The Sakya Monastery is the ancestral temple of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It was built in the 6^th year (1073) of the Xining reign of the Song Dynasty (960-1279) by Khon Konchog Gyalpo, the founder of Sakyapa sect of Lamaism. Sakya, meaning "Grey Soil" in Tibetan since the soil surrounding it is gray; it is the central monastery of Sakyapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the Yuan Dynasty, the fifth Sakya Throne Holder, Drogon Chogyal Phakpa, known as Phakpa, was appointed as the National Priest by Yuan Emperor Shizu. He took charge of the Buddhist and executive affairs of Tibet and initiated the history of monk's reign in Tibet. In the 2^nd year (1265) of the Zhiyuan reign of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), Phakpa returned to the Sakya Monastery. Three years later, with the subsidy of Yuan government, the Sakya Monastery commanded a great number of Han, Mongolian and Tibetan craftsmen to rebuild the Sakya Monastery. It became the political center of Tibet at that time. At the end of the Yuan Dynasty, the Sakya Monastery's position was replaced by Kagyu sect. Sakyapa sect only retained its religious and political power in Sakya region. As a result, the Sakya Monastery gradually declined and fell into disuse.