Gyantse Dzong

Gyantse Dzong, also known as Gyantse Fortress, is one the well reserved dzongs in Tibet. It was constructed in 1390 and since guards the southern approaches to the Tsangpo Valley and Lhasa.Local people usually call Gyantse as the ‘Hero City’ for the reason that the determined resistance of Tibetans against far superior forces during the British invasion to Tibet of 1903 and 1904. The invasion was an overpowering slaughter that hundreds of Tibetan people with antiquated matchlock guns and slingshots were killed by British with Maxim machine guns and cannons. One night of May 1904, Tibetan ambushed British army and won a battle. Six months later, British people came back again with more cannons to bomb Gyantse Dzong. In order not to be captured by British army, the Tibetan survivals all jumped from the fortress.