Established in the early eleventh century by Chetsün Sherap Jungné (lce btsun shes rab ’byung gnas), Zhalu has played an important role in the cultural life of Tsang (gtsang). Renowned for both its artistic and literary achievements, it was home to Nepalese artisans painting murals, teams of scribes creating fine volumes of Buddhist canonical literature, and a lively community of scholars, monks, and yogic practitioners from throughout Tibet.  Butön Rinchendrup (bu ston rin chen grub, 1290-1364), Zhalu Lotsawa Chökyong Zangpo (zhwa lu lo tsA wa chos skyong bzang po, 1441-1528), and the nineteenth-century non-sectarian movement (ris med) figure Losel Tenkyong (blo gsal bstan skyong) are leading figures in Zhalu’s history.