Tsaparang Dzong. Tsaparang was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Guge in Ngari Prefecture. It is west of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar. Tsaparang is a fortress perched on a pyramid-shaped rock rising about 600 feet from the surrounding land. It contains numerous tunnels and caves that have been carved out of the rock. At its base was a village where the common people lived. Above them were two temples and quarters for the monks. Further up, ascending a twisting stone staircase in a tunnel, were the royal quarters, and at the very top, the summer palace. Historian Michael Wood, in the BBC/PBS TV series “In Search of Myths and Heroes”, suggested that Tsaparang was the historical origin of the legend of Shangri-La, and that its temples were once home to the kings of Guge in modern Tibet. Guge controlled an ancient trading route between India and Tibet and was an important regional power by the 10th century. (balkhandshambhala.com).
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