Dzong Gyangdze Fortress

Gyangdze, located 254 km southwest of Lhasa at an altitude of 3,950 meters above sea level, is one of the largest and most important cities in Tibet. Located at an important crossroads of trade routes connecting Tibet, China, India and Bhutan, its historical and strategic role has always been great. The most important attraction of the city is the preserved fortress - Dzong - XIV century. The length of the fortress walls is about three kilometers, the height is 5-8 meters, and the width is about 4 meters. Inside the fortress could freely accommodate a garrison of almost 500 people.

Dzong in Tibet is a Lamaist fortress-monastery, which is home to hundreds and sometimes thousands of people. Among them are not only soldiers, but also monks, artisans, ordinary people and nobles. In the dzongs, of which there were several in Tibet, came to live monks from small monasteries. In the dzongs, meetings of administrative councils were held, to which the heads of all the surrounding villages met.

The fortress at Gyangdze in late 1903 withstood the siege of British troops invading Tibet for more than a month. Despite the fact that after a long resistance, the British managed to gain a foothold in Lhasa, they failed to finally conquer Tibet. For heroic resistance, Gyangdze is sometimes called the “city of heroes” in Tibet.