second largest city in Tibet, with a population of maybe 100,000 people.
In Tibetan Buddhism, the Red Hat sect or Red Hat sects, named for the color of the monks' hats at
formal occasions, includes the three oldest of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism, namely
Nyingma, Sakya and Kagyu
.
The Tashilhunpo monastery, built at Xigazê in 1447, is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama.
The area was brought under the control of Lhasa, capital of Tibet, in the 1920s, when the Panchen
Lama fled to China after a disagreement with the Dalai Lama. Since 1951 the area around the city
has been intensively cultivated (wheat and barley), and communications have been improved.
Highways provide the main transportation for the city east and northeast to Lhasa and Nag Qu,
south to Yadong (Xarsingma) via Gyangzê, and west to Ngari with a separate line southwest to
Kathmandu, capital of Nepal. Some minor industries have been developed in the area, including a
hydroelectric power station north of the city at Tanghe.
https://www.britannica.com/place/Xigaze
The monastery was founded in 1447 CE by Gedun Drub,