On November 2 I left Samye for a visit to Yarlung, the early home of the first Tibetan kings, if tradition is to be believed.
The road we followed led eastward, over a sandy plain and by numerous villages, the most important of which was Do, until we reached Taga-sho, around which were many walnut (taga), peach, plum, poplar, and willow trees, all planted with great regularity.[1] Here we put up, in the house of a friend of our guide, who himself was from the neighbouring village of Do.
I was pleased to find mutton selling here at a very low price, a result of the presence of a party of Hor Dokpa from Radeng,[2] who had brought large quantities of salt, wool, and meat. Their yaks were the largest I have seen in Tibet.
Leaving Taga-sho the next morning, we passed by the ruins of Tagkar-sho, probably at one time the residence of the kings of the Phag-modu dynasty, who derive their name probably from a village near by still called Phagmodu.[3] Near this place, in a commanding position, is the lamasery of Nari ta-tsang, founded by the Dalai lama Gedun-gyatso.
At the village of Jong[4] we began the ascent of the steep hill on whose summit is the old lamasery of Densa-til, the principal building nestled amidst frowning crags, on which grow here and there a few firs and juniper trees. In the adjacent cliffs were numerous caves for recluses.
This temple differs somewhat from all other buildings of this kind
- ↑ Ugyen-gyatso also speaks of the woods and gardens, and especially the walnut trees of this section of country. He refers also to the excellent roads. See 'Report on the Explor. from 1856 to 1886,' p. 28. A. K. speaks of the village of Do as Dushio. Tso (shio) means village, and is an abbreviation from grong-tso (pr. drong-tso).—(W. R.)
- ↑ There is a Reting gomba on the big broad between Lhasa and Hsi-niug, not far from Nagchukha. The party referred to may have come from this neighbourhood, though the Dokpa of that region are not Horba.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Phamu bub of the maps.—(W. R.)
- ↑ Jang on the maps.—(W. R.)
1882, but his notes contain nothing about this celebrated place. Ugyen-gyatso visited it in October, 1883, but his report also contains little of interest. See 'Report on Exploration from 1856 to 1886,' pp. 28, 29. Csoma, 'Tib. Grammar,' p. 183, says it was founded A.D. 749. Cf. Emil Schlaginweit, 'Die Könige von Tibet,' p. 53. Ssanang Ssetsen (I. J. Schmidt, 'Geschichte der Ost Mongolen'), p. 41, says the building of the temple was begun in A.D. 811, and finished in 823. The date given by Csoma is probably correct, as King Tisrong detsan's father was a contemporary of the Tang Emperor Chang-tsung, who reigned in 684. Tisrong reigned from 740 to 786. Ho was born, according to Csoma, A.D. 728.—(W. R.)
