Gyantse is a small town with a population of 15,000 people that is 260 km west of Lhasa, Tibet.
The town was a main area of trade between Tibet and India, especially in wood and wool. Gyantse is also famous for producing the best handmade carpets in Tibet.
The main attraction here is the Gyantse Kumbum Stupa, which was built in 1427 and is the tallest Stupa in Tibet at 32 meters in height.
The Kumbum Stupa is also part of the larger
Pelkor Chode Monastery complex, which was first constructed in 1418 AD.
The red-walled Pelkor Chöde was once a compound of 15 monasteries that brought together three different orders of Tibetan Buddhism – a rare instance of multidenominational tolerance. Nine of the monasteries were Gelugpa, three were Sakyapa and three belonged to the obscure Büton suborder.
