– The Lost Kingdom In Far West Of Tibet
Â
Guge kingdom was founded in the late 10th century by lineages of Lang Dharma, king Palkor Tsen’s son Kyede Nyima Gon at the end of the Tsenpo period. Sixteen lines of kings have resided there.
The founding of the Guge Kingdom in the 9th century came from the collapse of the Yarlung Dynasty under the last king of Tibet – Langdarma.
The Guge Kingdom thrived as the main trade route between Tibet and India. Once, it was a kingdom of fabulous wealth and great religious significance.
The Guge Kingdom prospered for seven centuries and vanished almost without a trace in 1630.
Â
An extraordinary legend about a bitter power struggle between two brothers eventually brought this magnificent 700-year-old kingdom to a bloody end.
One brother was the last king of Guge. His name was Choedrakpo, and he was considered both the religious and political ruler of the land. The other was the chief abbot of one of Tibet’s most fabulous monasteries.
Â
The citadel of Guge is on a giant cliff, and it is 300 meters in length. Though the fortress of Guge has been dramatically damaged, influential Buddhist art remains in Tsaparang.
The wall paintings and the painted statues were influenced by the Kashmiri style still visible today. The least damaged temples are white, Red, and Demchok temples.
The royal palace is on the summit of the Tsaparang formation, and it’s really like being in a penthouse.
You have unobstructed views 360 degrees, and you can see the rest of the kingdoms, and the rest of the people below you. So once you reach the summit, it gives you a sense of command and is literally on top of the world.
Â
You must prepare for the Tibet travel permit to visit the Guge Kingdom and other attractions in the Ngari region. If you travel to Ngari from Lhasa, you must prepare for the Aliens Travel Permit, which your guide will apply at Shigatse or Lhasa.Â
The best time to visit the Ngari region is from May to September, but the month of May, June, September and October is the best time to visit the Ngari region.
The average elevation of Ngari is around 5000m, and Zanda is the lowest elevation of all. Zanda county is at 3700 metres, and travel to the Guge Kingdom or Tholing monastery can be between May to October.Â
Visiting the Guge Kingdom, you must stay in Zanda County. There are some hotels of 2-star standard and many guest houses. The hotels and the restaurants here in Zanda are very basic.Â
The Guge Kingdom is just 25km west of Zanda County. We highly recommend visiting the Guge kingdom in the morning because there is a high climb up to the top of the Guge kingdom.
Once you reach the top, there are beautiful views of the valley, and you will feel you are on a different planet.
