Pelbar monastery, located in Kham, was initially a Sakya institution that may have been founded by Sakya Pandita in the thirteenth century, while some sources state the founder was a Ngakpa. It was an important adminstrative seat for the region during the time of the Yuan dynasty. It was converted to a Geluk monastery by the Fifth Dalai Lama while he was travelling though the region. Famous for its older murals which managed to survive the Cultural Revolution, Pelbar is also important because of its proximity to retreat caves, sacred mountains and lakes. It is the seat of the Pelbar Tulku line.