桑耶寺位于山南扎囊县境内，始建于公元762年，建成于779年，是藏传佛教史上第一座佛法僧俱全的寺庙。桑耶寺的寺基由莲花生大师测定，整个寺院的建筑由寂护设计，赤松德赞主持奠基。桑耶寺建成后，赤松德赞从内地、印度、于阗等地邀请高僧住寺传经、译经，鼓励贵族子弟出家到桑耶寺修行，并宣布吐蕃全民一律尊信佛教，从此奠定了桑耶寺的崇高地位。历史上著名的印度佛教与汉地佛教教义之争便发生在这里。桑耶寺是以古代印度婆罗王朝在摩揭陀所建的乌达波寺为蓝本而建造的。主殿建成以后，历代增修扩建，占地面积为4900多平方米，规模宏伟。

    整个建筑群完全按照佛经中的大千世界布局：宏伟的乌策大殿代表世界中心须弥山；太阳、月亮两殿象征宇宙中的日、月两轮；乌策大殿四角的四座佛塔代表四大天王；大殿周围均匀分布有四大殿、八小殿，表示四咸海中的四大部洲和八小洲；环绕寺庙的圆形围墙象征世界外围的铁围山。建筑群占地面积11万余平方米。乌策大殿门口有一“兴佛盟誓”碑。多吉德殿大门外右侧有一吐蕃石碑，高3.8米，座高0.8米，碑文为古藏文（汉文为“吐蕃金石录”）。主殿门前有石狮一对，狮高1.2米、宽0.47米、高0.76米，石座为方形，上雕有方形莲花纹。寺内还有一对汉白玉石象，高1.05米，造型古朴、线条柔美，富有唐代雕刻之风，是该寺现存石雕艺术的珍品。寺内还有一口大铜钟，钟高1.1米，直径0.55米，钟上铸有古藏文，十分罕见。据《贤者喜宴》载，此铜钟是西藏地区所铸的第一口钟。桑耶寺主殿回廊及配殿均有年代久远的精美壁画。 

    SAMYEMONASTERY:Samye Monastery is located in Danang county,the nouth bank of Yarlung Tsampo River,38km to Tsedang.This Monastery was built in accordance of an aspiration of king Trisong Detsan and the construction was sirected by the famous lndian Master Padmasambava and shantarakshita
.　Samye meaning unexpected building in Tibetan.According to The Concise Histouy Of The Tibetan,this monastery was designed on the plan of the Odantapuri temple in puesent day Bihar ,india ，and mirrored the Buddhist Cosmology .The central temple repesents Mt,Sumeru the mythical mountain at the centre of the cosmos .sround it aue four temples called ling,which reapresenting the subcontinents(lingtr
en)of the Buddhist universe.There are even 2 chapels representing the sun and moon.The entire monastery was surrounded by a circular wall topped with numerous small stupas,and four great stupas in four colours (white,red,blue and gueen).During that time,there were7young men from royal families,they firstly came to the monastery as monks,and they were called 7 Examed Men.Therefor,the monastery was called the ist Tibetan Monastery because it had Buddha,Dhauma and Monks together.
　　Not only the paintings but also stonecarvings are really artistic objects in Samye Monastery.the main statue which was descended rom the heaven to Mt,Hapori,one of the 4 holy mountains in central Tibet ,then the people move the statue from the mountain into the monastery .All these yak butter candles in the chaples are stone carved.These murals in the monastery describe such as folk acrobatics ,ahd dancing.
　　There are also some special relics such as on ancient tablet,ancient bronze bell(whtch is the first made ondin Tibdt).