Gonggar County, also Gongkar (; ), is a county of
Shannan in the
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a Provinces of China, province-level Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People's Republic of China in Southwest China. I ...
, one of the 12 counties of the prefecture. It has under its jurisdiction five towns, three townships, 43 administrative villages (neighbourhood committees) and 168 village development committees and contains notable landmarks such as the
Gonggar Choide Monastery, the
Zhug Dêqên Qoikor Monastery, Gangdoi Town, the
Gonggar Dzong
The Gonggar Dzong (, ), also known as Gongkar Dzong, is located in Gonggar County, Shannan Prefecture, Tibet, China. It is close to the Gongkar town, the Gonggar Choide Monastery and the Gonggar Airport, from the town. The Dzong is also known ...
at
Xoi, the
Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport (, bo, ལྷ་ས་གོང་དཀར་གནམ་གྲུ་ཐང་; ) is the airport serving Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is about to Lhasa and abou ...
at
Gyazhugling, the
Tubdain Ramai Monastery and the county seat of
Gyixung.
Legend
The fable narrated about this county is that the "first Tibetan was born to the fairy girl, Ruosa and her monkey lover".
History
History of the county came into limelight with the establishment of the
Sakyapa
The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.
Origins
Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...
school of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
. Among the many
dzongs
Dzong architecture is used for dzongs, a distinctive type of fortified monastery ( dz, རྫོང, , ) architecture found mainly in Bhutan and Tibet. The architecture is massive in style with towering exterior walls surrounding a complex of cou ...
and
monasteries
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
established in the 14th century the best known are the Gonngar Dzong and the Gonggar Choede Monastery.
In recent history of the county, during the Cultural Revolution of the 1950s, Gonggar County was the scene of armed rebellion between the
Kamba
Kamba may refer to:
*Kamba people
The Kamba or Akamba (sometimes called Wakamba) people are a Bantu ethnic group who predominantly live in the area of Kenya stretching from Nairobi to Tsavo and north to Embu, in the southern part of the f ...
rebels (under the banner of “four rivers and six mountain ranges”) and the
Peoples Liberation Army
The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...
of China (PLA); PLA troops were killed and their convoy of army vehicles ambushed here.
Geography
![NH-46-9 Lasa Tibet](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/NH-46-9_Lasa_Tibet.jpg)
Gonggar County is located in southern Tibet and has a total area of . The
Yarlung Tsangpo River
The Yarlung Tsangpo, also called Yarlung Zangbo () is the upper stream of the Brahmaputra River located in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It is the longest river of Tibet and the fifth longest in China. The upper section is also called Da ...
(
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Tibet, northeast India, and Bangladesh. It is also known as the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, Luit in Assamese, and Jamuna River in Bangla. It ...
), the mother river of Tibet, flows through the Gonggar County and among other counties of Shannan, and is thus rich in water resources. Set in west to east direction, the county is a plateau land with an average altitude of . The Gonggar County is situated at a location where Yarlung Tsangpo River is very wide. It is for this reason that the Gonggar Airport was constructed at this location. The airport lies to the west of Rawa-me, which is the capital of the county at the entry of the Namrab Valley, from Lhasa and from Tsetang, the capital of Shannan. The county is bounded by the Mount Chuwaru (held sacred in Tibet) opposite to Chusul, the Gompa La () Pass to the south on the route to the sacred Yamdrok Lake in West Tibet, on the east to the limits of the Dal Valley on the south bank of the Brahmaputra and Dorje Monastery on the north bank. The county also envelops the southern side valleys of Namrab and Drib counties and the northern side valleys of Leuchung and Trango counties.
;Climate
The county has monsoon climate. It has four climatic seasons. It has a long winter and hardly any summer season. The average temperature varies from , with the warmest month average temperature being and the coldest month average temperature is . The average annual precipitation is with 29.9 rainy days. The annual sunshine hours are 3,194 and frost-free period is 142 days. It is subject to natural disasters from frequent storms with 40 days of gale days on an average concentrated in February–April. Solar radiation has been recorded as 7,710 MJ/m
2
;Vegetation
The forest area in the county is 7.8 million
mu and of grassland area is 282 mu. The main crops and vegetables grown are barley, winter wheat, spring wheat, pea, broad bean, rape, radish, potato, Yuan cabbage, tomatoes and cauliflower. Medicinal plants and products in the county are creeping
cypress
Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the ...
,
opulus,
ginseng
Ginseng () is the root of plants in the genus ''Panax'', such as Korean ginseng ('' P. ginseng''), South China ginseng ('' P. notoginseng''), and American ginseng ('' P. quinquefolius''), typically characterized by the presence of ginsenosides an ...
fruits,
snow lotus,
Chinese caterpillar fungus
''Ophiocordyceps sinensis'' (formerly known as ''Cordyceps sinensis''), known colloquially as caterpillar fungus, is an entomopathogenic fungus (a fungus that grows on insects) in the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. It is mainly found in the mead ...
, ''
Fritillaria
''Fritillaria'' (fritillaries) is a genus of spring flowering herbaceous bulbous perennial plants in the lily family (Liliaceae). The type species, ''Fritillaria meleagris'', was first described in Europe in 1571, while other species from the ...
'',
musk
Musk (Persian: مشک, ''Mushk'') is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They include glandular secretions from animals such as the musk deer, numerous plants emitting similar fragrances, and artificial sub ...
and
seabuckthorn
''Hippophae'' is the genus of sea buckthorns, deciduous shrubs in the family Elaeagnaceae. The name sea buckthorn may be hyphenated to avoid confusion with the unrelated true buckthorns (''Rhamnus'', family Rhamnaceae). It is also referred to as ...
.
;Fauna
The wildlife species recorded in the county are
wild yak
The wild yak (''Bos mutus'') is a large, wild bovine native to the Himalayas. It is the ancestor of the domestic yak (''Bos grunniens'').
Taxonomy
The ancestor of the wild and domestic yak is thought to have diverged from ''Bos primigenius'' ...
,
wild ass The wild asses (''Asinus'') are a subgenus of single toed grazing ungulates. Its species are:
*African wild ass ''Equus africanus''
**Nubian wild ass ''Equus africanus africanus'' (likely ancestor of the domestic donkey)
**Somali wild ass ''Equus a ...
,
Tibetan antelope
The Tibetan antelope or chiru (''Pantholops hodgsonii'') (, pronounced ; ) is a medium-sized bovid native to the northeastern Tibetan plateau. Most of the population live within the Chinese border, while some scatter across India and Bhutan in ...
,
Tibetan gazelle
The goa (''Procapra picticaudata''), also known as the Tibetan gazelle, is a species of antelope that inhabits the Tibetan plateau.
Description
The goa is a relatively small antelope, with slender and graceful bodies. Both males and females sta ...
, and
black-necked crane
The black-necked Crane (''Grus nigricollis'') is a medium-sized crane in Asia that breeds on the Tibetan Plateau and remote parts of India and Bhutan. It is 139 cm (55 in) long with a 235 cm (7.8 ft) wingspan, and it weighs ...
s. The livestock are mainly yak, pianniu, cattle, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, mules and pigs.
Economy
The county has predominantly an agricultural economy and is considered the grain base of Shannan. Tourism also adds to the economic development of the county.
Economic progress is witnessed in the county in all sectors of economy. In recent years, the county has held five Trade fairs and 3 cultural fairs to promote local products and Tibetan handicrafts.
;Energy
The energy resources of the county consist of the two functioning hydropower stations with generating capacity of 530 MWh. The Yamzhog pumped storage power station with installed capacity of 90 MW is under construction.
;Handicrafts
The famous apron, which the Tibetan married women wear, is a handicraft of the Gonggar County in the Jiedexiu area and is known as "Jed Show Apron". The county is synonymous with this apron, which has a distinctive and characteristic style and it is produced here for the last 500 or 600 years.
Demographics
Gonggar County has a geographical area of , with a total population of 50,000 (2003), which gives a population density of 21 per km
2.
Landmarks
As the cradle of ancient culture and its enviable position in the rich history of Tibet, Gonggar County has unique and rich historical monuments, natural geological features such as lake and caves, scenic regions and religiously linked mountains.
;Dorje Drak / Dorjezha monastery
Dorjezha Monastery, situated on a hilltop, blends well with the rock setting and is named after the rock known as Vraja, the green coloured gemstones found behind the monastery. The literal meaning of ‘Dorjezha’ is “Diamond Hill.” It was initially built on modest lines, on the right bank of the
Yarlung River by a wealthy local man known as Doxie Dorje. The monastery was destroyed completely in 1717 during Zungar invasion of this area. It was, however, rebuilt in 1718. Further, the monastery was supported by the
Fifth Dalai Lama
Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso (; ; 1617–1682) was the 5th Dalai Lama and the first Dalai Lama to wield effective temporal and spiritual power over all Tibet. He is often referred to simply as the Great Fifth, being a key religious and temporal leader ...
and consequently, it underwent major improvements and became one of the famous monasteries of Tibet. At the peak of its popularity 2000 monks of
Nyingma
Nyingma (literally 'old school') is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. It is also often referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), "order of the ancient translations". The Nyingma school is founded on the first lineages and transl ...
sect resided here; it is known as the only ancestral monastery of the
Sakyapa
The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu.
Origins
Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...
sect. It was substantially damaged during the Cultural Revolution. However, it was rebuilt in 1978. At present, 29 monks reside here, and most of them are from the Gonggar County, except one monk who is from
Renbo County of
Shigatse Prefecture
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (; Nepali: ''सिगात्से''), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. Its area of jurisdiction, with an area of , corresponds to the histor ...
. The Management system established is democratic, with each individual member of the Management Commission made responsible for particular tasks such as religious activities, finance and daily matters. It maintains close interaction with the Choqin Monastery (
Dege County in
Sichuan
Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...
province) also of the Nyigma sect and both follow the same teaching and practicing of Buddhist tenets. In this monastery, the practice of the “Reincarnation of the Living Buddha” is followed and hence it has the name of ''Renchenqinmo Dorjeza Jambeilobsam Gyinmeinamzogyacho'' and the present Living Buddha is the 10th Reincarnation in this lineage, and as result this monastery has huge reputation among the adherents of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism (also referred to as Indo-Tibetan Buddhism, Lamaism, Lamaistic Buddhism, Himalayan Buddhism, and Northern Buddhism) is the form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet and Bhutan, where it is the dominant religion. It is also in majo ...
.
;Mao Zedong statue
A large statue of
Mao Zedong
Mao Zedong pronounced ; also romanised traditionally as Mao Tse-tung. (26 December 1893 – 9 September 1976), also known as Chairman Mao, was a Chinese communist revolutionary who was the founder of the People's Republic of China (PRC) ...
has been installed in the Gonggar County in Gonggar town. The statue was erected by contributions made by the people of
Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
Province, where Mao was born. The statue, erected in honour of the Chairman Mao, was in gratitude for the people of his hometown. The statue is erected on a pedestal is tall and weighs 35 tonnes and made in granite. It cost 480,000 yuan (US$60,000).
;Gyaideshiu town
Gyaideshiu town (also spelt Jiedexiu Town) is famous for the Gyaideshiu 'Bangdian' apron not only among women in Tibet but also is in demand in Nepal, India, Bhutan and Western Europe. The town is located in the county, to its east on the highway towards
Zetang
Tsetang () or Zedang (), is the fourth largest city in Tibet and is located in the Yarlung Valley, southeast of Lhasa in Nedong District of the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet region of China. It is the capital of Shannan Prefecture (which is ...
.
Bangdian" is an apron of China's Tibetan ethnic group with historic heritage of 1,500 years of hand weaving. This weaving technique is designated as "China's state-level intangible cultural heritage."
Transport
There are two National Highways passing through the county, apart from several rural network of roads. The county is also famous for the Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Lhasa Gonggar Airport (, bo, ལྷ་ས་གོང་དཀར་གནམ་གྲུ་ཐང་; ) is the airport serving Lhasa, the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China. It is about to Lhasa and abou ...
.
References
External links
Hudong Encyclopedia
{{Province-level divisions of the People's Republic of China
Counties of Tibet
Shannan, Tibet