Guge Dynasty Ruins
Location
On the banks of the Xiangquan River in Zhaburang District, Zhada County, Ali Prefecture, Tibet.
Reasons to visit
There are many forts and pagodas, tunnels and tunnels, several temples on the mountainside are intact, and the white palace on the top of the mountain is majestic. From the 10th to the 17th century, this place had a glorious history.
Opening Hours
There are many forts and pagodas, tunnels and tunnels, several temples on the mountainside are intact, and the white palace on the top of the mountain is majestic. From the 10th to the 17th century, this place had a glorious history. In 1635 AD, the Ladakh people invaded Zanda, and the territory of Guge fell, leaving behind a story similar to the Old Summer Palace. The murals existing in the temple can be said to be the most valuable artworks left by Guge. Although hundreds of years have passed, the murals are brightly colored, with smooth lines and rich and unique content. In addition to the murals of Sakyamuni, the King of Guge, and the Queen, the main part of the murals in the Dharma Protector Temple on the top of the mountain are mostly Tantric male and female double cultivation Buddhas, with a strong and bold style. The lower part of the mural vividly shows the suffering of hell, and all kinds of punishments are horrible. The border is a long row of dozens of naked dakini, who are charming and elegant, with various manners, and none of them are the same. Whether in terms of aesthetic value or artistic value, it can be compared with the Dunhuang murals. The mysterious Guge Kingdom disappeared overnight 300 years ago, leaving us with only the ruins of the Guge Kingdom that recorded the brilliant cultural and artistic achievements of Guge. In the past decade, the sculptures, statues and murals that have been excavated around the Guge ruins have unveiled the mystery of the Guge Kingdom. The ruins of the Guge Kingdom are one of the first batch of key cultural relics protection sites in the country. The current ruins are more than 300 meters high from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. There are buildings and caves with the same color as the soil everywhere. Except for a few temples, all the houses have collapsed, leaving only a series of earth walls. There are city walls built around the ruins, and watchtowers are set up at the four corners. The entire ruins are built on a small earthen hill. The buildings are divided into upper, middle and lower floors, which are the royal palace, temples and houses respectively. There are many fine sculptures and murals in the Red Temple, White Temple and Samsara Temple. There are also important ruins around the Guge capital, such as Dongga, Daba, Piyang, Xiangzi, etc., all of which have a large number of cultural relics. The predecessor of the Guge Kingdom can be traced back to the Zhangzhung Kingdom. The establishment of the dynasty began in the 9th century after the collapse of the Tubo Dynasty that unified the Tibetan Plateau. It ended in the 17th century and had 16 hereditary kings. It was a local regime established by the descendants of the Tubo royal family in Ali, western Tibet. When its rule was prosperous, it covered the entire Ali. It was not only a continuation of the Tubo lineage, but also enabled Buddhism to find a foothold again after the collapse of Tubo, and thus gradually reached its heyday. Therefore, the ruins of the Guge Kingdom are of great significance in the history of Tibet. During the reign of Langdarma, the last king of the Tubo Dynasty, Buddhism was destroyed and temples were destroyed. Many refugee monks fled to Ali. Ali is located on the western border and is deeply influenced by the Arabs and India. In addition, it is the birthplace of Bon religion, so it has become a place where various thoughts and forces converge. In 843 AD, Langdarma was assassinated by a monk, and civil wars broke out. Four years later, civilians revolted and the Tubo Dynasty collapsed. Collapse. After that, there were seven kingdoms of different sizes, and Tibet was in a state of separatist rule for a long time. Langdarma's two sons, Aosong and Yundan, also fought for the royal family. Aosong's son, Beikaozan, was killed by the slave uprising army. Beikaozan's son, Jidenimagun, saw that the situation was hopeless and he was powerless, so he took three ministers and more than 100 people to Ali and married the daughter of the local chief. Later, Jidenimagun divided Ali into three parts and gave them to his three sons. The ruins of the Guge Kingdom were the fief of the third son, Dezugun. In the middle of the 17th century, the Guge Dynasty was in civil strife. The king's brother asked the Ladakh army to attack the palace, and the dynasty was overthrown. After the fall of Guge, it was incorporated into Ladakh (now Kashmir) for a period of time, and was later taken back by the Tibetan local government headed by the Dalai Lama. The ruling center of the ruins of the Guge Kingdom was in the basin of the Xiangquan River (Langqin Zangbu in Tibetan), which reached Ritu in the north, the Snow Mountain in Kashmir in the north, India in the south, Ladakh (now Indian-occupied Kashmir) in the west, and its sphere of influence once reached the foot of the Gangdise Mountains in the east. Its capital, Zhaburang, was located on the south bank of the Xiangquan River, 18 kilometers west of the current Zhada County. The ruins of Xiangzi, Xiangba, Dongga, and Piyang to the north of Zhaburang, Duoxiang to the west, and Daba, Mana, and Qulong to the south are all of considerable size. The Guge Dynasty advocated Buddhism and sent people to Kashmir many times to study Buddhist scriptures. They translated 108 Buddhist scriptures and benefited from Buddhism. The dynasty lasted for hundreds of years. In 1042, the Indian monk Atisha went to the Ngari area to preach, making Ngari a place for the revival of Buddhism. Buddhist history calls it "going on the road to preach." Guge occupies an important position in the history of Tibet's economic and cultural development. Many important Buddhist teachings of ancient India were introduced to the heartland of Tibet from here. It was also one of the important commercial ports for ancient Tibet's foreign trade.
Top Attractions
Ask a Question
