Guge, the Pompeii of Tibet--

Guge, the Pompeii of Tibet(3)

2007-08-09 16:52:11 [ Big Normal Small ] 　Comment

Heavenly Handicrafts

Lugba Township north of the Guge city ruins was the main source of the silver and gold wares used in the Guge Kingdom. Lugba is Tibetan for "smelter." It was in this township that the metal statues, figurines and ritual utensils used in the 24 chapels of the Thoding Monastery were made. Buddhist figurines were cast in a gold, silver and copper alloy, and so perfectly cast as to leave no seam. This made them more valuable than artifacts made from pure gold.

Lugba was also the only forge producing the much sought after copper "Guge Silver Eye," Buddha statuary. It was not until the summer of 1997 during excavation of another Guge site that this style of figurine came to light. It wears a crown, holds ritual objects in all four hands, and sits cross-legged on a lotus throne. It has three glittering silver gilded eyes on a golden bronze face.

Guge, the Pompeii of Tibet

Newly excavated sculptures, carvings and murals in the ancient Guge Kingdom in recent years, together with studies of the distinct symmetry the Guge city remains, are helping archeologists to piece together the story of this lost civilization.

Tips for Tourists

Location: The ruins of the Guge Kingdom are in Zanda County in southern Ngari Prefecture, which borders India to its south. Zanda is 1,500 kilometers from Lhasa, the Tibetan capital, 200 kilometers from Shiquanhe Town in the prefecture capital Gar County, and 1,200 kilometers from Yecheng in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Transportation: There are two routes to Guge city. One is from Yecheng in Xinjiang to Zanda via Shiquanhe Town. The other is from Lhasa to Xigaze, then to Zanda. Taxis from Lhasa to Ngari charge RMB 4/5 per kilometer, and hiring a vehicle and driver costs RMB 12,000 to 14,000 plus the driver's accommodation. A chartered vehicle is needed for the trip from the Zanda County seat to the Guge ruins 18 kilometers west.

Frontier Visitor's Permit: A visitor's permit is required for travel to Zanda. Prospective visitors fill in the appropriate forms at the local police station, and receive the permit, free of charge, the same day.

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