Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
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Explore the region
About Lhatse Chode Monastery
Lhatse Chode Monastery (曲德寺) is a Gelug (格鲁派) Buddhist monastery in Lhatse village (拉孜村), Lhatse Township (拉孜镇), Lhazê County (拉孜县), Shigatse (日喀则), on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo (雅鲁藏布江).
The monastery stands in the old village of Lhatse, 10 km north of the modern town of Lhatse, Quxia (曲下镇). Above it, on a rock 150 m high where the Yarlung Tsangpo canyon opens, are the ruins of the old fortress of Drampa Lhatse, also called Lhatse Dzong. Chinese Wikipedia credits the Fifth Dalai Lama with founding the monastery in the 17th century as the fourth of the 13 monasteries he established himself. The Tibet Autonomous Region lists it, under the name Lhatse Chode (拉孜曲德寺) and dated to 1649, as a regional cultural relics protection unit, a listing made on 22 May 2007.
Built of earth, timber and stone, the monastery groups four halls with monks' quarters and three stupas. The main hall is fairly well preserved and faces south; it has 28 square pillars and a skylight in its roof. Its wall paintings, still largely intact, tell the praises of Shakyamuni and stories of Ushnishavijaya (尊胜佛), and include mandalas of the Eight Medicine Buddhas. On the upper floor is a tantric chapel whose door faces west.
The protector chapel on the west side of the main hall is dedicated to the six-armed Mahakala (六臂依怙). Behind the main hall to the north, a rear hall under a light well enshrines Shakyamuni, and the Medicine King Hall (药王殿) on the east side is dedicated to Tsongkhapa (宗喀巴).
What to look for
- The south-facing main hall with its skylight and 28 square pillars
- Murals of the praises of Shakyamuni, stories of Ushnishavijaya and the Eight Medicine Buddha mandalas
- The protector chapel with the six-armed Mahakala (六臂依怙)
- The Medicine King Hall (药王殿), dedicated to Tsongkhapa
- The rear hall of Shakyamuni under its light well
- Ruins of Lhatse Dzong on the 150 m rock above the monastery
Location & getting there
Getting to Lhatse Chode Monastery
- Search for 曲德寺 with 日喀则市 and 拉孜县.
Find Lhatse Chode Monastery
曲德寺 · 拉孜县
No reliable map pin yet: search by the Chinese name.
Sources & visit information
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-23. Opening hours, admission and access arrangements are not covered; confirm current visitor information with the site.
Some facts checked against Wikipedia contributors, "曲德寺 (拉孜县)" · CC BY-SA 4.0.
Some facts checked against Wikipedia contributors, "Lhatse" · CC BY-SA 4.0.