Gyantse

Gyantse was once Tibet’s third largest town, since it was positioned at the crossroads of the wool and timber trade routes from Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan for centuries.

But after the Chinese takeover its status is considerably diminished. It has however, preserved much of its original atmosphere and is one of the least Chinese-influenced towns in Tibet. There is no record of Gyantse prior to the 14th century, but it quickly emerged as a center of a fiefdom with powerful connections to the Sakyapa order. In 1904 Colonel Younghusband and his British troops had a major battle with the Tibetan army in Gyantse. The British troops stayed for one month in Gyantse before advancing to Lhasa. By 1440 Gyantse’s most impressive architectural achievements had been completed – the Kumbum, the dzong and Pelkor Chode monastery.