The Palcho Monastery or Pelkor Chode Monastery or Shekar Gyantse is the main
monastery
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 whi ...
in the Nyangchu river valley in
Gyantse
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 the Tibet region ( ...
,
Gyantse County
Gyantse County officially Gyangzê County (; ) is a county of Xigazê in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Its main settlement is Gyantse Town known for its monasteries.
Town and townships
1 town and 18 townships:
* Gyangzê (Gyantse) Town (, )
* ...
,
Shigatse Prefecture
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (; Nepali Language, 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 , correspon ...
,
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region or Xizang Autonomous Region, often shortened to Tibet or Xizang, is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China in Southwest China. It was overlayed on the traditional Tibetan regions of ...
. The monastery precinct is a complex of structures which, apart from the Tsuklakhang Monastery, also includes its
Kumbum
A Kumbum ( "one hundred thousand holy images") is a multi-storied aggregate of Buddhist chapels in Tibetan Buddhism. The most famous Kumbum forms part of Palcho Monastery.
The first Kumbum was founded in the fire sheep year 1427 by a Gyantse p ...
, believed to be the largest such structure in Tibet,
[Neville-Hadley p.771 quote:the nine story Kumbum the largest chorten in Tibet.] that is most notable for its
108 108 may refer to:
* 108 (number)
* AD 108, a year
* 108 BC, a year
* 108 (artist) (born 1978), Italian street artist
* 108 (band), an American hardcore band
* 108 (emergency telephone number), an emergency telephone number in several states in Ind ...
chapels in its several floors and the old Dzong or fort.
History
The earliest history of the Penchor Chode Monastery is traced to the ninth century.
Pelkhor-tsen, son of
Langdarma
Darma Udumtsen (), better known by his nickname Langdarma (, "Mature Bull" or "Dharma the Bull") was most likely the last Tibetan Emperor who most likely reigned from 838 to 841 CE. Early sources call him Tri Darma "King Dharma". His domain e ...
(anti Buddhist King of
West Tibet) after whom the monastery is named as Pelkor Chode, lived here and attempted to perpetuate the
Yarlung dynasty of his father who had been assassinated.
[Dorje p.156]
Gyantse town was established between the 14th and 15th centuries as a
feudatory
A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain. W ...
, with the
Sakya
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 depic ...
sect playing a crucial overlord role. During this period, the
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
monuments were also built with the Dzong (the old fort) followed by the Kumbum and the Pekor monastery. All three structures have been dated. Tsuklakhang monastery was built by prince Rabton Kunzang Phak between 1418 and 1425. However, Gyantse's historical importance declined by the end of the 15th century.
[Mayhew p.165]
The Tsuklakhang, the main temple of the monastery was built in 1418–1428 by Rabten Kunzang Phak, the second Prince of Gyantse, who was a devotee of
Kedrub Je (1385–1438), one of
Tsongkapa's leading disciples later recognized as the
1st Panchen Lama. It became an important centre of the Sakya sect 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 ...
. The Kumbum or Tashigomang, commenced construction in 1427 and completed by 1437, also by prince Rabten Kunzang Phak. Several other buildings followed, with Buddhist sects such as Sakyapa,
Zhalupa and
Gelukpa
240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).">Bodh_Gaya.html" ;"title="Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya">Bodhgaya (India).
The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuou ...
building religious colleges or hermitages; 16 colleges were recorded by the end of 17th century, increasing to 18 by the start of the 19th century. However most of them were later closed. Now, only two colleges of the Gelukpa order remain, which are stated to be of little consequence.
[Dorje p.156]
Another testament to Prince Rabten Kunzang Phak's period is the public display of two gigantic paintings; (Thangkas
A ''thangka'', variously spelled as ''thangka'', ''tangka'', ''thanka'', or ''tanka'' (; Standard Tibetan, Tibetan: ཐང་ཀ་; Nepal Bhasa: पौभा), is a Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhist painting on cotton, silk appliqué, usuall ...
) of Shakyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
flanked by his two principal disciples, of Maitreya, Manjushri and many more on the occasion of the Gyantse festival that is held in the fourth lunar month of the Tibetan calendar
The Tibetan calendar (), or Tibetan lunar calendar, is a lunisolar calendar, that is, the Tibetan year is composed of either 12 or 13 lunar months, each beginning and ending with a new moon. A thirteenth month is added every two or three years ...
. This practice was started between 1418 and 1419 in the northeast corner of the monastery walls, known as Goku Tramsa.[Dorje p.156]
In 1904, the town and monastery were attacked by British soldiers under the leadership of Francis Younghusband
Lieutenant Colonel Sir Francis Edward Younghusband, (31 May 1863 – 31 July 1942) was a British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer. He is remembered for his travels in the Far East and Central Asia; especially the 1904 British ...
(commanding 1000 troops, 10,000 servants, and 4,000 yaks
The domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''), also known as the Tartary ox, grunting ox or hairy cattle, is a species of long-haired domesticated cattle found throughout the Himalayan region of the Indian subcontinent, the Tibetan Plateau, Kachin St ...
) and although most of the damage was later restored, bullet holes from this attack remain in the monastery to this day. Following the capture of Gyantse fort, the agreement signed by the Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
an Regent
A regent (from Latin : ruling, governing) is a person appointed to govern a state '' pro tempore'' (Latin: 'for the time being') because the monarch is a minor, absent, incapacitated or unable to discharge the powers and duties of the monarchy ...
, resulted in establishment of British Trade Missions at Gyantse and Mount Kailash
Mount Kailash (also Kailasa; ''Kangrinboqê'' or ''Gang Rinpoche''; Tibetan: གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ; ; sa, कैलास, ), is a mountain in the Ngari Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region of China. It has an altitude of ...
in Tibet. In 1906, the British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
signed an agreement with the Chinese authorities, which established their influence over Tibet and thus "effectively ending both British and Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
influence".[Mayhew p.169-171]
It was partially destroyed in 1959 after a revolt against Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
rule. It was ransacked again during the Cultural Revolution
The Cultural Revolution, formally known as the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, was a sociopolitical movement in the People's Republic of China (PRC) launched by Mao Zedong in 1966, and lasting until his death in 1976. Its stated goa ...
, but has since been largely restored. Prior to the uprising there were 1520 monks but now they number less than 80.["A Year in Tibet" (2008) BBC Worldwide Ltd. DVD video.]
Architecture
Architecturally, Pelkhor monastery is a fusion of Han
Han may refer to:
Ethnic groups
* Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group.
** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...
, Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...
an and Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
i architecture.[
The most striking architecture in the complex, a symbol of Gyantse, is the Bodhi Dagoba (]Tibetan
Tibetan may mean:
* of, from, or related to Tibet
* Tibetan people, an ethnic group
* Tibetan language:
** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
name: Pelkhor Choede), popularly called as the 'Kumbum'. It is a high structure, a nine-tier building with 108 gates (108 interpreted as nine-tier structure representing space multiplied by the time element of 12 zodiac signs
In Western astrology, astrological signs are the twelve 30-degree sectors that make up Earth's 360-degree orbit around the Sun. The signs enumerate from the first day of spring, known as the First Point of Aries, which is the vernal equinox. ...
), and 76 chapels and shrines; out of the nine floors, the first five are square in shape while the rest are circular giving it a pyramidal appearance. It is also given the name “the Ten Thousand Buddha Pagodas”, as it has enshrined about ten thousand figures of Buddhas as images and murals. It has hundred chapels overlapping each other, which is called the 'tower upon tower' structure. The chapels have the finest display of Tibetan art in "vibrant colour and naturalistic style"; in the faces of the murals Chinese images are discerned. Three Buddhist sects namely, Sakyapa, Kadampa
300px, Tibetan Portrait of Atiśa
The Kadam school () of Tibetan Buddhism was an 11th century Buddhist tradition founded by the great Bengali master Atiśa (982-1054) and his students like Dromtön (1005–1064), a Tibetan Buddhist lay master. ...
and Gelugpa
240px, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Bodhgaya (India).
The Gelug (, also Geluk; "virtuous")Kay, David N. (2007). ''Tibetan and Zen Buddhism in Britain: Transplantati ...
are represented here. It is considered the largest of the three Kumbums in Tibet; the other two Kumbams are the Jonang Kumbum and Ching Riwoche.
Kumbum
Kumbum has nine floors or tiers and each tier has unique chapels. The 76 chapels have images that form "a progressive hierarchy of three-dimensional manadalas, as outlined in the Sakyapa compilation known as the ''Drubtob Gyatsa'', ensuring that the stupa encapsulates within it the entire spiritual path and gradation of the tantras".[Dorje p.260]
The first tier of the Kumbum has staircases at the cardinal points which lead to the second tier, with the main entrance being that from the southern side. The second tier has 20 chapels which house images of Kriyatantras in a clockwise order. The third tier has 16 chapels and also depicts images of ''Kriyatantras'' along with ''Caryatantras'', arranged in a clockwise order. In the fourth tier, there are twenty chapels depicting images of Yogatantras in a clockwise order. The fifth tier has 12 chapels depicting lineage
holders. In the sixth tier there are four chapels, which show Yogatantra deities. The seventh tier has a single chapel with 10 mandalas, a unique depiction of the "Father Class of Unsurpassed Yogatantras". The eighth tier has also a single chapel but depicts 11 mandalas of "Mother Class of Unsurpassed Yogatantras". The last and tenth tier has a single chapel, which has an idol of the Vajradhara
Vajradhara (Sanskrit: वज्रधर. (Also, the name of Indra, because 'Vajra' means diamond, as well as the thunderbolt, anything hard more generally) Tibetan: རྡོ་རྗེ་འཆང། rdo rje 'chang (Dorje Chang); zh, t=金 ...
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...
but is "flanked by the masters of the Kalachakra
''Kālacakra'' () is a polysemic term in Vajrayana Buddhism that means " wheel of time" or "time cycles". "''Kālacakra''" is also the name of a series of Buddhist texts and a major practice lineage in Indian Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism. The ...
".[Dorje p.258]
Tsulaklakang Monastery
Tsulaklakang is the main temple. It has an Assembly Hall called as 'Tshomchen' in Tibetan and well preserved. The structure has three floors and has well-preserved murals and images of the fifteenth century.[Dorje p.256-257]
The ground floor has at the entry itself four images of Four Guardian Kings. At the entrance to the main Assembly hall, there is a protector shrine called Gonkhang. The impressive 48 pillared hall is decorated with numerous silk Tankhas, images of Sakya
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 depic ...
protectors, frescoes of frightening scenes of charnel grounds and several original paintings and sculptures, in 15th century Tibetan style. The Sakya protectors depicted are: Panjurantha (Gompa Gur), Six-Armed Mahakala
Mahākāla is a deity common to Hinduism and Tantric Buddhism. In Buddhism, Mahākāla is regarded as the sacred '' Dharmapāla'' ("Protector of the Dharma"), while in Hinduism, Mahākāla is a fierce manifestation of the Hindu god Shiva and th ...
, Sri Devi and Ekajati
Ekajaṭī or Ekajaṭā (Sanskrit: "One Plait Woman"; : one who has one knot of hair), also known as Māhacīnatārā,''The Alchemical Body: Siddha Traditions in Medieval India'' By David Gordon White. pg 65 is one of the 21 Taras. Ekajati is ...
. The inner sanctum in the Main Chapel has idols of Buddhas of the Three Times with a bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism.
According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
as the main deity at the centre. This image is in height and is made from about of copper.[ The three Buddha images are also flanked by images of Manjughosha and Maitreya in standing posture. The entire interior chapel walls are painted with scenes from the ''Sutras of the Auspicious Acon'' ''( Bhadrakalpikasutra)''. In the Vajradhatu Chapel (Dorje Ying Lhakhang) on the west, Sarvavid ]Vairochana
Vairocana (also Mahāvairocana, sa, वैरोचन) is a cosmic buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Vairocana is often interpreted, in texts like the '' Avatamsaka Sutra'', as the dharmakāya of the historical Gautama Buddha. In E ...
's statue made in clay is deified and is surrounded by four meditational Buddhas. A gold-inscribed manuscript of Kangyur
The Tibetan Buddhist canon is a loosely defined collection of sacred texts recognized by various schools of Tibetan Buddhism, comprising the Kangyur or Kanjur ('Translation of the Word') and the Tengyur or Tanjur ( Tengyur) ('Translation of Trea ...
dated 1431 is also on display here. The Royal Chapel (Chogyel Lakhang) depicts clay images of the ancient kings. Images of Atisha, Kamalashila, Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
, Shantarakshita, Manjushri, eleven-faced Avalokiteshwara, Vajrapani
(Sanskrit; Pali: Vajirapāṇi, meaning, " Vajra in ishand") is one of the earliest-appearing bodhisattvas in Mahayana Buddhism. He is the protector and guide of Gautama Buddha and rose to symbolize the Buddha's power.
Vajrapāni is also ...
and Shakyashri
Nalanda (, ) was a renowned ''mahavihara'' (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha (modern-day Bihar), eastern India. Considered by historians to be the world's first residential university and among the greatest centers of learning i ...
of Kashmir are also seen in this chapel. The large statue of Maitreya at the centre of this chapel is said to be a later addition. The south wall of this chapel depicts a Reliquary of Prince Rabten Kunzang Phak (founder of the temple) in a recessed chamber and also many volumes of canonical texts.[Dorje p.256-257]
The upper floor has five chapels. It houses clay images of Sakyapa lineage. The prominent images seen here are: the three-dimensional model of mandala palace of the deity Cakrasaṃvara, yogic poses of eighty four Mahasiddhas
Mahasiddha (Sanskrit: ''mahāsiddha'' "great adept; ) is a term for someone who embodies and cultivates the "siddhi of perfection". A siddha is an individual who, through the practice of sādhanā, attains the realization of siddhis, psychic a ...
of ancient India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, Maitreya Chapel and a sacred small image of Tara. The Tsongkhapa
Tsongkhapa ('','' meaning: "the man from Tsongkha" or "the Man from Onion Valley", c. 1357–1419) was an influential Tibetan Buddhist monk, philosopher and tantric yogi, whose activities led to the formation of the Gelug school of Tibetan Budd ...
Chapel on the same floor has images of Tsongkhapa, Dalai Lama VII, Shakyamuni, Buton Rinchen Drub, Sakya Pandita
Sakya Pandita Kunga Gyeltsen (Tibetan: ས་སྐྱ་པཎ་ཌི་ཏ་ཀུན་དགའ་རྒྱལ་མཚན, ) (1182 – 28 November 1251) was a Tibetan spiritual leader and Buddhist scholar and the fourth of the Five S ...
, Padmasambhava
Padmasambhava ("Born from a Lotus"), also known as Guru Rinpoche (Precious Guru) and the Lotus from Oḍḍiyāna, was a tantric Buddhist Vajra master from India who may have taught Vajrayana in Tibet (circa 8th – 9th centuries)... According ...
and the Sakyapa lamas of the Lamdre
Lamdré is a meditative system in Tibetan Buddhism rooted in the view that the result of its practice is contained within the path. The name "lamdré" means the “path" () with its fruit ). In Tibet, the lamdré teachings are considered the ''sum ...
lineage. Neten Lakhang is another Chapel, which has Chinese-style images of Sixteen Elders, aside from images of the Five Aspects of Manjushri and the Four Guardian Kings.[Dorje p.257]
On the top floor, is the Zhalyekhang chapel, which has 15 mandalas
A mandala ( sa, मण्डल, maṇḍala, circle, ) is a geometric configuration of symbols. In various spiritual traditions, mandalas may be employed for focusing attention of practitioners and adepts, as a spiritual guidance tool, for e ...
of diameter painted on the walls, associated with meditational deities. Images of Jowo Shakyamuni, Maitreya, Manjushri, Tsongkhapa with his disciples, Amitayus, Tara, Sitatapatra and Padmasambhava are depicted.[Dorje p.258-260] The chapels on this floor also contain images of Amitabha Buddha, Dakinis
A ḍākinī ( sa, डाकिनी; ; mn, хандарма; ; alternatively 荼枳尼, ; 荼吉尼, ; or 吒枳尼, ; Japanese: 荼枳尼 / 吒枳尼 / 荼吉尼, ''dakini'') is a type of female spirit, goddess, or demon in Hinduism and Bud ...
and esoteric murals.[
]
Zhacang (hall for the monks)
Zhacang is the residential quarters of the monks. There is separate hall for each sect.[
]
Murals
Murals on themes of "Esoteric and Exoteric Buddhism", and the story of the Buddha are found in profusion in the monastery.[
]
Gyantse Fort
Gyantse Fort or Gyantse Dzong (Jiangzi Dzong) built on the rugged hills surrounding the Gyantze town (once the third largest town in Tibet) has an arresting presence behind the town. The fortress is dated to 1268 and a castle was also built inside by local Prince Phakpa Pelzangpo (1318–1370) who was influential with the Sakyapa overlords. Buddhist guru Butan Rinchen Drub of Zhalu resided here at the invitation of the prince and made it his religious seat. Later, in the 14th century, the palace was moved from the fort to the Gyantse town where Kunga Phakpa had built a larger complex of buildings and monasteries. During this period, he also built a temple on the hill top called the Sampel Rinchenling. However, this is seen only in ruins now except for some murals made in genuine Newari and Gyantse Tibetan styles.[Dorje p.257]
Festival
The most popular festival celebrated in the monastery is held on 15 April. It is known as the Saka Dawa festival to commemorate Sakyamuni, the founder of Buddhism; this day is said to mark his birthday and also the day of his death. On this occasion, five hundred Lamas chant sutras when local people attend. Horse racing and archery festivals are held in the middle of fourth lunar month.[
]
Visitor information
Pelkhor Choede in Gyantse town is located about to the south of Lhasa
Lhasa (; Lhasa dialect: ; bo, text=ལྷ་ས, translation=Place of Gods) is the urban center of the prefecture-level Lhasa City and the administrative capital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Southwest China. The inner urban area of Lhas ...
and to east of Shigatse
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 monastery is a short walk from the heart of the town. The Friendship Highway that connects Kathmandu
, pushpin_map = Nepal Bagmati Province#Nepal#Asia
, coordinates =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name =
, subdivision_type1 = Province
, subdivision_name1 = Bagmati Prov ...
, Nepal
Nepal (; ne, :ne:नेपाल, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in S ...
to Lhasa passes through Gyantse
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 the Tibet region ( ...
.[
]
Gallery
File:Yak butter lamps in the Pelkhor monastery.jpg, Yak butter lamps
File:Buddhist artwork in the Pelkhor Monastery, Gyantse1.jpg, Buddhist artwork
File:Buddhist artwork in the Pelkhor Monastery, Gyantse2.jpg, Buddhist artwork
File:Buddhist scriptures in the Pelkhor.jpg, Buddhist scriptures
See also
* Great Stupa of Universal Compassion
Footnotes
References
*Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert. (1986). ''Tibet: a travel survival kit''. Lonely Planet Publications, South Yarra, Australia. .
*Dorje, Gyurme (1999). ''Footprint Tibet Handbook with Bhutan''. 2nd Edition. Footprint Handbooks, Bath, England. .
*Dowman, Keith (1988). ''The Power-places of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide''. Routledge & Kegan Paul, London and New York. .
*Sun, Shuyun (2008). ''A Year in Tibet: A Voyage of Discovery''. HarperPress, London. .
Literature
*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. : dPal ’khor chos sde («palkhor chöde»), pp. 553, 699, 703, 870–881; Figs. XIII–35–40; Pls. 201–204; dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang («palkhor tsuglagkhang»), pp. 553, 870–881, 1245, 1246; Fig. XIII–35; Pls. 201–204; dPal ’khor mchod rten («palkhor chöden») also known as sKu ’bum («kumbum»), pp. 553, 703 n. 484; 870–873, 1245; Figs. XIII–36–40; Byams pa mchod pa lha khang («champa chöpa lhakhang») on the upper floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang («palkhor tsuglagkhang»), p. 870; Pls. 37C, 169C, 224D, 231C, 234C, 271C, 277D, 280B, 280C, 280E, 304C, 314C, 317C, 317E, 319C, 322E–F, 327D; Chos rgyal lha khang («chögyal lhakhang»), now known as rGyal ba Byams pa’i lha khang («champey lhakhang»), on the ground floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, p. 870; rDo rje dbyings lha khang («dorjeying lhakhang») on the ground floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, p. 870; mGon khang («gönkhang») on the ground floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, p. 870; Jo bo’i lha khang («jowö lhakhang»), or gTsang khang («tsangkhang») on the ground floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, p. 870; Pls. 140A, 212A–B, 232A, 233C, 254B, 267B, 347C; Lam ’bras lha khang («lamdre lhakhang») on the upper floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, pp. 870, 874–881; Pls. 201–204; gNas brtan lha khang («neden lhakhang») on the upper floor of the dPal ’khor gTsug lag khang, pp. 870, 1245; Pl. 172D.
{{Buddhist monasteries in Tibet
Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and temples
Buddhist monasteries in Tibet
Buddhist temples in Tibet
1418 establishments in Asia
Religious organizations established in the 1410s
Gyantse County
Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Tibet