Derge

Derge stands in Kham as the former centre of an eastern Tibetan kingdom. The name means land of mercy, but the town's influence grew from a combination of royal power, monastic learning and book production. Its kings formed a long lineage, and the court made Derge an important political, industrial and religious centre in eastern Tibet, comparable in cultural reach to Lhasa and Xiahe.

The three-storey printing house, or parkhang, was built in 1729 during the reign of King Tenpa Tsering. The eighth Tai Situpa, Situ Panchen, helped to revive Tibetan culture and assisted in establishing the press. Printers there used no machines, transferring pages from wooden blocks; the stored collection is estimated at 217,000 blocks and includes the Kangyur scriptures and Tengyur commentaries. The editions are prized for careful work and few errors.

Derge's religious landscape extended beyond the royal town. Palpung, Gongchen, Kathok, Palyul, Shechen and Dzogchen monasteries lie within the district. Pilgrims, scholars, artists and monks could connect court patronage with these centres. The printing house spread Derge's reputation through the books that carried its learning far beyond Kham.