Yumbulagang, the first palace in the history of Tibet

Yumbulagang, meaning 'the palace on the hind leg of a doe', is the first palace in the history of Tibet, and also one of the earliest constructions. It is located southeast of Zetang Town in the Shannan region, towering on the top of Tashi Tsere Mountain on the east bank of the Yarlung River. It is said to have been built by the followers of the Yungdrung Bon religion in the 2nd century BC for the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsenpo, and later became the summer palace for Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng in Shannan. During the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama, it was converted into a Gelug monastery. Yumbulagang mainly enshrines the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha. The murals inside the palace vividly depict the historical stories of Tibet's first king, the first building, and the first cultivated land. Yumbulagang is divided into two parts: the front is a multi-story building, and the rear is a square high-rise watchtower, which is connected to the front.