Yamdrok lake is one of the four holy lakes of Tibet.

The drive from Tsedang to Gyangtse covers a distance of 350 kilometers and weaves through three mountain passes and two lakes. The first part of the journey hits one with its sheer desolateness. The entire terrain is so dry and barren that cracks tear up the mountains whilst a river bed glitters emptily in the harsh sun; the landscape a monotonous shade of gold. Over ancient dirt roads clinging to the edge of the mountains, we drove higher and higher, twisting and turning around crags of rock to the first pass of the journey, Kambala pass, at a height of 4,794 meters. Draped in prayer flags the pass is breathtakingly beautiful. A nomad came from nowhere and placed a one day old little black goat in my arms. I could only look around me in absolute awe, and at that little face with absolute love.

On the other side of the pass is Yamdrok lake, one of the four holy lakes of Tibet and an important center for pilgrimage. The lake is a dead salt lake - no rivers feed it - and it is considered to be the abode of certain protector deities. Yamdrok has a surface area of 638 square kilometers at an elevation of 4,441 meters and has over 20 islets with rich and picturesque pasture grounds surrounding it. My journey took me by the banks of its turquoise waters reflecting the vivid blue skies above, further on to peaks and valleys clad in mountain grass and ice to the Karola pass at 5,050 meters where a glacier hissed slowly in the silence on the slopes of Nosin Kang Sa Mountain, which rises to nearly 7,300 meters. The last pass to cross was Simila pass at 4,330 meters overlooking a man made lake with the most vivid green waters and red cliffs. And on we drove, through strange eerie shaped valleys and little remote villages huddled under austere peaks, to finally reach Gyangtse in the late afternoon.

The road to Gyangtse and the splendid Kumbum stupa at our destination.

The old town of Gyangtse is entrenched in an authentic Tibetan spell. The third largest city in Tibet, it used to be an independent country, but is now part of Shigatse. It sits by the road from Lhasa to Sakya, Shigatse and Yatong and has from ancient times been a center where pilgrims, merchants and travellers converge. Gyangtse is also known as the hero city. In 1904, the Young Husband British expedition invaded Gyangtse leading to the flight of the Dalai Lama to Mongolia. The Tibetan monks fought the British for seven days and seven nights at the Dzong, Gyangtse’s hilltop fort dating back to 1268, with mere stones and sling shots.

Founded in the 15th Century, the Pelkhor Chode Monastery is the most famous site in town. It was built in 1418 and houses all four Tibetan sects. The monastery is a veritable museum of Buddhist artifacts including holy scriptures written in gold ink on ancient papers made of poison and grass that have kept them out of harms way over the centuries from the hordes of mice that scramble through the rooms. The scriptures consist of the Genju which are 108 volumes of translated commandments and the Tenju which are 200 volumes of translated commentaries. Other treasures include original effigies of various Buddhist deities, including Sakyamuni, also known as the present Buddha and depicted seated in a lotus position or reclining; Maitreya or future Buddha portrayed seated; horse headed Buddha which is a depiction of the protective Buddha; Taras which are female Buddhas; and Avalokiteshwara, the boddhisattva of compassion. There are 21 Taras in Tibetan Buddhism of which the Green Tara and White Tara are believed to be the most important. Avalokiteshwara is commonly depicted with 11 heads facing three directions to enable the boddhisattva to see mankind everywhere. The image usually has 1,000 arms and 1,000 eyes in his hands to see and help all suffering.

The Gyangtse horse festival, in which horse races, archery contests, and other games are performed as entertainment, is held in June. The event is preceded by a religious dance in which the monks of the town wear fantastic masks, originating in the ancient Bon religion, and dance. Festivities also include the display of a big thangka on an outside wall of the monastery. When not in use, the thangka, dating back 500 years and woven of silk, is stored inside. The assembly hall, the core of the building, is adorned with smaller thangkas dating back to the 15th Century. In the main chapel is a bronze statue of Sakyamuni about eight meters in height, together with 16 clay boddhisattvas dating back to the 18th Century. The long ears and big feet are considered as signs of wisdom. In the top floor is a tiny statue of the White Tara which is said to speak to those who have done good karma. There are 120 monks living in the monastery today.

Adjacent to the monastery is the splendid octagonal Kumbum stupa which rises up within the walls of the monastery with its nine tiers, 77 chapels, and 108 gates. It is the largest stupa in Tibet and was built in the 15th Century by the Nepalese newari craftsmen. It houses a great number of miniature Buddhist paintings, estimated at about 100,000 altogether, and is otherwise known as 'the Pagoda of 100,000 Buddha Images'. The Kumbum's liturgical collection also includes a total of over 1,000 clay, bronze and gilded sculptures of the Buddha in addition to a great number of thangkas.

<<previous            next>>

Home | Travel Blog | Image Library | About Me | My Poems | Giving Back