Markham

Markham lies between the upper Mekong and Yangtze in eastern Tibet, where mountain ridges and deep valleys divide the country into distinct corridors. This was a region of Tibetan chiefs and monasteries, linked southwards to Yunnan and northwards to the lands around Chamdo. The range of elevations allowed both highland grazing and cultivation in sheltered valleys. The Martsang Kagyu tradition took root in the country between the two great rivers. In 1200 its teacher Rinchen Pel founded Dzongmudo Monastery in the upper Markham region. Its lineage became part of the varied religious life of Kham, where neighbouring valleys supported institutions belonging to different Tibetan traditions.