The first volume was just published in April 2004 at White Lotus Press, Bangkok.

In preparation:

	«The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces:  Kham (Eastern Tibet)» erscheint in drei Bänden im White Lotus Verlag to be published in three volumes at  White Lotus Press, 2004/2005 and ca. 2008  Vol. 1: The Xizang Part of Kham (TAR) Vol. 2: The Qinghai Part of Kham Vol. 3: The Sichuan and Yunnan Parts of Kham
	Contact and information: White Lotus Press  11/2 Soi 58, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10250, Thailand  Tel. (662) 332-4915, (662) 741-6288/9  Fax (662) 311-4575, (662) 741-6287

The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces
Kham

ISBN 974-4800-49-6 (vol. 1)

Kham in the Tibeto-Chinese borderlands is not - as many believe - just some bigger lamaseries along the old China-Lhasa trade routes, with Chamdo and some minor monasteries far from the heartland of Tibetan culture. This detailed survey of The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces quickly reveals that Tibetan culture is neither extinct in Tibet proper nor in the outer provinces of Amdo and Kham. Their inhabitants’ accomplishments in rebuilding monasteries, restructuring the economy and revitalizing the traditional way of life are among the most fascinating recent events in Asia. Thus the author of this work takes it as his expression of admiration and respect for what Tibetans have accomplished within the last decades.

Until now, east Tibet has not been thoroughly researched, not to speak of comprehensively documented or presented. Areas being part of what is called east Tibet, however, make up a major share of the Tibetan high plateau, accounting to some two thirds of its huge surface. So it was high time to work out a survey of Tibet’s cultural monuments and to elaborate the specific features of historical monuments of the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau—with special reference to its culture, history, tribal and ethnic variety.

Andreas Gruschke has visited and thoroughly documented—often for the first time—many of the unknown sites in Amdo and Kham, among them highly active monastic establishments with hundreds or even thousands of monks, or hidden treasures of Tibet's living and revitalized Buddhist tradition. In presenting this study of the cultural monuments in northeastern and eastern Tibet, he covered a variety of historical, economic or religio-philosophical aspects in order to explain and evaluate the differences and the common features within the Tibetan cultural context. It includes detailed descriptions of the current situation of the sites and, to a lesser extent, of the society.

The wealth of materials has made it both necessary and awarding to publish several volumes dealing with the historical monuments of east Tibet - with three volumes presenting the fascinating world of east Tibetans in Kham: vol. 1 on those parts administratively belonging to the Tibet Autonomous Region (Xizang Zizhiqu) [already published], vol. 2 on the Qinghai Part [will be published in summer/autumn 2004] and vol. 3 on the Yunnan and Sichuan Parts of Kham [in preparation].
 

The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces. 
Kham. Volume 1. The Xizang Part of Kham (TAR)  is the first of three volumes presenting the fascinating world of southeast Tibet's historical and cultural monuments. The author's original studies reveal that Tibetan culture is thriving. Tibetans have rebuilt their economy and revitalized their traditional way of life. East Tibet has not until now been thoroughly researched although it comprises about two-thirds of the Tibetan Plateau. It is astounding, therefore, that the West knows hardly anything about it. This book provides interested readers with comprehensive information about unknown sites in Kham, which are fascinating and puzzling, as well as their role in history.

This first volume on Kham starts with Chamdo and its famous Jampa Ling monastery. Next, the major lamaseries Karma Dansa, home of the Karma-Kagyüpa sect, and Riwoche's famous Tsuglhakhang are described with a historic outline of this part of southeast Tibet, including economic or religio-philosophical aspects. These can help explain and evaluate the features, which are different from, or common to the Tibetan cultural context, thus providing a unique picture of the ethnic and cultural mosaic of Kham.
Detailed descriptions of the major historic sites will help understand their development, as well as locating sites and understanding what can be seen there. One can prepare a tour to this region in advance by going through the presentation of the extraordinary cultural monuments presented.
Even in far-off places one can find highly active monastic establishments with hundreds or even a thousand of monks, as well as hidden treasures of Tibet's living and revitalized Buddhist, and Bön,  tradition. This book presents the diversity of a highland realm whose historic and cultural importance was long neglected. Kham includes densely populated regions in the west of modern Sichuan province, Yunnan's northwest and  the realm of the former Nangchen kingdom to which those parts of Kham presented here were all related in one manner or the other. The fascinating Bön  world in Hor Gyade, the present-day's north of the TAR, the peasants and  nomads there and their religious realm are also described.

318 pages, 45 maps and sketches, 123 plates and 195 colour photos
White Lotus Press, Bangkok 2004

The Cultural Monuments of Tibet's Outer Provinces
Kham click here
Volume 1. The Xizang Part of Kham (TAR)
                       (Tibet Autonomous Region)

List of Maps .........................................................................................................viii
List of Plates ..........................................................................................................ix
List of Colour Photos ..............................................................................................x
Foreword ............................................................................................................xvii

List of Abbreviations ............................................................................................xxii

Introductory Notes
Introduction to Tibet’s Outer Provinces in the east (Amdo and Kham)
Part 1. Eastern Tibet: settlement pattern and administrative division
Part 2. Kham 
P 2.1. Historic Polities and traditional division of Kham 
P 2.2. Derivation and meaning of the toponym ‘Kham’ 
P 2.3. A historical sketch of Tibet’s Kham region 

The Xizang part of Kham

1. Chamdo district 1.1. Chamdo town 1.1.1. Chamdo Jampa Ling and Drugu monastery 1.1.2. The changing face of Chamdo's old town 1.2. Karma Dansa, the cradle of the Karma-Kagyüpas

1.3. Riwoche Tsuglagkhang - a 'monastic jewel' in Kham
1.4. Other monasteries of the former Riwoche state 
1.4.1. Tagsham Gompa
1.4.2. Dzonglo Gön
1.4.3. Riwo Ritrö
1.4.4. Rabten Gompa
1.4.5. Chinkhar monastery
1.4.6. The arhat monastery Näten Chudrug
1.4.7. Näten Gompa
1.4.8. Gyume Gompa
1.4.9. Jamyang Thegchen Püntsholing
1.5. Lamaseries in Lhathog-Jomda Area
1.5.1 Khamgar Gön - head of the Kham Drugpas
1.5.2 Wara Gön, a Sakyapa centre of the old Dege Kingdom
1.5.3 Sibda Dzogchen Gompa
1.5.4. Threlso Gompa
1.5.5. Jopu Gompa
1.5.6. Denma Thubten Chökhor Ling

2. The Bön regions of Nubhor and Khyungpo 2.1. Sog Tsanden Gompa 2.2. Biru and the Ngül Chu Valley 2.2.1. Monastic culture in Biru 2.2.2. Biru's unique sky burial grounds 2.3. The Bönpo order 2.3.1. The origin and development of the Bönpo order 2.3.2. Some notes on the Bönpo pantheon 2.4. Hor Bachen 2.4.1. Luphug lamasery 2.4.2. Batsang Gompa 2.5. Tengchen and Khyungpo Ri 2.5.1. Tengchen Gompa 2.5.2. Tengchen Ritrö 2.5.3. Kogyal Gompa 2.5.4. Khyungpori Tsedrug monastery

2.1. Sog Tsanden Gompa
2.2. Biru and the Ngül Chu Valley
2.2.1. Monastic culture in Biru
2.2.2. Biru's unique sky burial grounds
2.3. The Bönpo order
2.3.1. The origin and development of the Bönpo order
2.3.2. Some notes on the Bönpo pantheon
2.4. Hor Bachen
2.4.1. Luphug lamasery
2.4.2. Batsang Gompa
2.5. Tengchen and Khyungpo Ri
2.5.1. Tengchen Gompa
2.5.2. Tengchen Ritrö
2.5.3. Kogyal Gompa
2.5.4. Khyungpori Tsedrug monastery

3.1. Lhari
3.2. Pembar
3.2.1. Pembar monastery and its remaining murals
3.2.2. Lhatse Jampa Ling
3.3. Lhorong
3.3.1 Shopamdo monastery
3.3.2. Zitho monastery
3.3.3 The principal monastery of Old Lhorong
3.3.4. Marri Gedog Gompa
3.3.5. The Tara Temple of upper Pashö

4.1. The monastic state of Dragyab
4.1.1. Magön - Dragyab's 'mother monastery'
4.1.2. Bugön
4.1.3. Jorkhe Ritrö
4.1.4. Dagyab, a realm abounding in inconspicuous sites
4.1.5. Martsang Kagyüpa
4.2. Gonjo 
4.2.1. Thangkya lamasery, Gonjo's main Sakyapa institution
4.2.2. Gyara Gompa, Gonjo’s largest Nyingmapa lamasery
4.2.3. Drondren Gön, Gonjo's single Gelugpa lamasery
4.2.4. Ranggo Gön, a Nyingmapa institution
4.2.5. Signs of Nyingmapa prevalence in Gonjo
4.2.6. Drugpas in despair

5.1. Pashö
5.1.1. Sangngag Tegchen Ling
5.1.2. Nerab Gompa
5.1.3. Pashö monastery und the Jedrung Khutukhtus
5.2. Poyül and Pemakö
5.2.1. Poyül and the Pome Kingdom
5.2.2. The 'Hidden Valleys' of Pemakö 
5.3. Dzayül
5.3.1. Sangngag Chö Dzong
5.3.2. Menkong district in east Dzayül 
5.4. Excursus: The Himalayan frontier of Kham's far southwest

6.1. Tshawa Dzogang Dzong
6.1.1. Dzogang Gompa
6.1.2. Themthog Gompa
6.1.3. Thugchag Shedrub Jampa Ling
6.1.4. Uya Jampa Ling
6.1.5. Bönpo monasteries in Lower Tshawarong
6.2. Markham 
6.2.1. Öser Gompa
6.2.2. Gönsar - Gartog's new monastery
6.2.3. The salt-wells of the Naxi

7.1. The rock images of Denma Drag
7.2. Drag Lhamo

8.1. The Karo Culture
8.2. Stone coffins and tombs in Gonjo

Notes
Bibliography
Glossary
Index - mini gazetteer

You want to travel to Kham? We can recommend one of our friends, who is really an expert for Tibetan regions and who helped me a lot during my research:

Hua Qing of WestEast Tours Email: wetours@gmail.com h_qingcn@yahoo.com.cn

If you want quality, don't expect him to be the cheapest.  If you don't want quality, you should rather travel elsewhere! Andreas Gruschke..........

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Contact and information:

White Lotus Publishers
11/2 Soi 58, Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok 10250, Thailand
Tel. (662) 332-4915, (662) 741-6288-9 / Fax (662) 311-4575, (662)741-6287

Already published:

	«The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces:  Amdo» (Northeastern Tibet) in zwei Bänden im White Lotus Verlag published in two volumes at White Lotus Publishers, Bangkok 2001 Vol. 1 - The Qinghai Part of Amdo was just published in June 2001 ISBN 974-7534-59-2 Price in Europe:  55,- Euro Order form - Bestellformular
	Vol. 2 - The Gansu and Sichun Parts of Amdo in autumn  2001 ISBN 974-7534-90-3 Price in Europe:  55,- Euro Order form - Bestellformular
	«The Cultural Monuments of Tibet’s Outer Provinces:  Kham» (Southeastern Tibet) in drei Bänden im White Lotus Verlag published in thre volumes at White Lotus Publishers, Bangkok 2004 f. Vol. 1 - The TAR Part of Kham was just published in April 2004 ISBN 974-4800-49-6 Price in Europe:  60,- Euro Order form - Bestellformular

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