Purang Town
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Script error: No such module "infobox". Template:Contains special characters Template:Contains special characters PurangTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp or Burang (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Wylie: spu hreng grong rdal, THL: pu hreng drong del,[1], Template:Lang-zh), is a town which serves as the administrative center of Purang County, Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China.[2] The town lies at an altitude of 3,900m (12,795 feet) in the valley of the Karnali River.[3] The town spans an area of Script error: No such module "convert".,[4] and has a permanent population 6,047 as of 2010,[5] and a hukou population of 4,477 as of 2018.[4] To the south are Gurla Mandhata (Mount Namonanyi) and the Abi Gamin ranges. Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash are to the north. This region is the mythological and actual river nexus of the Himalaya with sources of the Indus, Ganges and Yarlung Tsangpo/Brahmaputra all within Script error: No such module "convert". of Purang.
Etymology
The Tibetan name of the town (spu hreng) is a corruption of the Zhang-zhung words pu hrang, meaning 'horse head'.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Nepalese call the town Taklakot (Nepali: ताक्लाकोट) from Tibetan 'Takla Khar' (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Wylie: stag la mkhar, THL: Takla Khar).Script error: No such module "Unsubst". Takla Khar means Tiger Hill Castle, which is the name of a historic Zhang-zhung fortress in the county.[6]
Saryu Karnali River's Peacock Mouth[7] source is glaciers on the northern slopes of the Himalaya Script error: No such module "convert". NW of Purang. The Lion Mouth source of the Indus is Script error: No such module "convert". east of Mount Kailash and the Elephant Mouth is the source of the Sutlej. Lake Manasarovar is just 2 km from few of the Sarayu heads, and has an ephemeral connection to Rakshastal. The Horse Mouth source of the Yarlung Tsanpo (Brahmaputra) is about 90 km. (55 mi.) SE of Lake Manasarovar.
History and religion
Purang is an ancient trading post. Indian and Nepali communities residing in the mountainous parts of India and Nepal bordering the Purang county have for many generations conducted trade with Tibetan communities at Purang. But the conditions under which this trade presently happens are significantly different from those prevailing before the mid-twentieth century.[8] The government of Nepal issues special border area passes to its citizens who are bona-fide residents of the border district of Humla, which enables them to seek seasonal work in Purang.[9]
On a cliff above the town was the large ancient fort of Tegla Kar (Lying Tiger Fort) and Simbiling Monastery (both totally destroyed in 1967 by Chinese artillery during the Cultural Revolution, but the monastery has since been partially restored). Beneath them is the Tsegu Gompa or the "Nine-Storey Monastery" which was probably originally a Bön establishment.[10] Tsegu covers many terraces and may be reached by ladders, and contains many unique and ancient wall-painting, darkened from centuries of smoke.[11] It seems that the Tegla kar (Lying Tiger fort) was built during the Zhangzhung dynasty which was conquered by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the early 7th century CE. It became the main fort of the Purang Kingdom, in the 10th century under King Kori, one of the two sons of Tashi Gon, King of the Guge Kingdom. The Purang kingdom is believed to have ended in the 15th century. In addition, Purang is said to be the place where Sudhana, a previous incarnation of the Buddha, lived.[12]
Purang is the gateway town for travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar to the north. These are important destinations for Bon, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and even New Age pilgrims. Traditional cosmology designates Mount Kailash the center of the universe. Great religious merit is attributed to parikrama around the mountain, and to bathing in Lake Manasarovar.
Administrative divisions
The town is divided into six village-level divisions:[13][5]
- Kyitang/Jirang Community (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh)
- Toyo/Doyou (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh)
- Rikug/Rengong (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh)
- Zhidé/Xide (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh)
- Khorchak/Kejia (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh), and
- Tridé/Chide (Tibetan: Template:Bo-textonly, Template:Zh)
The town's government is seated in the Jirang Neighborhood Committee.[5]
Demographics
As of 2018, the town has a hukou population of 4,477.[4]
Per the 2010 Chinese Census, the town has a permanent population of 6,047, up from 5,026 in the 2000 Chinese Census.[2]
A 1996 estimate placed the town's population at 4,700.[2]
Transport
Air
Ali Pulan Airport opened in December 2023 and is a dual-use military-civilian airport that serves the town.
Road
National Road S207 starts in Purang, heading NE Script error: No such module "convert". past Lake Rakshastal and Manasarovar to China National Highway 219.
Border crossings
Purang is near the borders with India and Nepal. A road leads some Script error: No such module "convert". down the Karnali River to the border crossing at the village of Xie'erwa (Tibetan: Sher) into Hilsa in Nepal (Humla District, Karnali Zone) where a historic trail and now a rough motor road continuing to Simikot. There is also a border crossing into India (Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand State) over Lipulekh Pass.
Geography and climate
Purang has a cold arid climate (Köppen BWk), with long, cold winters and mild summers. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from Script error: No such module "convert". in January to Script error: No such module "convert". in July, and the annual mean is Script error: No such module "convert".. Annual precipitation is only around Script error: No such module "convert"..
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References
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- ↑ .Snelling, John. (1990). The Sacred Mountain: The Complete Guide to Tibet's Mount Kailas. 1st edition 1983. Revised and enlarged edition, including: Kailas-Manasarovar Travellers' Guide. Forwards by H.H. the Dalai Lama of Tibet and Christmas Humphreys, pp. 74, photo on p. 238. East-West Publications, London and The Hague. Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
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- ↑ Allen, Charles. (1999) The Search for Shangri-La: A Journey into Tibetan History, p. 55. Little, Brown and Company. Reprint: 2000 Abacus Books, London. Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Tibet Handbook, p. 351. (1999). Edited by Sarah Thorowgood. Passport Books, Chicago. Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Tibet Handbook, p. 350. (1999). Edited by Sarah Thorowgood. Passport Books, Chicago. Template:ISBN.
- ↑ Burang Town, National Bureau of Statistics, 2022.
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Bibliography
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External links
- Purang: a region joining Tibet, Nepal, and India (Kailashzone Charitable Foundation)
- Photos of Taklakot
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