Pelkor Chode Monastery means “Auspicious Wheel Joy Monastery” in Tibetan language. It lies at the foot of the Dzong Hill to the west of Gyangze Town. Pelkor Chode Monastery consists of a monastery, an auspicious multi-door pagoda, a warehouse and a wall. As an architectural example of the integration of pagoda and temple in the history of Tibetan architecture, it represents the highest level of pagoda-style temple architecture in Tibet.

The monastery treasures 1,049 sets of ancient Tibetan sutras which are most valuable for studying Tibetan religion and ethnic cultures. The monastery has 17 Zhacangs that belong to the Sakya (the major monastery is Sakya Monastery), Kagyu, and Gelug (the major monastery is Ganden Monastery) sects of Tibetan Buddhism. It is really rare among the Tibetan monasteries that several sects could coexist under one roof.

The main tower of the monastery was completed in 1436 with the name of One-Hundred-Thousand-Buddha Tower. It is 42.4 meters high and consists of 14 floors from the tower base to the top banner. Taking up 2,200 square meters, the octagonal tower shrinks in size from the base to the top. With 108 doors and 76 niches, each of which hosts a dominant religious figure and mural, the tower is said to enshrine more than 100,000 Buddha statues.

Tsulaklakang is the main monastery. It has an Assembly Hall and is well-preserved. The structure has three floors and has well-preserved murals and images of the fifteenth century. Kumbum has nine floors or tiers and each tier has unique chapels. The 76 chapels have images that form 'a progressive hierarchy of three-dimensional mandalas, as outlined in the Sakya compilation known'.

The murals have 3 types of themes: stories in Buddhist scriptures, stories about religious figures, and historical figures. The murals in the monastery have gained inspiration from traditional art genres in Tibet to form their own natural and lively style. Named as the Gyangze Style, the murals have left a deep influence on the Tibetan painting art. They are seen as representative works of mature Buddhist art in the 14th and 15th centuries and an important symbol of the peak that Tibetan Buddhist art reached in the 15th century.

Tips of Pelkor Chode Monastery:
1. Saga Dawa Festival is the most important festival here. On that day, many Lamas and pilgrims will come to Pelkor Chode Monastery to pray.

2. It’s not bright inside the monastery. If you want to enjoy the murals, remember to bring a flashlight with you.