Tongga Piyang Grottoes

Update: Jan. 6th, 2013

Tongga Piyang Grottoes Ruins

Tsada County is full of grotto relics in different shapes, which Tongga Piyang Grottoes is the most well known in Tibet Region. Tongga Piyang Grottoes relics is situated approximately 62 kilometers north away from Toling Town. It is the largest Buddhism grotto relic which have been found in Tibet Region. Therefore it is called "the second larger Dunhuang of China".

Vivid lots of mural paintings are the features inside Tongga Piyang Grottoes, which mainly shows the Buddha Statue and the stories of Buddhism scriptures, etc. The lines of mural paintings are fluent and colorful, which shows an integral beauty.

Also, there are full of over 1000 caverns on the mountain covering an area of 12000 square meters.

Tongga Piyang Grottoes - Brief Introduction

The large grottoes are actually situated in Tongga Village and Piyang Village. Because it is not far from each other with those two villages, so the grottoes are named Tongga Piyang Grottoes. There are full of approximately 1000 rock caves in Tongga Piyang Grottoes including the cavern of paying respect to Buddha, meditation cavern, monk's dormitory, store carven, and kitchen carven in different shapes. The mural paintings drew the pictures of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Buddhist monk, and stories of Buddhism, etc.

It is the largest Buddhism grottoes ruins which has been found the latest in 1992. It has been protected by Chines National Government since 1996.

Tongga Piyang Grottoes - History and Culture

Approximately 40 kilometers north away from Tsada County, there is grottoes attraction called Tongga Piyang Grottoes. According to the record and research, it is one of the top 8 monasteries which constructed during Guge Kingdom. During the AD 10th century, it was the political, economical and cultural center.

Tongga is a small village which only lived by tens of families face to the water and back against the mountains. It is located about 40 kilometers northwest away from Guge kingdom Ruins. Tongga Grottoes has been distributed on the northern bluff of Tongga Village.

Tongga Piyang Grottoes have been found on the cliff nearby Tongga village and Piyang village, which is regarded as the largest Buddhism grottoes ruins in Tibet region. Tongga mural painting in the caverns on the hillside have been preserved well, but its formation and origination are still mysterious without any date or history record. Therefore the value of Tongga Piyang Grottoes is very high.

Tongga Piyang Grottoes - Piyang Grottoes Ruins

There are 4 regions have been organized in Piyang Grottoes, including 872 caverns. In general, Piyang Grottoes could be divided into front part and back part. The front part is ? region which stretches from the north to the south including 433 caverns. ? region and ? region have been included in back part, which the caverns in ? region stretch from the north to the south and then change into east-west. The shape of it looks like "U". There are 145 caverns. There are 247 caverns in ? region. Besides, ? region at the top of Piyang Grottoes ruins includes 37 caverns.

Tongga Piyang Grottoes - Tongga Grottoes Ruins

There are 150 caverns available in Tongga Grottoes ruins which were also distributed 2 regions. The first region is located the northern bluff of Tongga village. The second region is located in a ravine of eastern Tongga village. It is about 30 kilometers of straight -line distance between the two regions.