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31-618: Rinpung Dzong , sometimes referred to as Paro Dzong, is a large dzong - Buddhist monastery and fortress - of the Drukpa Lineage of the Kagyu school in Paro District , Bhutan . It houses the district Monastic Body as well as government administrative offices of Paro Dzongkhag. It is listed as a tentative site in Bhutan's Tentative List for UNESCO inclusion. In the 15th century local people offered

62-642: A protectorate (e.g. a British Indian princely state ), the real rapport depending on historical circumstances rather than a general job description for every amban, while his authority was often very extensive, rather like a provincial governor. The Qing Emperor appointed an amban in Tibet ( Chinese : 駐藏大臣 ; pinyin : Zhùzàng Dàchén ), who represented Qing authority over the Buddhist theocracy of Tibet, and commanded over 2,000 troops stationed in Lhasa . The chief amban

93-732: A Han Chinese Bannerman , was appointed as the last Amban of Tibet by the Qing government. He was killed during the Xinhai Revolution by Chinese Republican Revolutionary forces intent on overthrowing the Qing dynasty. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912, the Manchu Amban Lien Yu and his Chinese soldiers were expelled from Lhasa. Altishahr , meaning six cities, consisted of the Uyghur cities of Yarkand, Kashgar, Khotan, Kuche, Aksu, and Yangi Hisar (or Ush-Turfan). The Qing dynasty's wars with

124-422: A decreed number of workers to work for several months at a time (during quiet periods in the agricultural year) in the construction of the dzong. Dzongs comprise heavy masonry curtain walls surrounding one or more courtyards. The main functional spaces are usually arranged in two separate areas: the administrative offices; and the religious functions - including temples and monks' accommodation. This accommodation

155-484: A massive flood on the Pho Chhu, damaging the dzong and taking 23 lives. By tradition, dzongs are constructed without the use of architectural plans. Instead construction proceeds under the direction of a high lama who establishes each dimension by means of spiritual inspiration. Dzongs are built using corvée labor applied as a tax against each household in the district. Under this obligation each family provides or hires

186-533: Is a Manchu language term meaning "high official" ( Chinese : 大臣 ; pinyin : dàchén ), corresponding to a number of different official titles in the imperial government of Qing China . For instance, members of the Grand Council were called Coohai nashūn-i amban in the Manchu language and Qing governor-generals were called Uheri kadalara amban (Manchu: [REDACTED] ). The most well-known ambans were

217-424: Is arranged along the inside of the outer walls and often as a separate stone tower located centrally within the courtyard, housing the main temple, that can be used as an inner defensible citadel. The main internal structures are again built with stone (or as in domestic architecture by rammed clay blocks), and whitewashed inside and out, with a broad red ochre band at the top on the outside. The larger spaces such as

248-462: Is one of the few shingle roofs to survive and was being restored in 2006/7. The courtyards, usually stone-flagged, are generally at a higher level than the outside and approached by massive staircases and narrow defensible entrances with large wooden doors. All doors have thresholds to discourage the entrance of spirits. Temples are usually set at a level above the courtyard with further staircases up to them. Larger modern buildings in Bhutan often use

279-620: The Thongdrel (20x20 metre-wide). Paying homage to the Thongdrel it is believed that the faithful can attain Nirvana. Some scenes in the 1993 film Little Buddha were filmed in this dzong. .According to the history of Paro Dzong, written by Drungchen Dasho Sangay Dorji, the rock face below the dzong was named 'Ringpung' by Guru Rinpoche in the eighth century, hence when the dzong was later built here, it came to be known as 'Ringpung Dzong'. Inside Rinpung Dzong are fourteen shrines and chapels: Outside

310-767: The Zunghar Khanate pushed them into the area and by 1759 they had obtained control of this region. After the rebellion of Yakub Beg , Altishahr was incorporated into the administration of Xinjiang, which became a formal province in the Qing empire in 1884. Between 1761 and 1865, the Qing Empire appointed an imperial resident (Manchu: [REDACTED] hebei amban ; Chinese: zǒnglǐ huíjiāng shìwù cānzàn dàchén 總理回疆事務參贊大臣 ) to Altishahr, which today forms part of southern Xinjiang . The imperial resident, who resided in Kashgar , Ush Turfan or Yarkand and exercised Qing authority over

341-455: The Bhutanese government listed five dzongs to its tentative list for UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription in the future. The five dzongs are Punakha Dzong , Wangdue Phodrang Dzong , Paro Dzong , Trongsa Dzong and Dagana Dzong. Amban Amban ( Manchu and Mongol : [REDACTED] Амбан Amban , Tibetan : ཨམ་བན ་ am ben , Chinese : 昂邦 , Uighur : ئامبان་ am ben )

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372-539: The Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava , (Guru Pema Jungney, Guru Nima Yoezer, Guru singye dradrong, Guru tshoki Dorji, Guru shacha singye, Guru pema gyelpo, Guru dorji dolo, and Guru lodan Chokse) is displayed for the public in the early morning hours, to keep to the tradition of not allowing sunlight to fall on it. The ground on which the monks perform the mask dance is called Deyangkha. Dzong architecture Distinctive features include: Dzongs serve as

403-578: The Manchu amban was expelled by Mongol forces, fleeing to China proper via Russia. In the early Qing, the word amban was also used in the title of the military governors (昂邦章京, angbang-zhangjing , which is a transcription of the Manchu amban-jianggin ; R.L. Edmonds translates the title in English as "military deputy-lieutenant governor" ) in the northeastern provinces of the Qing Empire, viz. Jilin and Heilongjiang . The first amban-jianggin appointed in

434-450: The Qing imperial residents (Manchu: [REDACTED] Seremšeme tehe amban ; Chinese : 駐紮(劄)大臣 Zhùzhá Dàchén ; Tibetan: Ngang pai ) in Tibet , Qinghai , Mongolia and Xinjiang , which were territories of Qing China, but were not governed as regular provinces and retained many of their existing institutions. The Qing imperial residents can be roughly compared to a European resident (also known as resident commissioners ) in

465-541: The Zhabdrung dismantled the existing dzong and laid the foundations of a new dzong. In 1646 the dzong was reconsecrated and established as the administrative and monastic centre of the western region and it became known as "Rinpung Dzong". During the reign of the 23rd Penlop Dawa Penjor the Fortress caught fire (before the first king Gongsa Ugyen Wangchuck was enthroned) and all the important relics and statues were burnt, except for

496-458: The courtyard of the main dzong below (see image at head of article). Punakha Dzong is distinctive in that it is sited on a relatively flat spit of land at the confluence of the Mo and Pho Rivers. The rivers surround the dzong on three sides, providing protection from attack. This siting proved inauspicious, however, when in 1994 a glacial lake 90 kilometers upstream burst through its ice dam to cause

527-541: The crag of Hungrel at Paro to Lama Drung Drung Gyal, a descendant of Pajo Drugom Zhigpo . Drung Drung Gyal built a small temple there and later a five storied Dzong or fortress which was known as Hungrel Dzong . In the 17th century, his descendants, the lords of Hungrel, offered this fortress to the Drukpa hierarch, Ngawang Namgyal , the Zhabdrung Rinpoche , in recognition of his religious and temporal authority. In 1644

558-450: The dzongs are well-sited with regard to their function as defensive fortresses. Wangdue Phodrang dzong, for instance, is set upon a spur overlooking the confluence of the Sankosh (Puna Tsang) and Tang Rivers, thus blocking any attacks by southern invaders who attempted to use a river route to bypass the trackless slopes of the middle Himalayas in attacking central Bhutan. Drukgyel Dzong at

589-547: The expulsion of the ambans following the Xinhai Revolution in 1912. Today, 71 counties in the Tibet Autonomous Region are called dzong s in the Tibetic languages . Bhutanese dzong architecture reached its zenith in the 17th century under the leadership of Ngawang Namgyal , the 1st Zhabdrung Rinpoche . The Zhabdrung relied on visions and omens to site each of the dzongs. Modern military strategists would observe that

620-527: The form and many of the external characteristics of dzong architecture in their construction, although incorporating modern techniques such as a concrete frame. The campus architecture of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a rare example of dzong style seen outside the Himalayas. Initial phases were designed by El Paso architect Henry Trost , and later phases have continued in the same style. In 2012,

651-457: The head of the Paro valley guards the traditional Tibetan invasion path over the passes of the high Himalayas. Dzongs were frequently built on a hilltop or mountain spur. If the dzong is built on the side of a valley wall, a smaller dzong or watchtower is typically built directly uphill from the main dzong with the purpose of keeping the slope clear of attackers who might otherwise shoot downward into

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682-466: The idealized duality of power between the religious and administrative branches of government. Tibet used to be divided into 53 prefecture districts also called dzongs . There were two dzongpöns for each dzong, a lama and a layman. They were entrusted with both civil and military powers and are equal in all respects, though subordinate to the generals and the Chinese amban in military matters, until

713-500: The imperial agent. In the holy city of Urga , an amban (Mongol: [REDACTED] Хүрээний амбан ноён, Chinese: 庫倫辦事大臣 Kùlún bànshì dàchén ) was stationed in order to assert Qing control over the Mongol dependencies. He controlled all temporal matters, and was specially charged with the control of the frontier town of Kiakhta and the trade conducted there with the Russians. Urga was also

744-515: The main dzong is the Deyangkha Temple. On the hill above Rinpung Dzong is a seven-storied the watchtower fortress or Ta Dzong built in 1649. In 1968 this was established as the home of the National Museum of Bhutan . Just below Rinpung Dzong is a traditional covered cantilever bridge . A great annual festival or tshechu is held at Rinpung Dzong from the eleventh to the fifteenth day of

775-406: The region. The imperial resident was controlled with local imperial agents (Manchu: [REDACTED] Baita icihiyara amban ; Chinese: Bànshì dàchén 辦事大臣 ), who were sent to most important cities in the region, where they ruled in conjunction with the local officials (Uighur ھاكىمبەگ hakim beg , Chinese: 阿奇木伯克 ), who were given ranks in the Qing civil service and were ultimately accountable to

806-447: The religious, military, administrative, and social centers of their district. They are often the site of an annual tsechu or religious festival. Typically half of the rooms inside a dzong serve administrative purposes (such as the office of the penlop or governor), while the other half is dedicated to religious purposes, primarily the temple and housing for monks. This division between administrative and religious functions reflects

837-643: The residence of the Jebtsundamba Khutuktu , who was the spiritual head of the Mongol Khalkha tribes. The Khutuktu ranked third in degree of veneration among the dignitaries in the Tibetan Buddhism , after the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama . He resided in a sacred quarter on the western side of the town and acted as a spiritual counterpart of the Qing amban. After the fall of the Qing dynasty in 1912,

868-522: The second month of the traditional Bhutanese lunar calendar (usually in March or April of the Gregorian calendar ). On this occasion, holy images are taken in a procession. This is followed by a series of traditional mask dances conveying religious stories which are performed by monks for several days. Before the break of dawn on the morning of the fifteenth day, a great sacred thongdrel banner thangka depicting

899-636: The temple have massive internal timber columns and beams to create galleries around an open central full height area. Smaller structures are of elaborately carved and painted timber construction. The roofs are massively constructed in hardwood and bamboo , highly decorated at the eaves , and are constructed traditionally without the use of nails. They are open at the eaves to provide a ventilated storage area. They were traditionally finished with timber shingles weighted down with stones; but in almost all cases this has now been replaced with corrugated galvanised iron roofing. The roof of Tongsa Dzong, illustrated,

930-615: Was aided by an assistant amban ( 幫辦大臣 ; Bāngbàn Dàchén ) and both of them reported to the Qing Lifan Yuan . Their duties included acting as intermediary between China and the Hindu kingdom of Nepal (Ghorkhas Country); a secretary ( 夷情章京 ; Yíqíng zhāngjīng ) dealt with native affairs. Three Chinese commissioners ( 糧台 ; liángtái ), of the class of sub-prefects, were stationed at Lhasa, Tashilumbo and Ngari. The Qing imperial resident in Tibet

961-521: Was introduced in 1727 and most ambasa were appointed from the Manchu Eight Banners , a few were Han Chinese or Mongol. The Emperors used ambasa to supervise Tibetan politics, and the Qianlong , Jiaqing and Daoguang Emperors each decreed that the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama were bound to follow the leadership or guidance of the ambasa in carrying out the administration of Tibet. Zhao Erfeng ,

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