Tholing Monastery, founded in 988 AD, is one of the oldest active monasteries in Tibet and was among the most important religious sites in the entire Himalayan world for several centuries. The founding occurred under Yeshe Ö, the first king of Guge, and the monastery served as the base for a massive translation project that produced authoritative Tibetan versions of key Buddhist texts. Though much of the monastery was damaged or destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, significant portions survive — including a temple with intact murals that rank among the finest in western Tibet.
The main surviving temple is the Lhakhang Karpo (White Temple), which retains its original 11th-century murals in sections, alongside later additions from the 14th to 16th centuries. A resident monk community continues to maintain the site. Tholing town (also written Zanda) is the nearest town of any size to Tsaparang, and most visitors to the Guge ruins stay here overnight.