Set at an altitude of 3941m and cut off from the outside world by winter snows for months on end, the Gongga Monastery (also known as the Minya Konka Monastery) has an unforgettable location with views directly over to the glaciers of Gongga Shan. The small monastery dates from 1285 and is of the Kagyu, or Black Hat, sect of Tibetan Buddhism. There are some impressive wall murals within the main prayer hall.
The monastery sits on the main Gongga Shan trekking routes and can also be used as a base for day hikes (including a long day hike to the Gongga Shan basecamp). Around a vertical kilometre higher up the mountain slope above the monastery is a small shrine dedicated to the mountain god, Dordjelutru, which attracts a few hardy pilgrims and trekkers.
At the time of research the road to the monastery was closed for repairs and the only way there from the Yulongsi Valley was by walking for a day and a half.