- Tsetang
Tsetang (also Tsedang or Tsethang; bo|t=རྩེ་ཐང་|w=rtse-thang|z=Zêtang) is a small
city located 183 km southeast ofLhasa in theTibet Autonomous Region of China.Tsetang was the capital of
Yarlung and, as such, a place of great importance. In the 19th century it is said to have contained some 1,000 houses, a bazaar, agompa and a fort. [Das, Sarat Chandra. (1902). "Lhasa and Central Tibet", p. 228 and note. Reprint: (1988). Mehra Offset Press, Delhi.]It is now the capital of
Shannan (Chinese for 'South of the Mountains') prefecture and the second-largest town in theÜ , region. It is at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,170 ft) and has a population of about 52,000. [Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005) "Tibet". 6th Edition, p. 153. ISBN 1-74059-523-8.] It is only about 4 km to the northeast of the town ofNêdong but they have now basically merged into one city. [Buckley,Michael and Strauss, Robert. "Tibet: a travel survival kit", p. 153. (1986) Lonely Planet Publications, Victoria, Australia. ISBN 0-908066-88-1.]It is situated near the flank of
Mount Gongbori [3,400m] and is home to the ruins of the ancientGajiu Monastery . It is known as the cradle of Tibetan's civilization. "Samye ", Tibet's first monastery, is located 30 km from Tsedang and was founded in779 CE byKing Trisong Detsen .The 14th century monastery of Tsetang, Ganden Chökhorling, was originally
Kagyupa but was taken over by the Gelugpas in the 18th century. It was destroyed by the Chinese but has been restored since. Ngamchö is also aGelugpa monastery and contains the bed and throne of the Dalai Lama and has a chapel devoted to medicine. The Samten Ling and Drebuling monasteries of theSakya s still remained in 1959 but have since been destroyed and mostly built over. There is, however, the reconstructed Gelugpa Sang-ngag Zimche Nunnery, in the ruins of Samten Ling with a 1000-armed statue ofChenresig (Avalokiteshvara) said to have been made by EmperorSongtsän Gampo (605 or 617? - 649 CE). [Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005) "Tibet". 6th Edition, p. 153. ISBN 1-74059-523-8.]The town supposedly dates back to the founding of the Tsetang Gompa in
1351 which became an important centre of learning. [Dowman, Keith. "The Power-Paces of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide", (1988), p. 174. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London & New York. ISBN 0-7102-1370-0.]One of three caves in the mountainside to the east of the town is said to be the birthplace of the Tibetan people who resulted from the mating of a monkey and a beautiful cannibal
ogress .About 5 km south of Zêtang is
Changzhug Monastery founded during the reign ofSongtsen Gampo and about 10 km further isYumbulagang which, according to legend, was built as a palace for the first king,Nyatri Tsenpo , and was the first building in Tibet.There are several hotels and a guesthouse. [Buckley,Michael and Strauss, Robert. "Tibet: a travel survival kit", pp. 153-156. (1986) Lonely Planet Publications, Victoria, Australia. ISBN 0-908066-88-1.]
Footnotes
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