Guge Kingdom
གུ་གེ་རྒྱལ་རབས་ in the Tibetan language. Guge means syllable. Guge is known as one of the last kingdoms.
History
King Tri Darma U Tum Tsen ཁྲི་དར་མ་ཨུ་དུམ་བཙན་ Also known as Lang Darma is the brother of the great Dharma king Ralpachen. During his brief reign, he almost eradicates sutra Buddhism. He was assassinated by Palgyi Dorje in the year 906.
After the assassination of king Tri Darma U Tum Tsen, his son prince Kyi Dey Nyima Gyon ran away towards the western Tibet Ngari and ruled many places in Ngari including Purang, Shangshung, and Tsanda. Later in the year 960, his middle son Tashi Gyon ruled the western Tibet Ngari via making the Guge central for nearly 700 years until 1618. They were around twenty kings in those 700 years.
Modern Day Guge
Inside the Guge Kingdom ruins, Travelers can visit the Red Palace and the White Palace. Many clay caves are the homes of locals during the reign of Guge Kings.
Guge is a border town between Ladakh in Kashmir. It is known as one of the highlight travel destinations in the western Tibet Ngari. There is around 290km from Guge kingdom to Ngari city Senge Kapap and around 270km to Darchen town near Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar.
Looking at the nature of the Guge Kingdom, we can easily assume that our world was indeed once in an ocean. The beautiful yellow clay hills surrounded the Guge Kingdom.
The town of Guge Kingdom is known as Tada or also known as Tsanda and Tsaparang. There is 18km from the Tsanda town to the Guge Kingdom ruins.
Tsanda town is known as one of the lowest altitude towns of Ngari prefecture. The altitude is 3600 meters — nearly similar elevation with Lhasa.
There is no accommodation at Guge Kingdom ruins. Travelers will have to stay a night at Tsanda town where many 2 star hotels with few Tibetan and Chinese restaurants.
The entrance fee for the Guge Kingdom ruins is 200 renminbi per person, and the opening time is 08:00 am to 07:00 pm.
Photo: The Toling monastery is another highlight sightseeing near the Guge Kingdom at Tsanda town.
Many Travelers will choose to travel to the Guge Kingdom before sunrise or before sunset as one of the highlights recommendations from previous Travelers.
The Guge Kingdom is known as one of the best places to see the beauties of wall paintings in western Tibet Ngari.
Top ten sightseeing nearby
- Toling monastery
- Dungkar Piyang wall paintings
- Tadapuri Hotspring
- Shangshung ruins
- Mount Kailash
- Lake Manasarovar
- Purang
- Ngari city
- Nagtso Lake
- Pangong Tso Lake
Nearest Hospital
- Small hospital at Tsanda town (18km)
- Bigger hospital at Ngari city (270km)
Nearest airport
- Ngari city peace airport
Photo: Yellow clay hill view of nature near the Guge
Guge is also an essential spiritual place in Tibet. Many great Indian masters including JowoJe Maha Guru Atisha traveled to Tibet via western Tibet.
There were also rumors that once Christian church was flourished near Guge.
Conclusion
Western Tibet is the home of nature. Favorite travel destinations for many Travelers. Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar pilgrims.
Traveling to the Guge Kingdom will extend one or two days on the trip itinerary. The road from Lhasa to the Guge Kingdom is all paved. Travelers have to list the Guge Kingdom and Tsanda town on the Tibet travel permit to travel to the Guge Kingdom.
The Guge Kingdom nature has similarities with Ladakh. There was a historical war between these two kingdoms before many centuries ago.
The clay hill caves are once the home of the locals at Guge. Travelers can still witness the caves with a torchlight.
Many Travelers will travel from Darchen town to Tsanda town via visiting the Guge Kingdom ruins and later travel to Ngari city and travel back to Lhasa via the northern route to see the beauties of vast western Tibet nature.
Tibet Travelers arranges 18 days tour to Western Tibet Changtang via visiting the Guge Kingdom ruins. We can also arrange a customized trip to the Guge Kingdom for Travelers. Travelers can send us Emails regarding traveling to the Guge Kingdom. info@tibettravelers.com
Aug 12, 2019