Get to know Sa'gya County
Photo adjustments
Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
- Administrative area
- County · 县
- Part of
- Xigazê
- Chinese name
- 萨迦县
- Local areas
- County guide
Area & population
- Area in the source
- 5,748.81 km²
- Population · 2020
- 48,766
Source: cited geographic source, as of the dates shown.
The two monastery sites
The northern monastery stands on Benbori Mountain (本波日山), above the north bank of the Chongqu River (冲曲河). Founded in 1073 by Khön Könchok Gyalpo (昆·贡觉加布), its buildings followed the slope at different heights. Much is now ruined, but the remains still reveal the former scale and layout. The southern monastery was begun in 1268 and occupies about 45,000 square metres. It is the ancestral monastery of the Sakya school (萨迦派) of Tibetan Buddhism.
A mountain outlook
Chongla Mountain viewpoint (冲拉山观峰台), about 15 kilometres from the county town, looks towards the eastern side of Mount Everest (珠穆朗玛峰). The mountain’s characteristic banner cloud is another feature associated with this outlook.
Sources for this guide
萨迦县人民政府·游在萨迦 · Sa’gya County Government
萨迦县人民政府·游在萨迦 · Sa’gya County Government
Original English written from the listed sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer. Updated 2026-09-27.
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 ↗
Explore Sa'gya County
Core places to explore, with English and Chinese names.
Places to explore around Sa'gya County
Plan your visit
Getting there
Sa'gya County is about 90 km in a straight line from central Xigazê. Search for 萨迦县 in a map app to find stations and your accommodation.
Where to stay →Build your route
Start with Sakya Monastery. The linked place guides have entrance and visit details.
Continue with Xigazê →More in Xigazê
Sources & geographic information
Administrative names and parent areas: Official geographic directory · Reference date 2026-09-06.
Photo: Sakya Monastery · Hiroki Ogawa · CC BY 3.0. Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping, retouching or changing the photographed subject.
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Pins mark approximate centres, not entrances or boundaries.