Locals say Buddhist leader Guru Rinchen Zangpo built the monastery in the 11th century, but the monuments record Tibetan Kal-dan Shes-rab doing so in the 12th. This is not any one building but a complex of structures, of which the main ones are:

• The Dukhang (Assembly and worship hall): See the frescoes of 1000 buddhas in the main passage, the paintings of Buddhas and other divinities, and the various mandalas.
• The Sumtseg (Sum-tsek): A three story stone building of uncertain purpose, with deities depicted on textiles.
• Manjushri Lha-Khang: 13th century temple in need of some renovations. It has nice religious carvings and paintings on the wooden doors and ceilin.
• Lotsawa Lha-Khang: Small shrine to Rinchen Zangpo, the Translator of Buddhist scripts, with frescoes of Shakyamuni on the walls.

Also in the complex are the chortens with the preserved relics of monks and nuns inside. The drive to the complex is lovely, especially as the Alchi village has comparatively more greenery when compared to other places in Ladakh.

• Rs. 25 for Indians
• Rs. 50 for foreign tourists

• By Car

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