Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kumbum

Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kumbum caves system are one of the very unique in Lhokha Prefecture of Tibet. It is a vital hermitage associated with the Guru Rinpoche. It lies at 150 Km from the Lhasa city and with the elevation of 4470 meters above sea level.

During the 8th century, the Tibetan King Trisong Detsen invite Guru Padmasambhava from India to establish the Mahayana Buddhism as the principal religion of his royal court and introduce the new belive system to general Tibetan Public.

Guru Rinpoche arrives at Samye at the king’s invitation and help achieve lots of Maricle to help built the monastery and help establish Buddhism in Tibet.

After accomplishing his duty at the Samye, he travelled the vase area of Tibetan plateau to practice and subdue the local demons. There are many sites all over the plateau associated with him.

There was unrest in the kingdom, due to the revolt of Bon’s against the king decision. During those times, it is said, The Guru Rinpoche hide here in these two caves system into the solitude with Kandro Yeshi Tsogyal. The legend has it that he says here for three years before moving the Kyiriyangzom cave above the Tidrum Monastery Via Lhasa.

Due to this, The caves of Drak Yangdzong and Dzong Kumbum is an important pilgrim site for Locals and international visitors alike. You may also choose to visit the cave for its adventurous nature.

It is better to choose to go to these two caves after visiting the Samye Monastery. Your guide will have to make your Aliens permit ( Tibet travel permit) in the Tsedang town before you can visit the site. Also, it is better to start from Samye Monastery for it is the beginning of Guru Rinpoche story in Tibet.

You can choose to go to Chimphu hermit early in the morning before leaving for the Dzong Kumbum Caves system. But you will have to get up early in the morning finish the small hike up to the hermit of Chimphu.

Dzong Kumbum Caves

If you leave the Samye town by 11 am, you will reach the caves of Dzong Kumbum by 2:30 pm. So you will have to bring your lunch from the Samye as there is no place to buy food on the way. We usually arrange the packed lunch for all our clients from Samye.

Once when you reach the Parking area, from there, you will have to hike up for 400m to the main cave entrance. Here there are four caves. You can ask the Monks to explain about the cave in Tibetan which your tour guide can help translate to you in English. Once the monks take you for a tour, you can go into the other cave system to see the pool from where Yeshi Tsogyal take water for Guru Rinpoche.

Exit the cave and climb up from the right-hand side with the aid of Rope. The third cave is a shallow but wide cave. Before entering into the forth cave, you have to crawl on your chest to enter.

All the Tibetan pilgrim would take their lunch on the descend to the parking lots. Join some local to share their meals too.

Drak Yangdzong

From the parking lot to Chusi Nunnery before the Drak Yangzom is about two hours drive. At Chusi Nunnery parking lot the view of the village down in stunning. That village is the village of Yeshi Tsogyal. In the village, you will find the soul lake of Yeshi Tsogyal.

You can stay in the nunnery, or you can stay in a Tibetan Family guest house in the village.

Tibetan pilgrims would start the day very early in the morning to reach the Caves when the first sunlight comes out. The hike from the nunnery to the cave is 1.5 hours tough. You will have to climb up to the cave via 10m ladder. Please mote caves are very narrow and Slippery. It is not recommended for, vertigo, claustrophobia and Fat people.

The heart of cave is Tiny cave of Guru Rinpoche where hide in the womb of a rock. After hiding here for many months, Yeshi Tsogyal tears the belly and ask the master to come out to help the sentient beings. You can step into that womb.

After a visit to the heart of the cave, you will have squeeze yourself out to the lower part of the cave to the area where local pilgrims would dance. It is the area where Dakinis dance out happiness upon hearing the news of Guru Rinpoche coming out to the cave. 

You will exit the cave system through a very long ladder in the daylight. There is a smaller side cave. This cave leads down to the hidden pool (the spirit lake of a Dakini). 

You will return to the village at about 11 am, if you start like local Pilgrims. You can explore the town for the rest of the day before going back to Lhasa. While descending back to the nunnery, do not forget to visit the Nunnery incense factory. They make one of the best incense stick in Tibet. 

The requirement for the cave visit: 

The cave is slippery, dark, and wet. So following are the thing we think you might want to bring when visiting the caves.

1) headlamp with extra batteries
2) Right trekking shoe ( with a good grip of wet areas)
3) Waterproof pant and coat
4) Walking stick
5) Small Backpack bag
6) Water bottle or Drinking water
7) Snacks and Energy bars

Recommend tour: Tracing the footprint of Guru Rinpoche and we can make Tailor-made tour itinerary for you.

We don’t know if it will be great fun or terrifying experience. But you are sure it will be adventurous, and you will remember it for the rest of your life. The tourist does not frequently visit the area around these two caves. Therefore it is recommended for those seeking authentic and off the beaten tours in Tibet.

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