Tawang

High above the Tawang valley, a great monastery crowns a spur of the eastern Himalaya. Known as Gaden Namgyal Lhatse, it belongs to the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. Ravines protect the hill on two sides, while a narrow ridge approaches it from the north. The monastery became a religious centre for the people of the surrounding valleys and maintained a connection with Drepung monastery near Lhasa.

Merak Lama Lodre Gyatso founded the monastery in 1680–1681, in accordance with the wishes of the fifth Dalai Lama. According to a local account, the lama chose the site after finding his missing horse grazing on the hill. The Dalai Lama called upon the people of the area to help with its construction. Its walls and commanding position gave the monastic complex the appearance of a fortress as well as a place of worship.