Yumbulagang

The Yarlung valley is where Tibetan tradition places the origins of the country's kings, and Yumbulagang, a slim tower with a chapel and rooms beneath it on a spur above the fields, is held to be the first building constructed in Tibet, put up for the first king Nyatri Tsenpo. Whatever its true date, it is an old and much-rebuilt structure and a place of pilgrimage, reached by a short steep path or on horseback from the road below. From the roof, the whole Yarlung valley opens out with fields, villages and the river, and the wind carries the prayer flags on the ridge above.

History

Tibetan tradition holds Yumbulagang to be the first building in Tibet, the palace of the first king, Nyatri Tsenpo, said to have reigned from 127 BC; under the 28th king, Thothori Nyantsen, in the 5th century, a stupa and a sutra are said to have fallen from the sky onto its roof. It became the palace of Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century, and a shrine after he moved his court to Lhasa; the fifth Dalai Lama made it a Gelug monastery, it was partly rebuilt in 1983, and after restoration from November 2017 it reopened in April 2018 (Wikipedia, Yungbulakang Palace).

The main sights

• The tower - the slim building on the spur above the valley.
• The chapel - the interior shrine with murals and statues.
• The Yarlung valley view - fields and villages spread out below.
• The ridge flags - prayer flags on the spine above the building.

When to go

April to October for mild weather; barley fields are green in summer and gold before harvest. The climb is short but steep at 3,700 metres. Foreign visitors need permits and a guide.

Practical notes

The building is small and a visit takes under an hour inside. It has been rebuilt repeatedly, most recently in the 1980s, so little original fabric remains. Horses at the base charge for the ride up.

Nearby

Samye lies northwest; Tsetang is north.

Key facts