Tomb of the Kings
Covering an area of 3 square km, the Chongye Burial Mounds are located on Mulou Mountain in Chongye County in the south east of Lhasa. This is one of the few Tibetan sights that illustrates the existence of of a pre- Buddhist culture here. Despite the fact that most of the kings buried here are now associated with the rise of Buddhism, evidence suggests that an earlier Bon faith existed. Archaeological discoveries suggest that burial was widespread between the 7th and 9th centuries here, when the Tibetan Gampo kings were buried at the sight. It is said that King Songtsen Gampo and the Tang princess Wen Chen, are buried here as well as several other Kings and Queens. On the facade of a large stone tablet here are ancient Tibetan inscriptions singing the praise of the king's achievements. The inscriptions are still visible after thousands of years. Songsten Gampo's tomb is the biggest here with a small temple standing on top of it.
According to historical documents, there were originally 13 tombs at the site although today only three are visible. The tombs appear to be arranged randomly and are all rectangular shaped with plain tops. All the tombs are a different size, and some are as high as 10 meters. Erosion means that many of the tombs only resemble mounds today.
There are spectacular views from the furthest tomb, the Tomb of King Trisong Detsen. This is about a one hour climb from the other sights, but it is worth it for the great views over the valley below.
How to get there: The easiest way to visit the Chongye valley is as a day trip from Tsetang. Although the burial tombs are not that exciting in themselves, the surrounding countryside is impressive. To get to Tsetang, take a bus from Lhasa's main bus station. This should take about 4 hours and there are a few places to stay in Tsetang while you explore the area. Alternately, take a bus here from Samye. In Lhasa you can also hire a jeep and drive out to the valley. The Samye Monastery, Yarlung valley and Tsetang can all be seen in a couple of days. This should cost about RMB3000 in total.