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ABOUT
NANGCHEN
Pop:
60,415. Area: 16,014 sq km.
 Nangchen is located in the
most southern part of Qinghai Province, neighboring the Tibetan
Chamdo district. Total population stands as 60,415, and 98% of
whom are Tibetans. It was formerly one of the five independent
kingdoms of Eastern Tibet (Kham). Nangchen was spared from the
onslaught of Gushri Khan's armies in the 17th century, mainly due
to the nomadic lifestyle of its inhabitants and the harsh terrain
quite inhospitable for settlement. There are only a few lower
sheltered areas where cultivated fields are found. Against the
backdrop of vast grasslands, dramatic limestone and sandstone
cliffs and immaculate nature reserves, Nangchen is one of the most
interesting and uncontaminated parts of Kham. The capital is at
Sharda, 193km from Yushu (Jyekundo) via Ke La, 160km from
Zurmang Dutsitil and 189km from Riwoche. There are about 78
monasteries in Nangchen, among them H.E. Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche's
Tshechu Monastery, H.E. Satrul Rinpoche's Trulshik Monastery and
Jamme Monastery which is managed by Jamme Choesin and Jamme
Lhamchok Rinpoche are the more revered monastic institutions of
the Drukpa Lineage.
Nangchen has been a
stronghold of the Drukpa Lineage, due to the great influence of
H.E. Trulshik Adeu Rinpoche and his predecessors.
A BRIEF BACKGROUND OF
KHAM (East Tibet)
For
a relatively detail map of Kham, please click here.
Amdo and Kham are generally
considered to be the two Tibetan ‘provinces’ that made up Eastern
Tibet. Amdo now forms a part of the three present-day provinces -
the bulk of Qinghai, the southewestern edge of Gansu and the
northernmost grassland of Sichuan. The western part of Kham
consists more or less of what is now the Chamdo district of
Tibetan Autonomous Region, the northern Kham lies in Qinghai's
Yushu , its southernmost part is in Sichuan's Muli, and Yunnan's
Dechen (Chi. Deqing or Zhongdian).
The region of Kham was
traditionally known as chuzhi gangdruk, i.e. 'four rivers
and six ranges'. The four rivers are: the Salween (Tib.
Ngul-chu, Chi. Nu jiang), the Mekong (Tib. Da-chu,
Chi. Lancang jiang), the Yangtze (Tib. Dri-chu,
Chi. Chang jiang), and the Yalong (Tib. Dza-chu/Nya-chu,
Chi. Yalong jiang). The six highland ranges which form the
watersheds for these river systems are the Tsawagang range
(5100-6700m) which includes the fabled snow peaks and glaciers of
Mount Kawa Karpo (6702m) and which lies between the Salween and
the Mekong; the Markhamgang range (Chi. Ningjing Shan
5100-5700m) which lies between the Mekong and the Yangtze; the
Zelmogang range (4800-5400m) between the northern reaches of
Yangtze and Yalong; the Poborgang range (4800-5600m) lies between
the southern Yangtze and the lower Yalong; the Mardzagang
(5100-5700m) occupying the area between the upper Yalong and the
Yellow River; and lastly the Minyak Rabgang range (4800-7750m)
including Mount Minyak Gangkar (7756m), the highest mountain in
Kham, which lies between the lower Yalong and the Gyarong.
Since the disintegration of
the Tibetan Yarlung Dynasty following the death of King Langdarma
(the infamous king who destroyed Buddhism in the 10th century),
for most part of their history, the kingdoms and tribal
confederations of Kham, whether nomadic or sedentary, until the
last century had aggressively maintained their independence from
Lhasa and were always at war with each other. In recent history,
the most important states in Kham were the five kingdoms of Chakla,
Derge, Lingtsang, Nangchen and Lhathok, ruled by hereditary kings
(Tib. gyalpo); the five agricultural states of Trehor
Drango, Kangsar, Mazur, Trewo and Beri, ruled by hereditary
chieftains (Tib. ponpo); the nomadic clans of Dzachuka,
Nyarong, Sangen, Gonjo and Khyungpo, also ruled by hereditary
chieftains; the southern states of Batang, Litang, Markham,
Tsawarong and Powo, governed by Lhasa-appointed regents; and the
western states of Chamdo, Drayab, Riwoche, Gyarong and Mili,
governed by aristocratic lamas.
Today, the 47 counties of
Kham are included in the four provinces, namely Tibet Autonomous
Region, Yunnan, Qinghai and Sichuan.
Children of Nangchen
 There are many sacred sites
in Kham, blessed by Padmasambhava who concealed many terma
teachings in many places, particularly in the great twenty-five
power places, which have primary and secondary affinities with
either Buddha's body, speech, mind, attributes or activities. A
few of them are in Nangchen - Khala Rongo (secondary site for
Buddha's attributes); Nabun Dzong (secondary site for Buddha's
mind); and Khandro Bundzong in lower Nangchen (secondary site for
Buddha's
attributes).
The renowned Khampagar
Monastery, abode of the successive reincarnations of Khamtrul
Rinpoches, is located in Lhathok (Chi. Latuo), one of the
five formerly independent kingdoms of Kham, presently within the
Chamdo prefecture. Khampagar Monastery, also known as Phuntsok
Chokhor Ling, was founded by the Third Khamtrul Rinpoche Ngawang
Kunga Tenzin (1680 - 1728), under the patronage of the local king
Og Lhathok. From here, the Drukpa Lineage flourished. Tshechu
Monastery and its various branches are actually branches of
Khampagar Monastery.
The people of Kham, or
Khampa, are very different from other Tibetans, not only by their
robust physique, colorful dress and braided coiffure, but also
their dialects and social customs.
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