Gyangze Things to Do

when in gyangze, it is very possible to get so overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of both the kumbum and the dzong that one might overlook the rabse nunnery.

it is quaint when compared to the aforementioned landmarks but just as interesting. it's a small complex of structures with stupas and prayer wheels everywhere. at the time of my visit (aug, 06), there were 32 resident nuns and i was the only outsider there.

i arrived as the sun was setting, it was nice just walking around because the atmosphere of the place was so quiet and serene, very good for the soul!

it also was nice to see nuns instead of monks for a change but don't expect a huge difference in appearance, their robes are practically the same (and so are their haircuts, actually). it's a good thing there were no monks there because i wouldn't have been able to tell them apart!

it's located along the rise just north of pelkor chode monastery, about five minutes from the kumbum by 4x4. make sure you visit!

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The Gyantse Dzong (old fort) towers above the village and offers a fine view over the valley although now much in the way of sights inside. The walls of the current structure were reputedly built in 1268 as a reaction to the rise of Sakya power.

The palatial castle was built in 1365 by which time the price had acquired influence at the Sakya and Zhalu courts.

Much of the Dzrong is unfortunately closed at the moment - the wall murals are spectacular - but there is a small museum documenting the 1904 British invasion lef by Francis Younghusband.

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The Kumbum ("10000 images") stupa is Tibet's largest and probably most magnificant stupa. Filled with numerous chapels, statues, frescoes and paintings it is well worth a visit.

Located next to the monastery it is open from 9.30am but the monks seem to open and close the temples at will.

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To the north, if you walk along the road that takes you around the fort, you'll come to the Pelkhor Chode Monastery. The Tsuklakhang was built in 1418-25 by a prince with affiliations to both the Sakyapa and Zhalupa schools. Beside this temple the Kumbum stupa was completed in 1427.

The surrounding colleges numbered 18 by the early 19th Century representing Sakyapa, Zhalupa, Karma Kagyu, Drukpa and Gelukpa schools. All bar 2 of these buildings have been destroyed. The Gonkhang within the Tsukakhang is the earliest surviving such protector chapel in Central Tibet. In the Tathagata chapel the gold inscribed copy of the Prajnaparamita on the central altar of the Sarvavid Vairocana is an object of particular veneration.

i woke up very early to watch the the first rays of the morning sun hitting the majestic walls of the gyangze dzong. it was surreal!

if you're up to it, do the same. it's a beautiful sight!

there's a plaza just south of the mount from where you can just sit and watch it all unfold. enjoy!

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if you ask me, the best way to climb the kumbum is to take the outside way up and then the inside way down - or the other way around. the point is, to see everything inside as well as all the great views outside.

what i did was take the external route up, circling the outer ledge of each level before taking the stairs up to the next. this way, i was able to see panoramic views (360 degrees!) of the surroundings - the wall and temples of pelkor chode, the dzong, the town, and the fields of gyangze. views vary at each level so it's not a repetitive process at all. just be careful and make sure you don't fall of the ledges!

after enjoying the great views at the top, i made my way all the way down through the interior so i also got to experience its rich murals and statues - best of both worlds!

the Y10 price for taking your camera up is a bargain. take lots of pictures!

if you like the charming man (the local, not me) in this photo, then stop by the fields surrounding gyangze proper. there, you'll get up close to the locals as they go about their work. this is a really good way of understanding what life in a tibetan farming village is all about (as a referrence point, the gyangze dzong is in the background of the photo).

most go straight to gyangze proper and miss this chance. in my case, the main passage to town was under repair so we had to take a side road that skirted the mountain and a village west of the dzong. it was near this village that i came across the field workers so immediately asked my driver to stop. i got off and politely asked if i could meet them, exchanged pleasantries with my guide translating, and one agreed to record the meeting with a photograph (pls. ask first before taking any pictures).

PRICELESS!!!

when in gyangze, you might want to check out pala manor, the former residence of a famous upper class tibetan family. it may be considered a mansion as it is rather expansive compared to typical tibetan houses of the time (and tibetan houses of the present, actually)

there are mannequins inside some of the rooms that depict domestic tibetan life - don't expect it to be a proper museum but there are still some good insights to be gained.

there might be somewhat of a slant against the former social class system but worth a visit just the same, it'll only take about thirty minutes to see everything anyway.