Shigatse 日喀则 is the second largest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It is 3,800 meters above sea level. With a population of about 110K, Shigatse is an important trading and administrative center. As the former capital of the Ü-Tsang region, the city is traditionally the seat of the Panchen Lama (the most important person in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama). Unlike the 14th Dalai Lama the portraits of the 10th Panchen Lama are frequently found hanging in stores and restaurants in Shigatse. Tashilhunpo Monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lamas. It was constructed in 1447 and is where the Panchen Lamas resided and conducted their religious and secular duties. Covering a floor space of 300K square meters, the monastery is enshrined with the world's largest gilded bronze Buddhist statue, the 22.4 meter high statue of Maitreya Buddha.
