Yumbulagang Palace

Yumbulagang

Yumbulagang is a national AAA-level tourist attraction and a cultural relic protection unit of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Yumbulagang is located on Mount Tashi Tsering, 12 kilometers from Zedang, at an altitude of 3,700 meters. The entire structure resembles a fortress, towering over the mountaintop. In Tibetan, "Yumbu" means "female deer," "la" means "hind leg," and "kang" means "palace," so Yumbulagang translates to "the palace on the hind leg of a female deer."

Yumbulagang is the first palace in Tibetan history. According to historical records, it was built in the 2nd century BC by the people of the Yarlung tribe for the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo, and has a history of over 2,000 years.

Yumbulagang is located on Provincial Highway 202 in Nedong County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet. Built in 127 BC, it is the first royal palace in Tibetan history. The ticket price is 60 yuan per person. In Tibetan, it means "the palace of the mother and child" and served as the temporary residence where King Songtsen Gampo welcomed Princess Wencheng.

Yumbulagang primarily enshrines a statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The murals inside the palace vividly depict the historical stories of Tibet’s first king, first building, and first cultivated field.

Yumbulagang is divided into two parts: the front section is a multi-story building, and the rear section is a square, high watchtower fortress connected to the front. In the 5th century, during the reign of King Thothori Nyantsen, legend has it that a Buddhist scripture fell from the sky and landed precisely on the roof of Yumbulagang. At that time, no one could understand it. A sage prophesied that someone would be able to interpret the scripture in the 7th–8th centuries. As a result, the scripture was carefully preserved in Yumbulagang.

In the 7th century, King Songtsen Gampo moved the capital to Lhasa, and Yumbulagang gradually transformed into a Buddhist temple. The first floor is the Ancient Tibetan Kings’ Hall, with a central Buddha statue; to the left of the statue is King Nyatri Tsenpo, and to the right is King Songtsen Gampo. Along the left wall are arranged: Songtsen Gampo’s trusted minister Thonmi Sambhota, King Trisong Detsen, and King Thothori Nyantsen. Along the right wall are King Ralpacan, Usang, and another of Songtsen Gampo’s ministers, Gar Tongtsen.

The upper floor is a very beautiful and exquisite prayer hall, with the main deities being Avalokiteshvara and Sakyamuni. The Avalokiteshvara statue is an ancient relic of Yumbulagang and is said to be from the same era as the main Avalokiteshvara statue in the Pabalakang Hall of the Potala Palace. The surrounding walls are adorned with exquisite murals depicting early Tibetan history, the most famous of which is the story of the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo, on the left side.

Address: Mount Tashi Tsering, 11 km southeast of Zedang Town, Nedong District, Shannan City

Type: Historical architecture and monument

Recommended visiting time: About 3 hours

Opening hours:

9:00-18:00

Transportation

1. You can hire a car from Zedang Town. Arrange with the driver in advance to include both Changzhu Temple and the Tomb of Tibetan Kings, with a round-trip fare of about 100 yuan for a minibus that seats four people.

2. Take a bus from Zedang, with a journey of about 1 hour and a fare of 3 yuan per person. At the foot of the mountain, you can choose to ride a horse or walk up. Horseback riding costs 20 yuan per person uphill and 10 yuan downhill.

Ticket price

60 yuan per person.