In the 7th century AD, the rise of the Yalong tribe in the Yalong River Valley led to the establishment of the Tubo regime (The predecessor of the Tubo Dynasty) after absorbing other tribes, gradually unifying the regional tribal powers in Tibet, and subsequently relocating its capital to Lhasa and officially established Tubo dynasty.
Following this, the Tubo dynasty built the tombs of the Tibetan king in the Qonggyai area (now Qonggyai County), rich in the significance of the “foundation of the Tubo dynasty,” which is the only confirmed Tubo royal tombs to date.
The Tombs of Tibetan King are one of the few earth burial sites in Tibet. According to Tibetan customs, lamas are generally Chorten burials, while ordinary people are typically sky burials or water burials, with earth burials being very rare.
These tombs contain the remains of the Tsanpu (Tibetan kings) and other important figures from the Tubo dynasty period, serving as important relics for studying the culture and burial system of the Tubo dynasty era.
Over more than 1000 years of history, the mounds of many tombs have eroded due to weathering, forming vertical gullies on the walls. Some smaller tombs have been buried by mountain floods and the continuous rise of the Qonggyai River bed, with no visible signs or traces on the surface. Today, aerial photographs still show some roughly square patches, speculated to be the locations of these “vanished” tombs.
Location of Tombs of Tibetan King
Tombs of Tibetan King are located southwest of Zongshan in Qonggyai County, with the tomb group backed by the mountain of Benri, facing the Yalong River, and distributed on the mountainside at an altitude of 3800 meters.
The Tombs of Tibetan King vary in size and are not arranged neatly, spanning from the southern foothills of Benri Mountain to the mouth of Dongga Valley.
The Tombs of Tibetan King area is about 2076 meters long from east to west, about 1407 meters wide from north to south, covering an area of approximately 3.85 million square meters, mainly divided into two burial areas, east and west, separated by about 800 meters.
The Western Burial Area is located on the northern side of Benri Mountain and the valley at the foot of the mountain, also known as the Mure Burial Area. It contains many tombs with large burial mounds. A total of 12 tombs have been discovered, with some being significantly large, arranged in a “-” shape from the banks of the Qonggyai River to the mountainside of Benri. Additionally, smaller tombs are more concentrated in front of this row of tombs.
The Eastern Burial Area, known as the Dungkada Burial Area, is located at the mouth of Dongga Valley, where 7 tombs have been found. They are not arranged in a clear pattern, and the burial mound structures vary.
Among the 19 tombs, 9 have identifiable occupants, namely Songtsen Gampo’s tomb, Mangsong Mangtsen’s tomb, Tride Songtsen’s tomb, Tridu Songtsen’s tomb, Langdarma’s tomb, Mune Tsanpo’s tomb, Tride Zuktsen’s tomb, Trisong Detsan’s tomb, and Tritsu Detsen’s tomb.
Among them, the largest is Chisong Dezhan’s tomb, which is square with a flat top and sides measuring 180 meters, while the smallest is Langdama’s tomb, also square with a flat top, with sides measuring only 39 meters.
Tombs of Tibetan King Mound Structure
The mounds of each tomb are tall and constructed as high platform mounds made of earth; the burial mounds are mostly earthen mounds, with structures mainly composed of stone slabs or rammed earth.
The mound structures within the tomb group can be divided into two types: one with a square flat top, and the other with a trapezoidal flat top, with the majority being square flat tops.
The upper structures of the mounds are mostly built with earth, wood, and stone, with the mounds of each tomb reaching a height of approximately 10 meters.
The slope surface of the mound is layered with rammed earth, each layer being about 15-20 centimeters thick, compacted layer by layer with internal reinforcement of round wood, featuring neatly arranged small niches on each side, containing small pottery towers and various clay Buddha statues, forming large square tomb mounds.
The upper earth mound is oval-shaped with a very flat top; the lower layer is a rectangular earth platform with uneven edges.
The largest existing mound is the tomb of Trisong Detsan.
Confirmed tombs of Tibetan King
Songtsen Gampo’s Tomb: The Tomb of Songtsen Gampo is located in the northernmost part of the western section of the Tibetan Royal Tombs. The tomb is a square earthen mound with sides measuring 140 meters and a height of 13.4 meters. The walls of the mound are constructed with rammed earth made of soil, stones, barley straw, and round logs. The southern wall has a thickness of 0.07 to 0.1 meters, with yellow-brown soil containing small stones. The layer includes sturdy round logs with many holes left after decay, vertically aligned with a spacing of 0.15 meters and 0.18 meters horizontally.
The holes in the walls are all lined with small flat stones to protect the logs, and the rammed earth layer is neatly covered with barley straw on the surface. The rammed earth walls are arranged in an east-west direction, resembling plank construction, with the western end showing a cross-section of 1 meter wide and 1 meter high, while the southern wall of the mound is severely damaged. The holes left by the round logs in the western wall of the mound are mostly square with sides measuring 0.17 to 0.28 meters. The spacing both vertically and horizontally is 0.7 meters. There are also layers of stone slabs, relatively thin, located above the horizontally arranged holes.
The northern wall has the thickest rammed earth layer, generally over 0.17 meters, and shows tool marks from the wall construction at that time. The eastern wall has severe erosion from rainwater, and at the erosion point on the south side, there is also plank construction of rammed earth walls, about 1.5 meters high, with round log joints at the wall connections.
Originally, there was an ancient temple “Tsongtsan Lakang (restored building of Songtsen Lakang)” on top of the earthen mound, which also served as the residence of the tomb guardian. It was dismantled during the “Cultural Revolution” ; it housed statues of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Trizun, Minister Ludongzan, and Thonmi Sambhota, among others. The temple has been rebuilt on a smaller scale than the original.
The entrance of the Tomb of Songtsen Gampo faces southwest, with the central tomb housing the remains of Songtsen Gampo, Princess Wencheng, Princess Trizun of Nepal, and a large number of gold and silver items. The four surrounding chambers around the central chamber are interconnected, containing Songtsen Gampo’s armor, weapons, daily necessities, and precious gifts from the Tang Dynasty emperor and neighboring countries. The southern chamber mainly stores pearls wrapped in deer skin (about 28 kilograms, with 1 Tibetan gram approximately equal to 14 kilograms), while the northern chamber holds strings of precious stones and knights and horses made of pure gold, symbolizing attendants for Songtsen Gampo after his death.
Mangsong Mangtsen’s Tomb: Located in the Western Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs, 54 meters north of Songtsen Gampo’s Tomb. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound with sides measuring 136 meters and a height of 15 meters, the total area is 18,496 square meters. The tomb area includes a stone layer of 0.3 to 0.4 meters thickness with a gap of 1.3 meters between layers. There is a 1-meter deep grave pit in the center of the tomb top, covered with small stones.
Tridu Songtsen’s Tomb: Located in the Western Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs, south of Mangsong Mangtsen’s Tomb. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound with sides measuring 90 meters and a height of 8.9 meters. The total area is 8100 square meters. There is a pit in the middle of the top of the tomb, and the four walls are sloped. The shape of the tomb is basically the same as that of Mangsong Mangtsen’s Tomb.
Mune Tsanpo’s Tomb: Located in the Western Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound with sides measuring 75 meters and a height of 12.25 meters. Inside the mound, there is a 22-meter-long, 9-meter-high stone wall. The tomb also has a grave pit on the top.
Tride Zuktsen’s Tomb: Located in the Western Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs, on the second highest platform between Mangsong Mangtsen and Trisong Detsan’s Tombs. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound with sides measuring 99 meters and a remaining height of 13 meters. The tomb walls are mostly covered with stones, and there is a triangular grave pit 3 meters deep in the center, In the middle of the south wall, there is a 4-meter-wide exit from the pit. The tomb structure is similar to Tride Songtsen’s Tomb.
Trisong Detsan’s Tomb: Located in the Western Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs, behind Tride Zuktsen’s Tomb. It is the largest tomb among the Tibetan Royal Tombs, with a square flat-topped earthen mound, sides measuring 180 meters, and a remaining height of 14.7 meters. The tomb structure is slightly similar to Songtsen Gampo’s Tomb. There are two crouching stone lions at the front of the tomb facing the sealed soil, the height (with base) is 1.55 meters, the rectangular seat length is 1.2 meters, and the width is 0.76 meters; one of which is damaged. The other lion is still intact except for the broken left leg. The two stone lions’ head raised, mane flowing down its neck, front paws slightly extended forward, tail naturally curling to the left side, exhibiting a robust body with slightly shorter limbs and a raised upper body. The tomb also has a monument commemorating Trisong Detsan in the north of the tomb
Tride Songtsen’s Tomb: Located in the Eastern Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs, to the east of Songtsen Gampo’s Tomb. Tride Songtsen was a later ruler of the Tubo Dynasty, reigning from 793 to 815 AD. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound with a distinctive shape, tapered in a trapezoidal shape with a small top and a large bottom, with sides measuring 180 meters, and a current remian height of 18 meters,the top of the tomb is 95 meters long and 67 meters wide, and the bottom of the tomb is 130 meters long and 124 meters wide. The northeast wall is slope-shaped, and the wall surface is straight. The tomb structure includes a high platform in the center, although it has suffered some damage. There is a monument near the tomb in the south that records the significant achievements of Tride Songtsen.
Tritsu Detsen’s Tomb: Located in the Eastern Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs. The tomb is a trapezoidal flat-topped earthen mound, with the longer side measuring 87 meters, the shorter side 54 meters, the waist 78 meters, and a height of 4.7 meters. There is a grave pit on the top of the mound.
Langdarma’s Tomb: Located on the east side of the Eastern Area of the Tibetan Royal Tombs. The tomb is a square flat-topped earthen mound, with a smaller size, sides measuring 39 meters, and a height of 4.3 meters.
Stone Steles of Tombs of Tibetan King
Two stone steles are preserved in the Tombs of Tibetan King, one is the Trisong Detsan Memorial Stele, and the other is the Tride Songtsen Tomb Stele.
The Trisong Detsan Memorial Stele is located at the northernmost part of the Trisong Detsan’s tomb in the western cemetery. It stands at a total height of 5.24 meters, consisting of a stele cap, stele body, and stele base, all connected by stone joints. The stele cap is 0.94 meters high, resembling the roof style of a pavilion, with a flame-shaped gem connecting to the cap and continuous cloud patterns around the bottom. The stele body is 4 meters high, 0.76 to 0.9 meters wide, and 0.33 to 0.39 meters thick, trapezoidal in shape with a rectangular cross-section. The stele body is engraved with 34 lines of Tibetan script detailing the great achievements of Trisong Detsan.Due to age, the inscription is blurred. Dragon patterns adorn the sides of the stele body, while the stele base is a stone tortoise measuring 0.2 meters high, 1.5 meters long, and 2 meters wide.
The Tride Songtsen Tomb Stele is located at the northeast corner of the Tride Songtsen’s tomb in the eastern cemetery. Due to sediment accumulation, the lower half of the stele is buried underground; it was cleaned twice by archaeologists in 1978 and 1984. The stele stands at a total height of 7.18 meters, composed of a stele cap, stele body, and stele base, all connected by stone joints. The stele cap is 0.9 meters high with a lotus seat gem on top, 0.5 meters high, and 0.43 meters in diameter, featuring sixteen lotus petals. The stele body is 5.6 meters high, 0.78 to 0.94 meters wide, and 0.42 to 0.52 meters thick, slightly trapezoidal in shape with a rectangular cross-section. The front of the stele faces north, with a sun carved on the east side and a moon on the west side. The front of the stele body is engraved with 59 lines of ancient Tibetan script, mainly recording the significant achievements of Tride Songtsen. The stele base consists of upper and lower parts, with the upper part being a stone tortoise measuring 0.84 meters high, 2.02 meters long, and 1.86 meters wide, the turtle’s head slightly exposed, its four legs retracted, with a ridge on its back; and the lower part being a rectangular stone measuring 2 meters long and 1.9 meters wide.
Research Value of Tibetan King’s Tomb
The Tibetan King’s Tomb was constructed during the crucial period of the formation and development of the Tubo Dynasty (6th to 10th century), reflecting the political, economic, religious, cultural, technological, and artistic development during this period. It provides significant material for studying the Tubo ancestors’ tomb site selection, layout planning, architectural techniques, and more. The Tibetan King’s Tomb not only reveals the burial customs of Tibet over a thousand years ago but also holds crucial value for studying the rise and fall of the Tubo Dynasty, as well as the cultural exchanges between Tubo and Tang dynasties.
Tsongtsan Lakang
Located on the top of the tomb of Songtsen Gampo, also known as the “Red Temple” , “Tsongtsan ” is a local dialect, and the official name is “Songtsen”.
the Tsongtsan Lakang was originally built during the period of Nyangrel Nyima Wozer (1124 AD – 1192 AD).
During the Yuan Dynasty (13th century), the caretaker’s residence within the tomb of Songtsen Gampo in the Tibetan royal tomb was converted into the Tsongtsan Lakang (Songtsen Gampo Shrine) by the Nyingma master Longba Shikyawe.
Covering an area of 930 square meters (30 meters long from north to south, 31 meters wide from east to west), it features two main gates.
The main building is divided into two parts: the front part consists of monk quarters, while the back part houses the main hall.
The main hall has two-story corners, while the monk quarters have two corridors, each 4 meters long, symmetrically arranged on the left and right. The columns are 0.22 to 0.25 meters wide, the perimeter walls are 1.1 meters thick, and the interior walls are 0.5 to 1 meter thick. The doors of the monk quarters are 0.9 to 1 meter wide.
The main hall consists of the Scripture Hall and the Buddha Hall.
The Scripture Hall has a wide entrance of 4 meters, with a width of 5 rooms and a depth of 4 rooms, supported by 12 pillars (each 0.4 meters wide), with 4 pillars holding up high skylights.
In the center of the hall, there are clay statues of Songtsen Gampo (reigned from 629 to 650 AD) and Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty, as well as a clay statue of Nepalese Princess Bhrikuti. In the middle row, there are clay statues of Padmasambhava and his two wives, each 1 meter tall.
In the back row, there are clay statues of Shakyamuni and his famous eight great disciples. Tangkas are hung all over the beams, creating a solemn atmosphere.
The Buddha Hall is located to the right of the Scripture Hall. It consists of the main hall, the Three Buddhas Hall, guardian deities, and monk quarters. The entrance is 0.85 meters wide, with an area of 38.12 square meters (9.9 meters long north to south, 3.85 meters wide east to west), supported by 4 pillars, each 0.4 meters wide. Inside the Buddha Hall, the main statues include clay statues of Songtsen Gampo (the 32nd generation of the Tubo King) and his two wives, as well as statues of the Tubo ministers Ludongzan and Thonmi Sambhota, along with small bronze Buddha statues.
Relics
In the Tsongtsan Lakang, there are two extremely precious relics:
- A bronze statue of Shakyamuni Buddha. It is made of red copper, with a lotus base, standing at 32 centimeters in height and 12 centimeters in seat diameter. The Buddha statue has a high topknot, adorned with a crown of beaded flowers, a face in golden hue, black eyebrows, red lips, downward gazing eyes, slightly parted lips, and two silk-like lines on the neck. The left arm hangs down in the gesture of granting wishes. The proportions of the body are symmetrical, slender, and elegant. The thighs are full, and the lines of the clothing are smooth. Standing barefoot on a circular lotus base, the Buddha statue is finely crafted and has a history of over a thousand years.
- A statue of Avalokitesvara with a thousand hands. Made of red clay, it consists of a frontal statue and a frame at the back, forming a cohesive whole. The frame measures 30 centimeters in height, 20 centimeters in width, and 2.5 centimeters in thickness. The statue features eleven heads: five facing forward, and three on each side. The hands are clasped in front of the chest, with bare feet stepping on a lotus flower. On the left corner of the Avalokitesvara is a statue of Manjushri, and on the right corner is a statue of Vajrapani. The statue of Avalokitesvara stands at 26 centimeters in height (including the base) and is cast in gold. The thousand hands of Avalokitesvara convey a boundless sense of Buddhism; the powerful Vajrapani posture demonstrates a fierce protection of the Buddhist teachings.
