Dechen Chokhor Monastery is a historic Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa Kagyu school, located in Gonggar County, southern Tibet. It was founded in the late 16th century (around 1590 AD) by the First Dechen Yongdzin·Ngawang Zangpo, and has a history spanning over four centuries.
This monastery holds profound religious significance and is closely intertwined with the historical transformations of the Gonggar region, witnessing the rise and fall of Tibetan local Phagmodrupa regime.
Location – a Strategic and Historical Site
The monastery is situated in a unique geographical location, originally serving as the seat of “Gonggar Dzong.”
Gonggar Dzong was first established in the late Yuan (1271-1368 AD) and early Ming dynasties (1368-1644 AD) as a crucial stronghold during the rule of the Phagmodrupa regime of the Kagyu school.
Perched on a hillside, Dechen Chokhor Monastery enjoys a strategically advantageous position, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack, embodying the characteristics of a military stronghold.
In the 17th century, after the Third Dalai Lama came to power, the administrative center of Gonggar Dzong was moved from the site of Dechen Chokhor Monastery to the mountaintop of Gonggar Xuecun. However, the monastery continued to function as an important religious center for the Drukpa Kagyu tradition.
The old Gonggar Dzong fortress was a classic military structure, with its main building rising five stories high. The upper section consisted of a watchtower, while the lower section featured hidden fortifications. The outer walls were lined with gun ports and arrow slits for defense, and secret tunnels within the building led directly to the river for water access.
Established in the mid-14th century, this fortress remained the highest governing institution of Gonggar until its dissolution in 1959.
Its Role in Tibetan Political History
According to A Brief History of the Tibetans, by the mid-16th century, internal power struggles within the Phagmodrupa regime led to the formation of two political centers, controlled by two brothers—one in Gonggar and the other in Densatil Monastery. As a result, Dechen Chokhor Monastery became an important symbol of political influence in the Gonggar region.
Through this historical context, Dechen Chokhor Monastery has borne witness to the shifts in Tibetan local governance while preserving a wealth of valuable cultural relics.
Cultural and Historical Artifacts
According to elderly monks of the monastery, as late as the early 1990s, Dechen Chokhor Monastery still housed precious artifacts bestowed by Ming emperors upon the Phagmodrupa royal family. These included a gilded saddle and the ceremonial sword of King Naiche, underscoring the monastery’s historical prominence and reflecting the intricate relationship between the central imperial government and Tibet’s local rulers.
The Impact of Modern Political Changes
After 1959, the Gonggar Dzong government was abolished, and the newly established Gonggar County initially set up its administrative center in Gonggar Xuecun before relocating to Jixiong in April 1962.
During the Cultural Revolution, the fortress structures of the former Gonggar Dzong were destroyed, leaving only ruins that now stand as silent witnesses to Gonggar’s history.
A Living Religious and Cultural Heritage
Despite the passage of time and historical upheavals, Dechen Chokhor Monastery continues to preserve its unique religious atmosphere and historical significance.
As an important monastery of the Drukpa Kagyu school, it remains not only a center of faith for Buddhist practitioners but also a cultural heritage site that reflects the political transformations of Tibet’s local governance.
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