Shigatse
Shigatse (Tibetan: ka gzhis rtse, Tibetan: གཞིས་ཀ་རྩེ་; Shigatse ) referred to in modern Tibet, both the administrative district of Shigatse, as well as its main town, the second largest city of Tibet, where noted is that there is so far only in Tibet two cities are, Lhasa and Shigatse.
The administrative area of the independent city Shigatse has an area of 3654.18 km ² and 90,000 inhabitants ( end of 2003). At the census in 2000 were still counted 99 863 inhabitants. The city lies on the Nyang Qu shortly before its confluence with the Yarlung Zangbo ( Brahmaputra ), at 3,840 m above sea level. This Shigatse is the highest town in Tibet and China. The annual average temperature is 6 ° C and the annual average rainfall is 420 mm.
Administrative Divisions
At the municipal level, the city of Shigatse is composed of two road districts and ten municipalities. These are ( population figures: Census 2000):
- Road district Chengbei (城北 街道= "North City " ), 10,694 inhabitants;
- Road district Chengnan (城南 街道= "Southtown ") 35 366 inhabitants;
- Community Qumig (曲 美 乡), 5,692 inhabitants;
- Community Nyarixung (聂 日 雄 乡), 4,757 inhabitants;
- Community Qugboxung (曲 布 雄 乡), 5,160 inhabitants;
- Community lhain (联 乡), 4,768 inhabitants;
- Community Gyacoxung (甲 措 雄 乡), 11,454 inhabitants;
- Community Nar (纳尔 乡), 1,765 inhabitants;
- Community Nyamo (年 木 乡), 2,926 inhabitants;
- Community Donggar (东 嘎 乡), 8,748 inhabitants;
- Community Benxung (边 雄 乡), 3,897 inhabitants;
- Community Jangdam (江 当 乡), 4,636 inhabitants.
History
The modern city developed at the foot of the ancient fortress Samdrubtse ( Tib: bsam grub rtse ), after which the town was built in 1363 and initially named. Until the 20th century it was usually called simply " Shigatse Dzong ".
Until the mid-17th century was Xigazê seat of the kings of Tsang, who from here for a long 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 ' Samdrubtse ' or Shigatse Dzong. In splendor and dimension, however, he towered over this clearly. In 1950 the fortress was destroyed Samgrubtse. 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 said to be transformed into a museum about the ancient culture of the city.
Trashilhünpo
In Shigatse, the seat of the Penchen Lama, one of the most important authorities in Tibetan Buddhism. Since 1446 the Penchen Lama resides in the monastery Trashilhünpo, the most important monastery of the Gelug tradition in Western Tibet.
1791 town and monastery were attacked and plundered by the invading Gurkhas from Nepal. This invasion from the southern neighboring kingdom was the reason for the Lhasa government, the Manchu - Chinese rulers in Beijing ( Qianlong ) to ask for military assistance. The Nepalese soldiers were driven with the support of the Imperial army whose soldiers were advancing even up to 50 km to Kathmandu from the country - henceforth remained the Chinese power in Tibet clearly present.
For the city of Shigatse also still counts the famous monastery Shalu ( Tib: zhwa lu ), which lies about 15 km south-east in a tributary of the River Niang Qu.
Traffic
Shigatse is located on the on the National Road G318, the Shanghai via Chengdu ( Sichuan Province ) and Lhasa to Shigatse and from there via Lhaze to Kathmandu in Nepal or from Lhaze as G 219 via Western Tibet until after Kargilik at Yarkant in Xinjiang.
The peace - Shigatse airport located 43 km east of the town in the valley of the Yarlung Zangbo River.
The extension of the Lhasa - Xigaze railway to be built.