The monastery was founded in 1418 by the second Prince of Gyantse, Rabten Kunsang, who was a devotee of Kedrub Je, Tsongkapa's disciple. It became an important centre of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1904, the town and monastery were attacked by British soldiers and, although most of the damage was later restored, bullet holes from this attack remain in the monastery to this day. It was partially destroyed in 1959 after a revolt against Chinese rule, and it was ransacked during the Cultural Revolution, but has since been largely restored.
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