The Ruins of Guge in Tibet

The Ruins of Guge Kingdom is located on a mountain in Zhabran Village,18km west of the county town of Zhada, 310km south of Shiquanhe Town.
The Guge Kingdom was founded in about the 10th century by a descendant of King Glang Darma, who fled from Lhasa after the collapse of the Tupo Kingdom. The kingdom played an important role in the second renascence in Tibet and survived for about 700 years before disappearing mysteriously in the 17th century.

"Guge" is a miracle. For years it strongly attracted numerous explorers, scholars, artists and journalists who traveled from afar to investigate and search for treasures. According to historical records, after the last king of the Tubo Dynasty, Lang Darma, died, the royal family began to fight for the throne. Gyide Nyimagun, Long Darma's descendent, lost the war and ran away to Ngari, where he established a small kingdom. Later, Gyide Nyimagun divided Ngari into three parts and gave them to his three sons. The Guge Kingdom was ruled by Dezogun, Gyide Nyimagun's third son. His regime ran for more than 700 years before being destroyed in a war. According to the Annals of Kings and Officials in Tibet, a total of 16 kings ruled the Guge Kingdom, and Guge Castle was accomplished through constant construction between the 10th and 16th century. Guge has a very significant position in the history of economic and cultural development of Tibet. Many significant Buddhist doctrines of ancient India were passed on to hinterland Tibet via Guge.Guge was also one of the important commercial ports linking ancient Tibet with the outside world.After the Tubo Dynasty died out,Tibet entered a 400-some year period of isolation. Guge was always a large and powerful kingdom. Even the dust of time cannot hide its prosperity and past glory.

The ruins lie at a hilltop near a river, covering 180,000 square meters. Houses, cave dwellings, monasteries and stupas are distributed on the hill and surrounding area. Palaces sat on the summit while monasteries on mountainside, cave dwellings for common people at the foot of the hill. The kingdom was enclosed in tunnels and walls with fortifications. Some structures survive time and remain in good condition in this untraversed region though many of them were reduced into dust. A 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) long water tunnel built with stones, in ruins, still dives from the summit into the river below, which used to be water supply of Guge people.

Zhada stand the famous Tuolin Monastery and relic Guge Kingdom

Covering an area of 2,464 square kilometers, located in the Zanda County of Ngari Prefecture, Zanda Clay Forest,aka Zanda Clay Forest is the largest clay forest that was formed over one million years ago.

 
Zhada, whose Tibetan meaning is "the place where there are grass in the lower reaches of river", is a County under the govern of Nagri Prefecture. In this county stand the famous Tuolin Monastery and relic Guge Kingdom. As soon as you step into Zhada County, you can see the clay forest towering along both sides of five-kilometer-Elephant Spring River. These clay forest are of different shapes. Some like warriors defending the mountain, some like galloping horses, while others like devoted followers standing there quietly.
The best interpretation of the beauty of the scenery of Zanda, forest soil ditch.

Into the forest soil trenches, the people will be the eye as a vast sea forest soil the world shock and awe: the towering forest soil in the hot sun resembles a castles and towers, with one of the vast scene scorch .100 million years ago Zhada forest is more than 500 km wide and the Great Lakes Himalayan orogeny make the surface of the water to sink, the original lake basin in the Loess over many years by the wind and rain erosion and scour, eventually forming a sculpture of this magnificent natural forest soil. forest soil today under intensive folds and ravines, as long as the next torrential rains, it stretches over 30 kilometers of forest soil ditch immediately turned into a 'river' Zada county 'moat'.

The highest monastery in the world

At the foothills of Mt.Everest, is located the highest monastery in the world - Rongbuk Monastery. It was founded by a Nyingmapa Lama in 1902 and had been in used by monks and hermits for over 400 years. The ancient monastery is only 200 metres (660 ft) lower than the north side Everest Base Camp of Mount Everest, and in the background of Rongbuk Monastery is the top of the world - Qomolangma.

Monks and nuns live in the same monastery and celebrate the Buddhist festivals together. From 15th April of the Tibetan Calendar a Buddhist dancing ceremony is held here, which will last for three days. This is held to celebrate the birth of Sakyamuni, which is known as Saka Dawa Festival. During the play, many monks disguise themselves as Rabbis and dance many scenes one after another, and most scenes portray different characters and clothing. The noisy and special activity often attracts many local residents and visitors to the temple. Another Tibetan festival is held on 29th December of Tibetan Calendar to placate wandering ghosts, and monks wearing masks also perform this grand ceremony.

Walking forward from Rongbuk Monastery, you will see the famous Rongbuk Glacier Zone, which is the largest among all the hundreds of glaciers formed around the Mt. Everest. The three glaciers north of the Mt. Everest flow south and congregate at a river traversing the foot of the monastery. This is called 'Rongbuk River', and the water there is extremely cold.

Travel tips for Potala Palace

In order to control the number of visitors, in 2006 began to restrict daily visitors to 2300 people, of which 1600 is provided to the travel agency, 700 is provided to fit. Individual tourist, prior to Potala Palace in order to receive a free ticket purchase voucher, Potala Palace, the next day with a ticket purchase voucher can purchase visit.

According to the reservoir development and reform price document [2007]464, Potala Palace from January 1, 2008 onwards busy season and off-season fare.

Potala Palace tickets tips

Ticket information: Potala Palace and limit the sale of pre-sale ticket system combination, the number of daily visitors limit 2300 people (about 700 individual tickets), a day after 5 pm the next day after the pre-sale tickets, each limited to 4 tickets, to be a day early to queue up for a ticket purchase voucher, and must provide the identity card number, according to the queue. Successively, ticket card marked the time of visit, in the Potala Palace big door holding identity cards to buy ticket to enter. If you have a teaching certificate or student ID card, take it out, you only need 49 yuan can go in the. In addition the Jinding cannot, treasures collection money is not much, not worth, can save 10 yuan.

Receive location: in Potala Palace square on the door, written with strict time, expired.

The best location: pictures of Potala Palace is located in the southwest side of the best position of the Potala Palace in a small mountain (the relative elevation of over 20 meters), the end of the tour went down after it passes through the Beijing road to the. Under the mountain there will be local charge, about 1-2 yuan.

 

Matters needing attention

Photograph: Yaowang mountain can shoot panorama of Potala Palace; the Dragon King pool can shoot in Potala Palace park reflection; the Potala Palace can not take pictures.

Toilet: white square on the right has a toilet, after nearly two hours of tours was no toilets, visitors enter the white house before this convenient; cloth Palace back door toilet is very characteristic, must try;

Remind: the palace is higher, up and down slowly; the relatively cold, even the best summer also prepared coat.

CMB / City Jeep: individual in cling to walk and Jeep fixed routes, fares 2 yuan, most of the lines Tibetan Hospital station.

Car rental: suggest tourist taxi ride from the mountain to the top of the Potala Palace, and then from the top down along Potala Palace, the fare of about 10 yuan.

The palace location: fit in Potala Palace front gate into the palace at Potala Palace, team tourists southeast side, hereby accept security check, check the ID card number, please be sure to bring your ID, otherwise cannot enter.

Security notice: into the Potala Palace needs security, all flammable and explosive, guns, tools (including nail clippers and other possible pry the Potala Palace any stones gadget) cannot be carried into the.

Tickets : Security after entering the palace, by the ladder walking to Potala Palace house in front of the ticket office, by buy ticket buy the real Potala Palace tickets.

Potala Palace tourism traffic

Traffic in the city

Lhasa City Taxi: Although very small, but surprisingly he has 1500 taxi. Hits in Lhasa, on the bus to bargaining, generally in the city of 10 yuan is enough.

Naimona'nyi Peak is located at western section of Himalayas

Naimona'nyi Peak is located at western section of Himalayas. It faces Mt. Kailash at a distance. It is praised as the Goddess Mountain by local Tibetans. Tourists planning a Tibet adventure tour to Mt. Kailash would have the chance to witness the charming peak.

Naimona'nyi Peak has an area of 200 square kilometers and has 6 mountain ridges, on which are tens of mountains soaring to 6,000 meters. The western ridges fan out from north to south. The only ridge in the east has been corroded into a blade-shape ridge, which is very steep with a height difference of 2,000 meters. Compared with the eastern ridge, the western one has a less steep gradient. Five huge glaciers pour down in the canyon, among which are ice steeps full of cracks.

Naimona’nyi peak, Tibetan called “Our Lady” or “Goddess”, located in Champlain County, 7694 meters high, is one of the main peak of the Himalayas. On the next to Manasarovar Lake, separated from the lake north of Mount Kailash distant relative. Naimona’nyi peak radius of about 200 square kilometers, there are six ridges. Ridge line several 10 the hills above 6000 meters, the level of scattered. Fan of the west ridge, arranged from north to south, only east of the ridge has been eroded into the knife ridge, very steep, forming a height difference of nearly 2000 m cliff. In contrast, the west slope is moderate, with five giant glaciers are pouring in the canyon, the ice covered with ice cracks and ice cliffs. May 26, 1985, on the 28th Sino-Japanese joint team of 13 players for the first time along the northwest slope, Naimona’nyi peak the Zhalong Mary Long Pakistani Glacier successful ascent.

There are two popular Tibetan verses in relation to Drak Yerpa

In addition to including such stereotyped visits covering Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Temple, Norbulingka and so on, don’t forget to add an excursion to Drak Yerpa Monastery, which is located about 40km northeast to the city center of Lhasa.

There are two popular Tibetan verses in relation to Drak Yerpa. One verse says that “While Tibet‘s holy place is in Lhasa, Lhasa’s holy place is in Drak Yerpa”. Another verse goes like that “Visiting Lhasa without going to Drak Yerpa is just like making a new clothe without adding the collar”. These two verses pinpoint the importance of Drak Yerpa in the hearts of the common Tibetan pilgrims.
It is said that Songtsän Gampo and his two foreign-born queens have meditated in the 'Peu Marsergyi Temple' and in the 'Chogyel Puk'. People also said they had discovered 'self-originated' symbols of the Buddha-body, speech and mind. Another famous person who meditated here is Padmasambhava, or Guru Rinpoche. He also practiced tantric yoga with his yogini Yeshe Tsogyal here. Totally he spent 7 months in meditation in the 'Dawa Puk', which is considered to be one of his three most important places of attainment. Several of Guru Rinpoche's disciples are also said to have meditated here.
Except working as a great meditation or hermitage place for Buddhist, the Dark Yerpa is also a commendable place for trekking. Trekking or bicycling to Drak Yerpa, you will get closer to the natural beauty in this place.     

The Gyantse Dzong is a medieval citadel situated in Gyantse

The Gyantse Dzong is Gyantse's town fort sitting upon a hill just north of Gyantse town on China-Nepal Hwy. Wherever you are in Gyantse, the Dzong can be seen. However, the fort lies abandoned today and many of its interior walls and buildings are in disrepair.

 
Gyantse Castle or Gyantse Fortress or Gyantse Dzong is a medieval citadel situated in Gyantse, Xigazê Prefecture in China. It was constructed in 1268 by a Sakyapa sect (one of many Buddhist schools) in the beginning of the Nyang Qu river. This strategic location guarded a Southern pass of the Tsangpo Valley and Lhasa. The entrance to the compound is on the Eastern side. Current citadel was constructed on a site of an older 9th century fortifications constructed by anti- Buddhist king Langdharma. Its name literally means "the peak of victory". Prince Phakpa Pelzangpo (1318- 1370) erected a Grand Palace Gyantse in 1365 and his son Kungpa Phakpa (1357- 1412) added new fortification walls. Gyantse Castle harbors an "anti- British" museum devoted to British invasion of 1903- 04.

The fort is partly ruined, but there are still some things to see. There is an interesting Anti-British Imperialists Museum here displaying a version of the facts of the 1904 British invasion of Tibet and a major battle that took place. The British used massive firepower to defeat a much less powerful Tibetan army here and a part of the fort was blown up during the battle.
The half hour climb up to the fort is well worth it, as the spot offers fantastic vistas of the monastery compound to the north, the town below, and the surrounding valley.