Nenying

Nenying Monastery stands south of Gyantse in the mountain country of Tsang. Founded in the eighth century by Gya Jampel Sangwa, a teacher to Tibetan emperors, it passed through the care of several Buddhist traditions over the centuries, including the Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu schools. In the fifteenth century Nenying became a notable home for painters. Among them was Menla Dondrub, associated with the beginnings of the Menri style, an influential tradition of Tibetan religious painting. The monastery later belonged to the Gelug school. Its history also touches the lineage of the Samding Dorje Phagmo: the Sixth Panchen Lama granted Nenying to his niece, the eighth holder of that female incarnation line.