The Gonchen Monastery, belonging to the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism, occupies the hillside directly above the printing house and is clearly visible from anywhere in the valley. Founded in the mid-fifteenth century, it served as the official monastery of the Kingdom of Derge for five hundred years and remains an active religious institution with a resident community of monks. The main assembly hall contains large gilded statues and murals in the Kham style — vivid, somewhat stern, with more gold and primary colour than you find in central Tibetan monasteries.
The climb from the printing house takes about fifteen minutes on foot and is worth doing. From the upper courtyards the view takes in the full length of the Jinsha River valley, the town below, and the snow peaks to the north and south that mark the effective edge of the accessible plateau. Prayer flags in the traditional five colours extend from the temple walls to anchors on the ridge above, and on festival days they are replaced by enormous new ones whose snap and flutter in the mountain wind is audible from the town.
Admission is usually free or by small donation. Monks will generally permit visitors to enter the assembly hall during non-ceremonial hours. The monastery is busiest in the early morning when daily prayers begin.