Tsetang
Encyclopedia
Zêtang is one of the largest cities in Tibet and is located in the Yarlung Valley
, 183 km southeast of Lhasa
in Nedong County
of Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
of China
. It was (?) the capital of the Shannan Prefecture
(Lhoka Prefecture), it "exercises direct control over the affairs of 13 counties: Gongkar, Tranang, Nedong
, Changye, Tso-me, Lhodrok, Nakartse, Zangri, Chutsum, Lhuntse
, Tsona, Gyatsa and Nang
."
Zêtang has been the capital of Yarlung
since ancient times and was the seat of the ancient kings of Tibet and, as such, a place of great importance. In the 19th century it is said to have contained some 1,000 houses, a bazaar, a gompa
and a fort.
As the capital of the Shannan Prefecture, it is the second-largest town in the historical Ü-Tsang
region. It is at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,170 ft) and has a population of about 52,000. It is only about 4 km to the northeast of the town of Nêdong
but they have now basically merged into one city.
It is situated near the flank of Mount Gongbori [3,400m] and is home to many ancient ruins. It is known as the cradle of Tibetan's civilization. Samye
, Tibet's first monastery, is located only 30 km from Tsetang and was founded in 779
CE by King 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 a Gelugpa 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 the Sakya
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 of Chenresig (Avalokiteshvara) said to have been made by Emperor Songtsän Gampo (605 or 617? - 649 CE).
The town supposedly dates back to the founding of the Tsetang Gompa in 1351 which became an important centre of learning.
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 of Songtsen Gampo
and about 10 km further is Yumbulagang 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.
Yarlung Valley
The Yarlung Valley is formed by the Yarlung River and refers especially to the district where it joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a large plain about 2 km wide, before they flow north into the Yarlung Zangbo River or Brahmaputra. It is situated in Nedong County of Lhokha...
, 183 km southeast of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
in Nedong County
Nêdong County
Nêdong County, is a county of the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region....
of Lhoka (Shannan) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
. It was (?) the capital of the Shannan Prefecture
Shannan Prefecture
The Shannan Prefecture also known as the Lhoka Prefecture is a prefecture in the southeastern area of the Tibet Autonomous Region...
(Lhoka Prefecture), it "exercises direct control over the affairs of 13 counties: Gongkar, Tranang, Nedong
Nedong
Nedong may refer to:*Nêdong County, county in Tibet*Nêdong , village in Tibet...
, Changye, Tso-me, Lhodrok, Nakartse, Zangri, Chutsum, Lhuntse
Lhuntse
Lhuntse District , is one of the 20 dzongkhag comprising Bhutan. It consists of 2506 households . Located in the northeast, Lhuntse is one of the least developed dzhongkhags of Bhutan...
, Tsona, Gyatsa and Nang
Nang
Nang may refer to:* Nang County, Nyingchi, Tibet, China* Nang drama, a form of shadow play* Nang!, a general interest magazine* Nang, a crude term for nitrous oxide when used as a recreational drugPeople named Nang:...
."
Zêtang has been the capital of Yarlung
Yarlung
Yarlung can refer to:*Yarlung Kingdom, see also: Tibetan empire*Yarlung Dynasty, see also: List of emperors of Tibet*Yarlung Valley, formed by the Yarlung River and refers especially to the district where it joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a large plain about 2 km wide, before...
since ancient times and was the seat of the ancient kings of Tibet and, as such, a place of great importance. In the 19th century it is said to have contained some 1,000 houses, a bazaar, a gompa
Gompa
Gompa and ling are Buddhist ecclesiastical fortifications of learning, lineage and sadhana , located in Tibet, India, Nepal, and Bhutan...
and a fort.
As the capital of the Shannan Prefecture, it is the second-largest town in the historical Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang
Ü-Tsang , or Tsang-Ü, is one of the three traditional provinces of Tibet, the other two being Amdo and Kham. Geographically Ü-Tsang covered the central and western portions of the Tibetan cultural area, including the Tsang-po watershed, the western districts surrounding and extending past Mount...
region. It is at an elevation of 3,100 metres (10,170 ft) and has a population of about 52,000. It is only about 4 km to the northeast of the town of Nêdong
Nedong
Nedong may refer to:*Nêdong County, county in Tibet*Nêdong , village in Tibet...
but they have now basically merged into one city.
It is situated near the flank of Mount Gongbori [3,400m] and is home to many ancient ruins. It is known as the cradle of Tibetan's civilization. Samye
Samye
The Samye Monastery or Samye Gompa is the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, was most probably first constructed between 775 and 779 CE under the patronage of King Trisong Detsen of Tibet who sought to revitalize Buddhism, which had declined since its introduction by King Songtsen Gampo in...
, Tibet's first monastery, is located only 30 km from Tsetang and was founded in 779
779
Year 779 was a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 779 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Europe :* Offa of Mercia defeats Cynewulf of Wessex...
CE by King 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 a Gelugpa 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 the Sakya
Sakya
The Sakya school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug...
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 of Chenresig (Avalokiteshvara) said to have been made by Emperor Songtsän Gampo (605 or 617? - 649 CE).
The town supposedly dates back to the founding of the Tsetang Gompa in 1351 which became an important centre of learning.
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
Changzhug
Tradruk Temple, also written Changzhug Monastery , in the Yarlung Valley is the earliest great geomantic temple after the Jokhang - and some sources say it is even pre-dates the Jokhang....
Monastery founded during the reign of Songtsen Gampo
Songtsen Gampo
Songtsän Gampo Songtsän Gampo Songtsän Gampo (Tibetan: སྲོང་བཙན་སྒམ་པོ་, Wylie: Srong-btsan sGam-po, 569–649?/605–649? was the founder of the Tibetan Empire (Tibetan: Bod; ), by tradition held to be the thirty-third ruler in his dynasty. In the Chinese records, his name is given as 'Sōngzàngānbù'...
and about 10 km further is Yumbulagang which, according to legend, was built as a palace for the first king, Nyatri Tsenpo
Nyatri Tsenpo
Nyatri Tsenpo was a king of Tibet from the so-called "Yarlung dynasty". His reign is said to have begun in 127 BC. According to traditional Tibetan history, he was the first ruler of the kingdom. He is said to have descended from heaven on Yalashangbo, the sacred mountain...
, and was the first building in Tibet.
There are several hotels and a guesthouse.