Gyantse, officially Gyangzê Town (also spelled Gyangtse; ; ), is a town located in Gyantse County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It was historically considered the third largest and most prominent town in Tibet (after Lhasa and Shigatse), but there are now at least ten larger Tibetan cities.[Dorje (1999), p. 254.]
History
In 1904, the British expedition to Tibet reached Gyantse on 11 April. The town's garrison had already fled, and the expedition's members entered the town bloodlessly through the front gates, which were opened for them, and occupied Gyantse. After the town was occupied, several British officers visited the
Palcho Monastery and seized several statues and scrolls. During the occupation, the town's inhabitants continued to go about their business, and the expedition's medical officer, Herbert James Walton, attended to their medical needs, including performing several operations to correct the common problem of cleft palates. The expedition's officers spent time exploring the town and carrying out fishing or hunting trips in the surrounding countryside. Eventually, the expedition concluded a treaty with the Tibetan authorities, which stipulated that a British trade agent and garrison would be stationed at Gyantse.
In 1919, Sir Walter Buchanan, a member of the Royal Geographical Society, travelled into the Chumbi Valley and visited the British garrison at Gyantse, describing it as "small" and noting that it consisted primarily of Indian troops.[Sir Walter Buchanan, A recent trip into the Chumbi Valley, Tibet, The Royal Geographical Society, 1919.] During the reign of the 13th Dalai Lama, a military academy was established by the British in Gyantse to train Tibetan Army officers.[Wang Jiawei et Nyima Gyaincain, The Tibetan Army's First Eastward Invasion , in The Historical Status of China's Tibet, China Intercontinental Press, 1997.] During World War II, the British continued to maintain a garrison in Gyantse, though it was eventually disbanded by 1947.[ Hank Baker’s obituary notice, telegraph.co.uk, 4 March 2006.][Sanderson Beck, Tibet, Nepal, and Ceylon, 1800-1950.][BBC Radio 4 23 September 2013 11a.m http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03bdbq2]
Location
The town is strategically located in the Nyang Chu valley on the ancient trade routes from the
Chumbi Valley,
Yatung and
Sikkim, which met here. From Gyantse, routes led to Shigatse downstream and also over the Kora La (Pass) to Central Tibet.
[Dowman (1988), p. 269] The fortress (constructed in 1390)
[Vitali (1990), p. 30.] guarded the southern approaches to the
Yarlung Tsangpo Valley and Lhasa.
[Allen (2004), p. 30.] The town was surrounded by a wall 3 km long.
[Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert (1986), p. 158.]
Demographics
In 1952, Gyantse had a population of perhaps 8,000 people,
[Richardson (1984), p. 7.] about the same as in 2008.
[ "Tibet: Transformation and tradition." BBC News 5 March 2008.] It is 3,977 meters (13,050 ft) above sea level, and is located 254 km southwest of Lhasa in the fertile plain of the Nyang river valley and on a side branch of the Friendship Highway, which connects
Kathmandu,
Nepal to
Lhasa. Gyantse was the third largest city in Tibet before being overtaken by
Qamdo.
Landmarks
Gyantse is notable for its restored
Gyantse Dzong or fort, and its magnificent tiered
Kumbum (literally: '100,000 images') of the
Palcho Monastery, the largest chörten in Tibet. The Kumbum was commissioned by a Gyantse prince in 1427 and was an important centre of the Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism. This religious structure contains 77 chapels in its six floors, and is illustrated with over 10,000 murals, many showing a strong
influence, which have survived almost entirely intact. They are the last of its kind to be found in Tibet. Many of the restored clay statues are of less artistry than the destroyed originals - but they are still spectacular.
[Dowman (1988), p. 270.][Mayhew (2005), p. 167.]
The town was nearly destroyed by flooding in 1954. After rioting in 1959, local industries were dismantled and artisans fled while others were placed in workcamps. Some 400 monks and laypeople were imprisoned in the monastery.
During the Cultural Revolution, the fort, the monastery and Kumbum were ransacked. Precious objects were destroyed or sent out of Tibet. The
chorten was spared.
The main building of the Pelkor Chode or Palcho Monastery and the Kumbum have been largely restored but the dzong or fort is still largely in ruins. During the 20th century, the Chinese government established the "Anti-British Imperialism Museum" in Gyantse, which exhibits the state narrative on the 1904 British expedition.[Mayhew (2005), p. 168.] The sculpture that forms the centerpiece of the museum are two "Tibetan" warriors, but they were based on photos taken by Lt. G. J. Davys in Chumbi Valley of non-Tibetans doing fake battles, and the armor were worn backwards.[Harris (2012), p.130-135]
Climate
Gyantse has an elevation-influenced humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification:
Dwb).
Footnotes
-
Allen, Charles. (2004). Duel in the Snows: The True Story of the Younghusband Mission to Lhasa. John Murray (publishers), London. .
-
Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert. 1986. Tibet: a travel survival kit. Lonely Planet Publications, South Yarra, Australia. .
-
Das, Sarat Chandra. 1902. Lhasa and Central Tibet. Reprint: Mehra Offset Press, Delhi. 1988.
-
Dorje, Gyurme. 1999. Footprint Tibet Handbook. 2nd Edition. Bath, England. . Also published in Chicago, U.S.A. .
-
Dowman, Keith. 1988. The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York.
-
Harris, Clare. 2012. The Museum on the Roof of the World: Art, Politics, and the Representation of Tibet. University of Chicago Press.
-
Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005). Tibet. Lonely Planet Publications. .
-
Richardson, Hugh E (1984). Tibet and its History. Second Edition, Revised and Updated. Shambhala Publications, Boston. .
-
Vitali, Roberto. Early Temples of Central Tibet. (1990). Serindia Publications. London. .
-
von Schroeder, Ulrich. (1981). Indo-Tibetan Bronzes. (608 pages, 1244 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications Ltd.
-
von Schroeder, Ulrich. (2001). Buddhist Sculptures in Tibet. Vol. One: India & Nepal; Vol. Two: Tibet & China. (Volume One: 655 pages with 766 illustrations; Volume Two: 675 pages with 987 illustrations). Hong Kong: Visual Dharma Publications, Ltd.
-
von Schroeder, Ulrich. 2008. 108 Buddhist Statues in Tibet. (212 p., 112 colour illustrations) (DVD with 527 digital photographs). Chicago: Serindia Publications.
-
Palin, Michael (2004). Himalaya with Michael Palin. (DVD Volume 4)
==Gallery==
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