Zurmang Namgyaltse is one of the most historically significant Kagyu monasteries in the Nangqen area, located about 60 kilometres east of the county town in the Tsichu valley. The monastery was founded in the 15th century when Trungpa Ma-se, a disciple of the Fifth Karmapa, built a meditation retreat here — the name means "many-cornered," describing the shape of that original structure.
The monastery is most widely known as the seat of the Trungpa reincarnation lineage, whose 11th holder, Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche, became one of the most influential Tibetan Buddhist teachers in the Western world after his escape from Tibet in 1959. The drive out from Nangqen through the valley is rewarding in itself, passing traditional stone farmhouses and seasonal herders' camps. The road is rough and a hired vehicle is essential.