Located on the southern slope of the Nyima Mountain to the west of the Shigatse city, Tashilhunpo Monastery is one of the Six Big Monasteries of Gelugpa in Tibet and the biggest Tibetan Gelugpa Buddhism monastery in back Tibet area (Shigatse area). It was founded by the first Dalai Lama in 1447 and expanded by the Fourth and successive Panchen Lamas, covering an area of nearly 300,000 square meters. The main structures found in the Tashilhunpo Monastery are The Maitreya Chapel, The Panchen Lama's Palace and The Kelsang Temple. The best image in the monastery is the statue of Maitreya, the largest one in the world. This statue was erected by the 9th Panchen Lama in 1914 and is 26 meters tall. The statue itself is adorned with precious stones. This is one of the best monasteries to visit in all of Tibet.