) buildings. The oldest section of the monastery is the main chanting hall that houses the throne of the Panchen Lama. The tallest section is the Maitreya Chapel, which contains the world’s largest brass statue of Maitreya. The seated figure is 86ft (26m) high and contains extraordinary amounts of gold, brass and about 1,400 precious gems.