Gyantse Kumbum: Journey with Buddhist Deities

  Gyantse, China
Wednesday, September 6, 2006

After saying goodbye to Sweet Innocent Killer ("thanks for the amazing albeit challenging time.") and running a few errands, I headed towards Gyantse, first taking a minibus to Shigatse. The three Tibetans around me sang off-key to songs playing on the tape deck, sounding like Tonto, Frankenstein, and Tarzan performing Jingle Bells on Saturday Night Live.

Finally, after a night in Shigatse, I reached Gyantse for a day of visiting the Gyantse Kumbum, a multi-storied stupa with 108 chapels, each dedicated to a different deity. The kumbum is one of only four known and dates to the 15th century. Surrounding it is a temple complex, old town, and fortress. The kumbum and monastery were one of only a handful to survive since the Chinese invasion.

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