Ganze

Ganze lies in the upper Yalong valley in northern Kham, a country of high pastures and mountain settlements. It formed part of the Hor lands, where several hereditary chiefs ruled neighbouring territories. The name of Ganze is traditionally connected with the white stones on which its monastery was built. In 1662 Chöji Ngawang Phuntsok, a disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama, established Ganze Monastery as part of a group of Gelug foundations in the Hor country. The chiefs of the region maintained their own authority while religious institutions drew on patrons and teachers from beyond the valley. Together they gave Ganze a place in the changing political and religious landscape of eastern Tibet.