The modern town is south of the old village of Lhatse and the small
Gelug monastery of Lhatse Chö Dé (). Above the monastery are the ruins of the old
dzong, Drampa Lhatse () or Dzong Lhatse (Janglache or Lhatse Dzong), which is on a rock high at the opening of the Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon. At the western end of the town is another small monastery, Changmoche. east of Lhatse are the Xiqian Hot Springs, widely renowned for their healing properties. Further east are the ruins of the Drampa Gyang () Monastery, one of King
Songtsän Gampo's main
geomantic temples built in the 7th century. It was thought to pin down the troublesome left hip of the
ogress whose body lay under all the high plateau with her heart located under the
Jokhang in Lhasa. It once housed an image of
Vairocana. Near this spot in the 14th century the
tertön or treasure finder, Sangpo Drakpa, discovered the popular
Nyingma text by
Padmasambhava called the
Leu Dunma, which is a collection of prayers and devotions. To the north are the massive ruins of the Gyang Bumoche or Gyang Bumpoche, once high, which was built in the style of the
Kumbum by the
Sakya Sonam Tashi (1352–1417) and the
polymath and bridge builder,
Thang Tong Gyalpo (1385–1464), and decorated in the Lato style of painting. This
Jonang-school
stupa was also called Tongdrol Chempo ('The Great Chorten that Gives Liberation by Setting Eyes upon It'). East of the ruins of the kumbum is the reconstructed Phuntsoling Monastery which was once attached to it. The main monastery and kumbum were restored and expanded by the renowned historian
Taranatha (1575–1634) of the Jonang school. Under the
5th Dalai Lama (1617–1682), the Jonang school was suppressed and it was converted to the
Gelug after Taranatha's death. Further east is a little valley where there was previously a Nyingma
gompa and hermitages, above which is the large cave of Gyang Lompo Lung which contains a shrine. The whole valley was, however, deserted in 1985. Because the roads to
Mount Everest and to
Mount Kailash divide just west of Lhatse, the town is a common lunch stop for tour groups heading to those locations. Buddhist festivals are sometimes held at the monastery, drawing inhabitants from the surrounding region. There are several hotels and restaurants in the town. File:G318 5000km Tibet China 西藏 318国道5000公里标志点 - panoramio.jpg|G318 5000 km File:国道318 State Road 318 China Xinjiang Urumqi Welcome you to tour the - panoramio (3).jpg File:Lhatse, Xigaze, Tibet, China - panoramio.jpg == Sister city ==