Druk Dechen Choekhorling Tibet, the mother
monastery of great importance in Drukpa Kargyu Lineage, was
established by 3rd Drukpa Choegon Rinpoche approximately 400 years
ago. Since then it has been serve as the main seat of the Drukpa
Choegon Rinpoches and Drukpa Yongzin Rinpoches. This ancient
monastery is located at Gonggar County, Lhoka Prefecture,
Tibet.
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A magnificient
double rainbow appears above the clear blue sky of Dechen
Choekhor Monastery, Lhasa, Tibet |
Gonggar is the place to visit for anyone who
is interested in history, geology, and geography, particularly as
they relate to Buddhism. The county is best known for its Tibetan
Buddhism of various schools, such as the Gonggar Dzong and the
Gonggar Choede Monastery are among the best known in Tibet.
Gonggar Location:
Gonggar Tibet is located in the southern
portion of Tibet in the Lhoka Prefecture
(Shannan Prefecture) and totals an area of almost 900 square
miles. The mother river of Tibet, the Yarlung Tsangpo, or
Brahmaputra, flows through the county. Gonggar is a flat land with
an altitude averaging 12,300 feet. The Gonggar Airport was
constructed here since the county is located on a portion of the
Yarlung Tsangpo River that is very wide. Rawa-me, the capital of
Gonggar, is located just east of the airport. As of 2003, the
population stood at 50,000.
The famous Gonggar Dzong is in ruin and can be
viewed near the Sundruling Monastery, on the road to Chusul. The
fortress is at an elevation of 13,372 feet, near the Tsangpo and
Kyichu rivers. The Gonggar Choede Monastery was built in 1464 and
is located just off of Lhasa Road. The monastery walls were painted
during the 16th century by Wangchuk, one of the most well-known
artists of the time. While the monastery used to house 160 monks,
it now houses about 30. The building is still in good condition and
the exterior was recently restored. The monastery is the site of
many festivals held throughout the year, particularly on days with
a full moon.
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Gonggar Weather:
Gonggar county is a monsoon climate, entailing
mostly wet weather and very few dry seasons. The average
temperature can be anywhere from 45-47 degrees Fahrenheit. The
hottest month is 60.4 degrees while the coldest month gets to be
about 28 degrees Fahrenheit. Approximately 14 inches of rain fall
upon the county, at an average of 29.9 rainy days.
Gonggar Livelihood:
The county is made up of mainly forest area
and grassland area. Gonggar is an agricultural economy and provides
grain to many counties in the area. Farmers in Gonggar grow barley,
wheat, pea, radish, potato, cabbage, and cauliflower, among other
things. Many medicinal plants are also farmed in the county and
include musk, cypress, ginseng, and snow lotus. Livestock typically
include yak, cattle, goats, sheep, horses, donkeys, pigs, and
mules. Gonggar is home to many native wildlife species such as wild
yak, wild ass, Tibetan gazelle, Tibetan antelope, and Black-necked
cranes.
Tourism is steadily growing in Gonggar, Tibet.
The county recently held 5 trade fairs and 3 cultural fairs in
order to promote and educate locals and tourists about Gonggar's
products, cultural arts, and handicrafts. Among these crafts is the
"Jed Show Apron," which is worn by married Tibetan women. This
apron is crafted in Gonggar, particularly in the Jiedexiu (also
spelt Gyaideshiu) area, and has been produced here for the last 500
to 600 years. The Jiedexiu group has a particular style of hand
weaving that has been practiced for 1,500 years. This technique is
often called "China's state-level intangible cultural
heritage."
How to Get There:
Getting to Gonggar is made easy via the Lhasa
Gonggar Airport, located 39 miles from the city of Gonggar and a 40
to 60 minute drive.

Lhasa Gonggar Airport
With an altitude of 3,600 meters, Lhasa
Gonggar Airport lies beside the Yarlung Zangbo River, and there are
mountains on both sides of the river. Surrounding the airport,
within a radius of 30 km there are peaks with up to 5,362 meters,
rising to 6,126 meters within 60 km. The airport runway is 4,000
meters long and 45 meters wide. Ranking the highest civil airport
in the world, Gonggar Airport reached a passenger-receiving
capacity of 700,000 in 2003.
Domestic airlines in Lhasa Gonggar Airport can reach Beijing,
Chengdu, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Chongqing, Xian, Xining,
Kunming, Diqing and Chamdo Region. One international airline
connects Katmandu and Lhasa.
Close by Buddhist
Attractions:
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The Potala
Palace
The world famous Potala Palace is located on "Moburi (Red)
Mountain", to the west of old Lhasa. It is a huge treasure house
for materials and articles of Tibetan history. |
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Jokhang Temple
Included on UNESCO's World Heritage list in 2000 as part of the
Potala Palace , the Jokhang Temple (Jowo Lhakang) is located in
central Lhasa, Tibet approximately 45km from Lhasa Gonggar
Airport.
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Drepung
Monastery
Situated at the foot of the Mountain Gambo Utse, 5 kilometers (3.1
miles) from the western suburb of Lhasa, the Drepung Monastery is
known as the most important monastery of Gelugpa in Tibetan
Buddhism. |
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Sera
Monastery
Sera Monastery The Sera Monastery at the foot of Tatipu Hill is
located in the northern suburb of Lhasa City. It is one of three
famous monasteries in Lhasa along with the Drepung Monastery and
the Ganden Monastery. |
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Ganden
Monastery
Gandan perches on the top of Mountain Wanrigu, 60 kms east of
Lhasa, at an altitude of 3800m. It was founded in 1409 by Tsong
Khasa. |
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