Dawu

Dawu lies in the mountain country of eastern Kham, where grassland, forest and river valleys meet. Its Lingque Monastery is a Gelug foundation and one of the religious centres of the region. In the early eighteenth century parts of the wider district lay within the territory of Chakla, whose rulers held Dartsedo to the southeast. Lingque was founded in 1662 by Chöji Ngawang Phuntsok, a disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama. It became known for intricate butter sculptures, whose subjects include Buddhist teachers, religious stories and local traditions. The monastery joined a network of Gelug institutions across the Hor country of Kham.