Songtsen Gampo Guide

Songtsen Gampo, the son of Namri Songtsen, is the forefather of Tibetan Buddhism. Songtsen Gampo is well-known for his great achievement of the communication of Tibet and China. Greatly influenced by his father, Songtsen Gampo had shown extrodinary talent since his childhood. Songtsen Gampo acceded to the throne at the age of 13 after his father was poisoned and became the 33rd king of the Tubo Regime. After his accession to the throne, Songtsen Gampo started to hunt down the murder meanwhile he put great force to strengthen the army then put down all the rebellion rising all over Tibet after his father died.

After he united Tibet, Songtsen Gampo moved the capital to Lhasa, which combined the military and political center together. Songtsen Gampo then enacted a series of laws and regulations to encourage people to learn the advanced production of technology and the development of agriculture and livestock production. Songtsen Gampo also sent 16 aristocrats leading by his minister Thonmi Sambhota to India to study then created their own Tibetan characters. Due to his admiration of the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, after his marriage with Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti Songtsen Gampo sent an envoy to Emperor Taizong then married the Tang Princess Wencheng, who was a devout Buddhist and brought all kinds of advanced science and culture to Tibet, as well as Buddhism.

Songtsen Gampo is considered to be the first of the three Dharma Kings (chosgyal) — Songtsän Gampo, Trisong Detsen, and Ralpacan — who established Buddhism in Tibet. Also due to one of Songsten Gampo's princesses, he commissioned 13 temples across Tibet to protect Tibet from a demoness. Songsten Gampo was the gradfather of King Trisong Detsen and was tought of as the human emanation of Avalokiteshvara. He meditated in a cave for several years that is now located at the core of the Potala Palace.

• The Potala Palace
• The Sera Monastery
• The Norbulingka
• The Jokhang Temple
• The Barkhor Street
• The Tibet Museum
• The Tibetan Traditional Hospital
• The New Palace of Panchen
• The Drepung Monastery
• Yamdrok Yumtso Lake
• Tashilhunpo Monastery
• Gyangtse Old Street
• Yangpachen
• Lake Namtso
• Songtsen Gampo
• Himalayan Ranges
• Palkhor Monastery
• Lhasa Carpet Factory
• Everest Base Camp
• Rongbuk Monastery
• Sakya Monastery