Gyantse Ancient Town

　　   Gyantse, which means "Victory Summit, the Roof of the Dharma King" in Tibetan, is located in the southern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region, where the Nyang River, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, flows. Historically, Gyantse was the capital of the ancient Supi tribe. After Songtsen Gampo’s father, Namri Songtsen, conquered the Supi, Gyantse became a fiefdom for nobles.

　　   Gyantse has a history of 600 years as a town, slightly predating Shigatse. Situated along the route from Sakya and rear Tibet through Yadong to Sikkim and Bhutan, and blessed with fertile land and abundant resources, it became a vital trade route connecting front and rear Tibet, developing into a major town in Tibet. It lies at the westernmost edge of front Tibet, 254 kilometers from Lhasa. In the town, earthen-covered flagstone streets, shops cohabited by Tibetans and Han people, Tibetan shop owners ceaselessly spinning prayer beads and prayer wheels, and the boisterous sounds of Hong Kong movies from video rooms all combine to form a very typical modern Tibetan town.

　　   However, what Gyantse is most renowned for is its glory as a “Heroic City,” where there is a moving history of resistance against foreign aggression. On the hill at the center of Gyantse County stands a fortress — the world-famous Gyantse Dzong (Gyantse Fortress), the site of the heroic resistance against the British invasion. Today, in the square in front of the dzong, stands the Gyantse Dzong Heroes Monument, commemorating the heroes who resisted the British invaders a century ago.

　　   Gyantse’s Palcho Monastery is a famous temple, mainly characterized by two distinctive features. The first is that it houses three sects within one monastery. Originally belonging to the Sakya sect, it later saw the entry of the Kagyu and Gelug sects. Initially, the sects were in mutual exclusion and rivalry. Eventually, they chose mutual understanding and tolerance. Thus, Palcho Monastery came to accommodate the Sakya, Kagyu, and Gelug sects, and its worship objects and architectural styles also incorporate diverse elements. The second feature is the monastery’s iconic Kumbum Stupa, a tower built by stacking nearly a hundred chapels on top of each other, often referred to as a “tower within a tower.” Inside the stupa, there are a total of 100,000 Buddha statues across its chapels, shrines, and murals, hence it is also known as the “Ten Thousand Buddha Stupa.” Its formal name, the Kumbum Stupa, is less commonly mentioned. In Tibetan, this stupa is called “Palkhor Chöde,” meaning “Stupa at the Whirlpool of the River,” with the river being the Nyang River.

　　   The Gyantse Dama Festival has a history of over 500 years. It is said that during the Sakya Dynasty, Gyantse Dharma King Pabang Sangbo enjoyed great prestige among the people. After Pabang Sangbo passed away, his disciples held annual memorial ceremonies in his honor, but these were interrupted due to warfare. In 1408, Pabang Sangbo’s son, Gongtsen Rabten, who became the Dharma King of Gyantse, resumed the memorial ceremonies. From April 10 to April 27 of that year, Gongtsen Rabten held prayers for his father and organized entertainment activities, including religious events such as the display of thangkas and cham dances, as well as recreational activities like wrestling and weight-carrying contests. When Drakpa Rinchen became the Dharma King of Gyantse in 1447, additional entertainment such as archery, Tibetan opera, song, and dance were added. Since then, the Gyantse Dama Festival has continued to this day. It is located on the north bank upstream. Because the Nyang River flows through the area, historically people also referred to the Gyantse region as “Nyan.” During the Qing Dynasty, it was known as the Gyantse Dzong, under the jurisdiction of the local government of front Tibet.

　　   Attraction Location

　　   Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region