Ruins of Guge Kingdom


Ruins of Guge Kingdom is located in the Ngari Region, Tibet Autonomous Region. Now extend
around the sides of a mountain more than 300m, cover an area of 720,000 square meters.

The Guge Kingdom played a very important role in the development of Tibet’s civilization. It attracts
increasingly more visitors and researchers each year either in the hope of appreciation or study.

Established in about the 10th century, the Guge Kingdom was founded by one branch of
descendants of a nearby crumbled kingdom, it was ruled by about 16 kings with armies of tens of
thousands of soldiers during the over 700 years in which it flourished. During its lifetime the Guge
Kingdom played an important part in the economic and cultural development of Tibet. But at last, the Guge Kingdom was destroyed by internal
disorder and invasion from the outside.

Explorers have found over 400 rooms and 800 caves here, as well as some houses, pagodas and all kinds of burial places. And the ruins are
surrounded by a city wall and a fortress marks each of the corners.

Large-scale of archeological work began in 1985. in the following years of the excavation, a lot of sculpture works and mural paintings were found
out. Most of the sculptures are gold or silver Buddhist statues, and the murals are preserved in good condition, although they are hundreds of
years old.

Although the Guge, through its hardship in history, has lost its prosperity and graceful manner, its
appearance is still imposing. It leaves a valuable history and numerous legends.

“Guge” seems to be an encyclopedia, with a long history, deeply-rooted culture, mystic legends and
many unfathomable enigmas. The ruins of the Guge Kingdom, standing on the desolate land, silently
relate the history and give forth the light of art.