The Yumbulagang
Reputedly the first palace in Tibet, the Yumbulagang stands on a hill on the eastern bank of the Yarlung River, southeast of Nedong County. It is not a large building. It rises erect on the spur of a hill, facing west. It consists of front and rear sections. The front is three-storied structure and the rear section is a high fortified tower. The ground floor is a temple enshrining statues of Buddhas Kashyapa, Sakyamuni, and Maitreya, the ancient Tubo kings Nyatri Tsenpo, Songtsen Gampo and Trisong Detsen, and Princess Wencheng and Princess Tritsun, as well as two prominent ancient Tubo ministers. The statues are vivid, simple and dignified. At the rear of the two-meter-high second floor is a shrine housing bronze figures of Maitreya, Tsongkhapa, Padmasambhava and Manjushri. The earliest palatial building in Tibet, both its architecture and the images it houses showcases early Tibetan society, culture and religion.
