The monastic community of Zhidé (bzhi sde) traces its history to the Tibetan emperor Relpachen (ral pa can). He is said to have founded several monastic communities around Lhasa, including the one which became Zhidé. In the late thirteenth century this monastic community was relocated to new facilities near the Ramoché (rwa mo che) temple. Around that time the community took on the name Zhidé. Since the seventeenth century Zhidé has served as the Lhasa seat of the Radreng Rinpochés (rwa sgreng rin po che), two of whom became regents of Tibet. In 1754 the Seventh Dalai Lama Kelzang Gyatso (bskal bzang rgya mtsho, 1708-1757) moved the Zhidé community to its current location. Zhidé was closed after 1959 and the main hall collapsed in 1989.