"A Nyingmapa monastery overlooking a glacial valley where sacred cranes circle three times upon arriving from Tibet"
St Nicholas Monastery, Mesopotam
Brajlat, Shqipëria Jugore, Albania
Gangteng Monastery commands a spur above the Phobjikha Valley at 3,000 metres, fulfilling a prophecy made by the treasure revealer Pema Lingpa. His grandson built the monastery in 1613 as the seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition within the Nyingmapa school. Each November, black-necked cranes arrive from Tibet and circle the monastery three times before descending to the valley floor — a natural circumambulation that the Bhutanese understand as recognition of the sacred.
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Quick Facts
Location
Brajlat, Shqipëria Jugore, Albania
Coordinates
39.9060, 20.1003
Last Updated
Mar 9, 2026
Learn More
Built in 1613 by Pema Lingpa's grandson, Gangteng is the main seat of the Pema Lingpa tradition within the Nyingmapa school — one of the most important Nyingmapa institutions in Bhutan.
Origin Story
Pema Lingpa, the great treasure revealer, visited the Phobjikha Valley and prophesied that one of his descendants would build a monastery on the summit. In 1613, his grandson Gyalse Pema Thinley fulfilled the prophecy, establishing Gangteng Sang Nga Choling as the seat of the Peling (Pema Lingpa) tradition.
Key Figures
Pema Lingpa
Treasure revealer who prophesied the monastery's founding
Gyalse Pema Thinley
Grandson of Pema Lingpa; built the monastery in 1613
Spiritual Lineage
The Pema Lingpa tradition within the Nyingmapa school. Pema Lingpa is one of the five great treasure revealers (terton) in the Nyingmapa tradition, and Gangteng is the principal seat of his lineage.
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