Namling


Namling or Namlingxoi is a town and seat of Namling County in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, about by road northeast of Shigatse, north of Dobjoi.

Geography

It lies at an altitude of 4683 metres, at a bend in the Tsangpo River. The township of Namling covers an area of and has a population of about 7000 people. Several strong forts are seen along the hills ranges of the river valley and one such fort is the Namling Dzong. Vegetation in the area is sparse today, almost devoid of any vegetation looks like a desert country. However, ashes and fossils unearthed here reveal that leaves, willows, alders, maples, rhododendrons and conifers existed here. The village is situated on a cone-shaped hill.

Education

Namling has developed in recent times into a regional educational centre, overlooked by the Bureau of Education. In 1993, the Namling County Schools Project received funding from the USA-based Boulder-Lhasa Sister City Project. The schools of this project achieved the best results in 1994, in Tibet.

Notable landmarks

is a prominent fortress in the area, which has been likened to European castles along the Rhine. In the early 17th century, the 5th Dalai Lama founded the Ganden Chökhor monastery in Namling, reached via a chain bridge; it was the first of thirteen monasteries of his era. There were 300 monks at the monastery in 1908. It was the seat of the Teshu Lamas.

Villages

The township contains the following villages: