Tsechen Monastery and Dzong
Tsechen Monastery, Tsechen Dzong or Shambu Tsegu, was about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) northwest of Gyantse above the traditional village of the same name. Tsechen was the largest of a number of well-positioned hilltop monastery-forts ringing the valley.[1] The fortress, or dzong, was considered to be almost as strong as the Gyantse Dzong. It was "built on another precipitous hill about 600 feet [183 metres] high, about one mile [1.6 km] long, and rising abruptly out of the plain."[2] It was looted and destroyed by British forces in 1904 during their invasion of Tibet.
| Tsechen Monastery | |
|---|---|
Tibetan transcription(s) Tibetan: བརྩེ་ཆེན་ཆོས་སྡེ Chinese transcription(s) Simplified: 紫金寺 Pinyin: zǐjīn sì | |
 Tsechen Monastery and Dzong in Gyantse, Tibet in 1904 | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Tibetan Buddhism |
| Sect | Sakya |
| Deity | Buton Rinchenpa |
| Leadership | Kunga Lodru (incarnation of Buton Rinchenpa |
| Location | |
| Location | Tsang, Tibet, China |
| Country | China |
  Location within Tibet | |
| Geographic coordinates | 28.9402°N 89.5572°E |
| Architecture | |
| Founder | Prince Phakpa Pelzangpo (1318-1370) |
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Early history
It was founded by Nyawon Kunga Pel (1285 - 1379) in 1366, under the sponsorship of Prince Phakpa Pelzangpo (1318-1370 CE),[3] Gyantse's first prince. Nyawon Kunga Pel gave teachings to about 600 disciples in epistemology and the Kalachakra Tantra.[4] He invited Drigung Lotsāwa Maṇikaśrījñāna (1289 - 1363) to Tsechen for teachings.[5]
Tsechen was the seat of the kings of Gyantse until the town expanded in the 15th century. Tsongkapa's principal teacher, Remdawa Zhonu Lodro Zhonu (1349–1412), resided here. Jamyang Konchok Zangpo (1398 - 1475), the 14th Throne Holder of Jokhang Monastery, held the monastic seat at Tsechen for a time;[6] Namkha Chokyong (1436 - 1507) the 14th Throne Holder of Jokhang Monastery, held the monastic seat at Tsechen for an extended period.[7]
It was the seat of the incarnation of Buton Rinchendrub, known as Kungra Lodro.[8]
20th century to present
On 28 June 1904, during the British expedition to Tibet, Brigadier-General Macdonald, who had just arrived that day, concluded that Tsechen, which guarded the rear of the Gyantse Dzong and the Shigatse road, would have to be cleared before the assault of Gyantse Dzong could begin. Shortly before sunset, that same day, the nearby "seemingly impregnable" Tsechen Monastery and Dzong, held by 1200 Tibetans, was stormed, after a heavy bombardment by the British ten-pound cannon.[9][10] This was one of the major battles of the expedition, which aimed to reach Lhasa. The British victory "opened the road to Lhasa and effectively meant that all routes in and out of Gyantse were controlled by the British Tibet expedition".[10]
As the monastery had put up resistance it was considered "fair game" and sacked. Then, on 5 July, coinciding with the beginning of the assault on Gyantse Dzong, the monastery was set on fire causing a 'tremendous blaze' which burned throughout the night, to prevent it being reoccupied by the Tibetans.[11] N. Rybot noted on a drawing he made of the destroyed monastery: "Captured 28 June 04 Looted 29 June 04 Burnt 5 July 04."[12]
All that is left today are some of the walls on the hilltop.[8] There are extensive views of the valley from the remains of the old walls.[8][13]
Footnotes
- Allen (2004), p. 146.
- Allen (2004), pp. 186-187.
- "Tsechen". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
- Stearns, Cyrus (2008). "Nyawon Kunga Pel". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
- Stearns, Cyrus (2008). "Drigung Lotsawa Manikasrijnana". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
- Stearns, Cyrus (2008). "Jamyang Konchok Zangpo". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
- Stearns, Cyrus (2008). "Namkha Chokyong". The Treasury of Lives. Retrieved 2017-08-05.
- Dorje (2009), p. 313.
- Allen (2004), p. 207.
- "Tsechen monastery". The Tibet Album. The Pitt Rivers Museum. 2006-12-05. Retrieved 2023-08-17.
- Allen (2004), p 208-209, 215.
- The Heartland of Asia (1975) by Nathalie Ettinger. International Learning Systems, London, p. 148.
- Mayhew and Kohn (2005), p. 170.
References
- Allen, Charles. (2004). Duel in the Snows: The True Story of the Younghusband Mission to Lhasa. John Murray (publishers), London. ISBN 0-7195-5427-6.
- Dorje, Gyurme (2009). Footprint Tibet Handbook. Footprint Publications. ISBN 978-1-906098-32-2.
- Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael (2005). Tibet. 6th Edition. Lonely Planet. ISBN 1-74059-523-8.