Xiuba Castles

Xiuba Castles is located in the Gongbo'gyamda County and is about 55 kilometers away from the county seat. It is one of the most famous scenic spots in Nyang River Scenic Belt. It is also one of the first batch of cultural relics developed in Nyingchi Prefecture. Xiuba Castles is composed of five castles with different heights, each of them is 30-50 meters away from each other.

This place was not called Xiuba long time ago. There were monasteries of different sects in ancient time. The monastery on the east belonged to Gelug Sect while the monastery on the west belonged to Bon. They struggled on Buddhism theories since there were different ideas in different sects. The monks in Bon monastery imprisoned the abbot of the monastery belonged to Gelug Sect and peel him after a Buddhism argumentation. Hence, this place was named Xiuba (means peeling in Tibetan).

Xiuba Castles – History

It is said that Xiuba Castles were constructed in Songtsen Gampo Period, about 1600 years ago. To make the communication easier between his troops during the expedition, Songtsen Gampo constructed the castles for stationing and defense.

The castles are distributed in various regions in Tibet. The construction of these castles integrated the local architectural styles. Some of them were constructed with stones while others were constructed with mud and wood. Xiuba Castles was constructed with stones and wood. It was constructed 300 years earlier than the worldly famous Potala Palace.

There are several castles in Gongbo'gyamda County, among which Xiuba Castles is the largest and best preserved one. It is proved that Xiuba Castles was constructed in late Tang Dynasty and has a history of more than 1600 years.

Xiuba Castles – Cultural Relics

There were seven castles at Xiuba Castles. Two of them were completely collapsed due to out of repair for long years. There are 5 castles standing here with a height of 50-60 meters. These castles cover an area of more than 800 square meters.

The five-storey Praying Tower is 28 meters high. It was used to pray for military triumph. There is a giant prayer wheel with a diameter of 3 meters in the tower. A large quantity of Tibetan would come here to pray for health, peace and happiness.

Xiuba Castles Scenic Spot integrated the cultural relics and natural landscapes. It keeps attracting tourists here for sightseeing and research with its ancient castles and local folk customs.