Park of China
Overview
| Province | Tibet |
| Location | Tibet |
| Latitude, longitude | 28.9, 89.6 Google Maps |
| Nearby sites | Tashilhunpo Monastery 82km, Yamdrok Lake 98km, The Potala Palace, Lhasa 170km, Yarlung River 192km Search nearby |
| Top sights | Gyantse Dzong |
| Elevation | 3,977 m |
| Nearby cities | Shigatse, Lhasa |
| Themes | Town, Highland, Temple, Ancient Building, Buddha, Tower, Tibetan Buddhism, Passes & fortifications, Rock art & murals |
About
Gyantse, the third largest town of Tibet and a historic city, at 3,977 m, lies on the old road from Lhasa to Shigatse.
The dzong on the hill in the town centre was begun in the 14th century. During the British invasion of 1904 the people of Gyantse built batteries on the hill and held out for eight months, finally leaping from the cliffs when ammunition and food ran out.
Town sights
Gyantse Dzong: national protected site, 4,020 m, rising 125 m above the town;
Pelkor Chöde (Palcho Monastery): national protected site; a monastery with a stupa and a stupa with chapels, where the Sakya, Gelug and Kadam schools coexist. The Kumbum is the “stupa of a hundred thousand Buddhas”.
Suburban sights
Pala Manor: a noble estate of old Tibet
Further afield
Specialities
Tibetan carpets
Photo credits: Gyantse Dzong: Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn) (CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Nearby
| World Heritage | The Potala Palace, Lhasa 168km, Khangchendzonga National Park 175km, Manas Wildlife Sanctuary 281km, Sagarmatha National Park 284km |
| National parks | Yarlung River 191km, Namtso and the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains 221km |
| Detailed guides | Yamdrok Lake 97km |
| AAAAA attractions | Tashilhunpo Monastery 82km, Jokhang Temple 169km |
| Historic cities | Rikaze 80km |
| Historical sites | Jiangzi Dzong Anti-British Site <1km, Palcho Monastery (Pelkor Chöde) 1km, Pala Manor 3km, Nainingqu De Temple 11km |