Many ancient tombs have been found in Tibet. Most of them date back to the Tubo period or even earlier. For example, the stone coffin tombs in Gonjog County of Qamdo date back to 2,200 years ago and the Tubo tombs on the Lhe Hill in the Nang County of Nyingchi are equally ancient.
Samding Monastery has an odd history. The monastery was probably founded in the 13th century and was associated with the Bodong sect, initiated by Bodong Chokle Namgyel. The sect never gained much prominence, although a number of temple within radius of Samding followed it precepts.
A fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, Yumbulagang is considered the oldest building in Tibet.
The sister temple to the Jokhang Temple–Ramoche Temple was constructed around the same time. It was originally built to house the Jowo Sakyamuni image brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng but sometime in the 8th century the image was swapped for an image of Akshobhya, brought to Tibet in the 7th century as part of the dowry of King Songtsen Gampo’s Nepali wife, Princess Bhrikuti.
Widely revered as the “spiritual heart of Tibet”, Jokhang Temple, built by Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo, promises one of the quintessential Tibetan experiences in Lhasa. With the air filled with a palpable sense of holiness, the entire Buddhist temple acts as the focus of worship and devotion.
Trandruk Monastery is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, having been founded at the same time as the Jokhang Monastery and Ramoche Monastery in Lhasa. Dating back to the 7th century reign of Songtsen Gampo, it is also one of Tibet’s demoness-subduing temples.
The Yarlung Tsangpo Valley is formed by the Yarlung Tsangpo River, referring especially to the distrct where it joins with the Chongye River, and broadens out into a large plain about 2 km wide before it flows north into the Yarlung Tsangpo River.
According to the records of Tibetan history, Riduo Hot Spring had been used over thousand years ago. The Tibetan Buddhist sutras named Bkav-thang-sde-lnga recorded that padmasambhava once bathed in the Riduo Hot Spring and said, “Bathing in Riduo Hot Spring can wash away the past sin, purify the spirit, and arouse people to do good thing benefit to others and bring good luck, calling it “mystery water”.
One of the most important pilgrimage destinations, Lhamo La-tso has been revered for centuries as an oracle lake.