Pala Manor
Highlight tourist attraction in central Tibet
Pala Manor, a well-preserved serf manor, is situated at the Banjorlhunbo Village, 10 minutes’ drive from Gyantse County, Shigatse, Tibet. Once there were a large scale of 37 affiliated small manors, 22 smallholdings, and six lots of grasslands. More than 14,250 cattle were grazed in the grassland with around 2,440 slaves worked on the estate. The slaves needed to do general farm labor, wine production, knitting and sewing, etc. to run the whole manor. There was no human right for the serfs, they were working under harshly treatment and none of them have freedom.
Today, the manor remains a 3-storey house that provides local people and travelers the traditional Tibetan architectures and insights into the previous life of landowning people. From the manor, on one hand we can see the beautiful decorations and exorbitant furniture which suggest the extravagantly luxury life of the previous landlord. On the other hand, it is clear that the serfs had a terrible life under the unjust treatment by living in the dark space. By providing the contrast between rich landlord and serfs, this place reminds everyone Tibet’s history between privilege and slavery.