Samye Monastery was the first true Buddhist monastery

Built in the 8th century, Samye Monastery was the first true Buddhist monastery to be built in Tibet, and lies in the stunning area of the Yarlung Zangbo River Valley in Tsedang County of Lhoka Prefecture. Lying around 51 kilometers from Lhasa as the crow flies, the monastery is 121 kilometers from the Tibetan capital by road, and takes around 2 hours to drive.The monastery is believed to have been construction in around 775-779 AD, under the patronage of the 38th king of Tibet, Trisong Detsen, and was constructed as a way to revitalize the failing Buddhist religion on the plateau. Buddhism had taken a downturn since the death of the 33rd king of Tibet, Songtsen Gampo, who first introduced it to the region in the 7th century.