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CHEMI
CRADLE OF TIBETAN CIVILIZATION RIVERS, PEAKS, &
UNSPOILED VALLEYS
Shannon
Region
The magnificent
Yarlung Tsangpo River
winds like a long silky snake from west to east through
Tibet.
In
the middle it is joined by the Yarlong River and many other
tributaries. The road from Lhasa crosses the Yarlung
Tsangbo River and, after some distance, leads into Shannan area. This area is rich and fertile
with vast natural resources. Shannon/Lhoka Prefecture (Tsedang) of Tibet
Autonomous Region is situated south of Gangtis and Nyainchen
Tanglha mountain ranges right along the middle and lower
reaches of the Yarlung
Tsanpo River. It covers an area of more than 80,000
square kilometers (30,888 square miles) with a population of
more than 300,000 (2008) ,of which 98% are Tibetan folks. It
goes all the way south to the Gangdise and
Mt. Nyainqentanglha. There is an
average altitude here of about 3700 meters or 12,000 feet.
With more than 40 rivers and 80 lakes, including the famous Yamdrok Lake,
there is an abundance of wild flowers, plants, minerals, and
wildlife.
The Shannon/Lhokha area lies in the drainage area of Yarlong River and it was once
called Yarlong. According to rare historic documents,
archeological findings and legends, ancestors to Tibetans lived in
this area four million years ago. A piece of land in Sare Village
near Tsetang Town, is said to be the first farming field in Tibet.
When the Yarlong forefathers cultivated this land, primitive tribes
emerged.
The first king in Tibetan history, Niexie, chief
of the Yarlong tribe, started ruling over the Yarlong valley in the beginning of
second century B.C.. History reports that he founded the Fan Kingdom and its
system then established the hereditary
system of the throne.
It is recorded that the eighth king of the Fan Kingdom
built a imposing
tomb for himself and it appears the succeeding kings did the same.
During the reign of Budegong, the ninth Fan king, people were gathered to
dig a canal to channel water for irrigation. Yaks and horses were used with
primitive farm tools. During the reign of Yixiulie, the eleventh king,
standard units for
measuring the massive space of farmland was developed. During the period between the ninth
king to fifteenth king six palaces dotted the landscape. Starting with the reign of Latuotuorinianzan, the 28th king, Buddhism
was spread to Yarlong valley. Shrines were built inside the Yumbulagang Palace
by the king to honor Buddhist scriptures and ritual objects brought to the
valley by
Indian monks. Yumbu Lhakang, the
earliest palace in Tibet, is the burial ground for the kings of the Tubo
Kingdom.
The 32nd king, Songtsen Gampo conquered
many tribes, including the Subi Tribe and Yangtong
tribe and then united them into the famous Tubo Kingdom. Eventually he
transferred his capital north to Lhokha, the breadbasket of Tibet, and later to
Lhasa.
Once the Yarlong area held the economic and political
power of Tibet until a new capital was built at Lhasa. As
the 'cradle of Tibetan culture', the Shannan region is known
for firsts; the first farmland, the first king, the first palace, the first
chapel, the first monastery and the first Tibetan opera.
LHAMA NHATSO LAKE
YAMDROK YUMTSO LAKE
The word Lhaso Nhatso means heavenly 'Mother
or Goddess Lake'. The magical Lhamo
Nhatso lake is situated in the mountains of Gyacha in the county
of Gyatsa, on the top at an altitude of 5100 m above sea
level. When the holy lake freezes it looks like a smooth
mirror when looking down at it from the snow-capped peak,
5,100 meters above the sea level. The holy lake is rumored
to show pictures of future events and reveal future
fortune when pilgrims stare at it for some time. It is
so mysterious and predictive that a large number of people
come to the sacred lake to search for their future fate. The
reincarnations of successive Dalai Lama were always sought
under the enlightenment of this holy lake.
Surrounded by mountains from
all sides, the lake provides a magical view of the area, and
offers an excellent trekking route for the adventure
enthusiasts.
Yamdrok Yumtso, referred to as
the "scorpian" lake because of it's complex shape, is
connected to the Yarlung
Tsangpo River. This salt lake of low salt density begins
to freeze in mid-November. The ice can become as thick as
0.5 meter. About 1 million years ago, huge mud-rock flow
blocked the river valley in the upper reaches of the Moqu
River near Yangse about 20 kilometers west of Baidi
and the lake became a continental lake.
The lake is dense with
underwater life, Tibetan fish, Plateau Carps and many
others. For this reason there exists a fish hatchery and
other fish related businesses in this area. Fish from this
lake are sold all over the inland area, including Lhasa.
A likely result of having
lots of fish, is the abundance of bird life. In fact, this
is the largest area of bird population in Northern Tibet.
Every winter flocks of birds can be seen flying south. This
magnificent population includes large numbers of
swans, pigeons, yellow ducks, tweeters, cormorants and
barhead goose.
It takes around thirty
minutes to get down around the pass to Yamdrok Yumtso, but
the views are truly magnificent. At times there is a lot of
fog, but it changes by the minute, so wait around and you
will see the extraordinary color and shape of this unique
lake. Be aware that since the road was paved it is now
fairly crowded with tourists during the summer months. There
is a stop at the very top with stall and hawkers selling
souvenirs. In the off season there are fewer sellers and
tour operators, making this a very peaceful place. Make sure
your guide gives you sufficient time to enjoy the grandeur
of this view. Take a few minutes in addition to photo taking
to sit and gaze upon this creation. It's truly breathtaking.
SAMYE MONASTERY
YUMBULAGANG PALACE
Located
in the quiet piedmont area of the Shannan Region, the Samye
Monastery is the first temple to be built in Tibet and the
first complete with the three Buddhist jewels of Buddha,
Dharma and Sangha. With these unique features, this splendid
temple has become an attraction for visitors from near and
far. The legendary monkey cave is half way up the Gongpori
Mountain, just behind the Tsetang (Zedang) town seat in Shannan. more
This is the oldest Palace in Tibet, which has a history
dating more than 2000 years back. It is said that the
palace was built for the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsanpo.
It was later used as a summer palace by the famous king
Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng. Nestling on the tip
of the Jormo Zhaxi Ceri Mountain, this splendid creation
will be visible to you from a long distance too. Inside
the palace, there are rooms for monks to live and a
bedroom for Dalai Lama. The highest point of the palace is
a watchtower from
where you will get the most dramatic views of the vast stretches
of lands around. You can also visit a perennial spring Geer
Spring, which according to the legend cures all your diseases
once you take a sip of the water or a dip in the water.
TRANDRUK MONASTERY
Situated on the
southern side of Mt. Gangpo Ri, Trandruk Monastery is located 2
km south of Tradrug on the eastern bank of Yarlung River and is
one of the earliest Buddhist monastery. This monastery is said
to be built by King Songtsen Gampo in the same era of famous
Jokhang temple. Its quite amazing that the monastery has a same
look as that of a Jokhang Temple. The monastery was a lot
smaller when it was built but 5th Dalai Lama took up extensive
reconstruction work and also built the splendorous golden roof.
The most captivating site here is of Pearl Thangka, embellished
with numerous pearls, diamonds, rubies, sapphires, corals
and a lot of gold, definitely a treat for your eyes. And it
is a lot more ravishing than what it sounds.
CHANGZHU MONASTERY
Let's take a peek at the legend
behind the Changzhu Monastery on the east bank of the
Yalong River in the district of Shannan. It is said that the site of the
Monastery was once an extremely deep lake. In the lake there was a
five-headed dragon. After Srontsan Gampo garnered control of Tibet, he
wanted to drain the lake and build a castle there. He invited two
masters of magic to lure a big bird to attack the dragon.
First the two masters
imitated the sound of the bird and lured the dragon
out. Afterward they imitated the sound of the dragon to lure the bird
out. Confused, the dragon and the bird started to fight. The bird
fianlly
chopped off two of the dragon's heads with its wings. Seven days
later, the lake disappeared. Some pearls were later buried as the
cornerstone for the monastery.
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