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Drepung Monastery is to Tibet, arguably, what Oxford University is to Great Britain. Once the largest monastery in the world, Drepung remains one of the largest monasteries anywhere if you include Drepung's satellite locations found outside over the Tibet Autonomous Region border with India.
Located in the Lhasa suburbs, Drepung has stood for over 500 years. It is a major center of Tibetan Gelukpa Buddhism and was the seat of the Dalai Lama's power until the construction of Potala Palace in 1646. While Drepung reportedly housed up to 10,000 monks in its heyday, 700 monks today it still reside at Drepung and it is a popular Bhuddist pilgrimage site to this day.
An important relic for both the religious and the curious is a statue of the 13th Dalai Lama, reverently placed amidst prayer lamps and, during clear days, sunbeams. Readings of the scriptures are often held here at midday, during which time novices race one another to fetch tea from the kitchen for their elders.
The most revered image at Drepung is a 15m tall statue of the eight-year-old Maitreya Buddha (the future Buddha) designed by Tsongkapa and housed on the third floor of the main building. If you interact with the monks, they will likely offer to bless you with holy water.