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14-499: Tsetang has been the capital of the Yarlung region since antiquity and was the seat of the ancient emperors of Tibet and, as such, a place of great importance. In the 19th century, it is said to have comprised some 1,000 houses, a bazaar, a gompa and a fort. As the capital of Shannan, it is the second-largest settlement in the historical Ü-Tsang region. It lies at an elevation of 3,100 m (10,200 ft) above sea level and has

28-432: A population of approximately 52,000 persons. It is only about 4 km (2.5 mi) to the northeast of the town of Nedong and they have now essentially merged into one city. Tsetang is situated near the flank of Mount Gongbori (3,400 m (11,200 ft)) where many ancient ruins (such as ruins of Gajiu Monastery ) are located. It is known as the cradle of Tibetan's civilization. Samye , Tibet's first monastery,

42-597: Is Yumbulagang which, according to legend, was built as a palace for the first king, Nyatri Tsenpo , and was the first building in Tibet. There are several hotels and a guesthouse in Tsetang. Tsetang has a subtropical highland climate ( Köppen climate classification Cwb/BSk ). The average annual temperature in Haidian is 9.2 °C (48.6 °F). The average annual rainfall is 384.7 mm (15.15 in) with July as

56-537: Is located only 30 km (19 mi) from Tsetang and was founded in 779 CE by King Trisong Detsen . The 14th century monastery of Tsetang, Ganden Chökhorling, was originally Kagyupa but was taken over by the Gelugpas in the 18th century. It was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s but has been restored since. Ngamchö is also a Gelugpa monastery and contains the bed and throne of

70-450: The "cradle of Tibetan civilisation", is only 72 km (45 mi) long, but contains a number of important castles, monasteries, temples, meditation caves, peaks and stupas . There are three renowned power places ( ne-sum ), Sheldrak, Tradruk , and Yumbu Lagang or ( Yungbulakang Palace ). Also, there are three major stupas which serve as receptacles for sacred relics ( ten-sum ): Takchen Bumpa, Gontang Bumpa, and Tsechu Bumpa. Just below

84-662: The Chongye River, and broadens out into a large plain about 2 km wide, before it flows into the Tsangpo River. It is situated in Nedong District of the Shannan Prefecture and includes the capital of the prefecture, Tsetang , one of Tibet's largest cities, 183 km southeast of Lhasa . 29°12′N 91°46′E  /  29.200°N 91.767°E  / 29.200; 91.767 It

98-565: The Dalai Lama and has a chapel devoted to medicine. The Samten Ling and Drebuling monasteries of the Sakyas still remained in 1959 but have since been destroyed and mostly built over. There is, however, the reconstructed Gelugpa Sang-ngag Zimche Nunnery, in the ruins of Samten Ling with a 1000-armed statue of Chenresig (Avalokiteshvara) said to have been made by Emperor Songtsen Gampo (605 or 617? - 649 CE). The town supposedly dates back to

112-467: The Tibetan language was developed in the 7th century, and the verbal history of Tibet was thus written after their periods of rule. While there is a lack of contemporaneous biographical manuscripts detailing the lives of the first 26 kings, modern scholars note that the lives of the 27th king to the 32nd were better documented. The kings from Songsten Gampo , the 33rd king, to U dum Tsen the last king of

126-659: The Yarlung dynasty, are well documented in many reliable Tibetan sources, and in Chinese and foreign sources. A unified Tibetan state is documented during the times of the kings number 31, 32, and 33. All of the earlier and later kings were known as representatives of the Yarlung dynasty, named after the Yarlung Tsampo River in the Yarlung Valley . Their titles more correctly translate as 'chief', and not as 'emperor' of Tibet. Traditional Tibetan titles for

140-504: The founding of the Tsetang Gompa in 1351 which became an important centre of learning. One of three caves in the mountainside to the east of the town is said to be the birthplace of the Tibetan people who resulted from the mating of a monkey and a beautiful cannibal ogress . About 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Tsetang is Changzhug Monastery founded during the reign of Songtsen Gampo and about 10 km (6.2 mi) further

154-608: The king include tsenpo ("Chief") and lhase ("Divine Son"). In the list the common transliteration is given first, the academic one in brackets. Yarlung Valley Samding Dorje Phagmo The Yarlung Valley is formed by Yarlung Chu, a tributary of the Tsangpo River in the Shannan Prefecture in the Tibet autonomous region of China. It refers especially to the district where Yarlung Chu joins with

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168-505: The town of Tsetang there once was a 14th-century iron suspension bridge built across the Yarlung Tsangpo River or Brahmaputra by the famous engineer Tangtong Gyalpo , with a span of 150 to 250 metres, but only five large stone supports are left today. A modern bridge has been built a few kilometres downstream at Nyago. Even when Sarat Das visited in 1879 it was in such a state of disrepair that he had to ferry across

182-545: The wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in June, at around 16.5 °C (61.7 °F), and lowest in January, at around 0.4 °C (32.7 °F). 29°15′N 91°46′E  /  29.250°N 91.767°E  / 29.250; 91.767 List of emperors of Tibet The traditional list of the ancient Yarlung dynasty 's Tibetan kings consists of 42 names. The earliest kings ruled before

196-535: Was originally well-forested and suitable for agriculture. The Tsetang district is famous for its apples and pears. The Yarlung and the adjoining Chongye Valley formed the original seat of the Yarlung dynasty of Tibetan kings and controlled important ancient trade routes into India and Bhutan . The first Tibetan Emperor, Songtsen Gampo (605 or 617? - 649), moved the capital to Lhasa after greatly expanding his territories and power. The valley, often referred to as

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