Founded in 1416, Drepung Monastery ranks among the Three Great Gelug Monasteries of Lhasa. Perched on the hillside of Mount Gambo Utse in western Lhasa, it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery across the region.

Its Tibetan name means "heap of rice", as the clusters of white buildings cascade down the slope like piled rice grains. The grand Tsokhang Hall is its core, housing precious Buddha statues, ancient scriptures and exquisite murals. It once served as the mother temple of successive Dalai Lamas.

Famous for the grand Buddha-unfolding ceremony during the Shoton Festival, it blends stunning plateau architecture, profound religious culture and long history, being a timeless treasure of Tibetan civilization.