Shigatse Dzong

Shigatse Dzong is the colloquial name for the great fortress city of Shigatse in the highlands of Tibet, which served as a model for the Potala in Lhasa.

Here ruled until the mid-17th century, the kings of Tsang, the longer time large parts of Tibet - including Lhasa - dominated. When at the beginning of the 17th century. the Gelugpa with the help of the Mongols from Amdo were able to gain the supremacy, the 5th Dalai Lama in 1642 " ruler of Tibet " was. However, since this resided in Lhasa, was built there in the wake of the Potala Palace, the model may have been the castle Shigatse Dzong. After the failure of the Tibetan uprising of 1959, the fort was demolished in 1961 by order of the Chinese government. In the period from 2005 to 2007, she was rebuilt with donations from Shanghai. The reconstruction were old photos as a basis, but the construction was carried out today in cement or concrete walls that are to be outside then covered with natural stones. He is to be converted into a museum.