Burang Town

Purang or Burang (,, zh, s=普兰镇), is a town which serves as the administrative center of Purang County, Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China. The town lies at an altitude of 3,900m (12,795 feet) in the valley of the Karnali River. The town spans an area of , and has a permanent population 6,047 as of 2010, and a hukou population of 4,477 as of 2018. To the south are Gurla Mandhata (Mount Namonanyi) and the Abi Gamin ranges. Lake Manasarovar and Mount Kailash are to the north. This region is the mythological and actual river nexus of the Himalaya with sources of the Indus, Ganges and Yarlung Tsangpo/ Brahmaputra all within of Purang.

Etymology

The Tibetan name of the town (''spu hreng'') is a corruption of the Zhang-zhung words ''pu hrang'', meaning 'horse head'. Nepalese call the town Taklakot ( Nepali: ताक्लाकोट) from Tibetan 'Takla Khar' (). ''Takla Khar'' means ''Tiger Hill Castle'', which is the name of a historic Zhang-zhung fortress in the county.

Saryu Karnali River's '' Peacock Mouth'' source is glaciers on the northern slopes of the Himalaya NW of Purang. The ''Lion Mouth'' source of the Indus is east of Mount Kailash and the ''Elephant Mouth'' is the source of the Sutlej. Lake Manasarovar is just 2 km from few of the Sarayu heads, and has an ephemeral connection to Rakshastal. The ''Horse Mouth'' source of the Yarlung Tsanpo ( Brahmaputra) is about 90 km. (55 mi.) SE of Lake Manasarovar.

History and religion

Purang is an ancient trading post. Indian and Nepali communities residing in the mountainous parts of India and Nepal bordering the Purang county have for many generations conducted trade with Tibetan communities at Purang. But the conditions under which this trade presently happens are significantly different from those prevailing before the mid-twentieth century. The government of Nepal issues special border area passes to its citizens who are bona-fide residents of the border district of Humla, which enables them to seek seasonal work in Purang.

On a cliff above the town was the large ancient fort of Tegla Kar (Lying Tiger Fort) and Simbiling Monastery (both totally destroyed in 1967 by Chinese artillery during the Cultural Revolution, but the monastery has since been partially restored). Beneath them is the Tsegu Gompa or the "Nine-Storey Monastery" which was probably originally a Bön establishment. Tsegu covers many terraces and may be reached by ladders, and contains many unique and ancient wall-painting, darkened from centuries of smoke. It seems that the Tegla kar (Lying Tiger fort) was built during the Zhangzhung dynasty which was conquered by the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo in the early 7th century CE. It became the main fort of the Purang Kingdom, in the 10th century under King Kori, one of the two sons of Tashi Gon, King of the Guge Kingdom. The Purang kingdom is believed to have ended in the 15th century. In addition, Purang is said to be the place where Sudhana, a previous incarnation of the Buddha, lived.

Purang is the gateway town for travel to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar to the north. These are important destinations for Bon, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain and even New Age pilgrims. Traditional cosmology designates Mount Kailash the center of the universe. Great religious merit is attributed to ''parikrama'' around the mountain, and to bathing in Lake Manasarovar.

Administrative divisions

The town is divided into six village-level divisions:Burang Town
National Bureau of Statistics, 2022.
* Kyitang/Jirang Community (, )
* Toyo/Doyou (, )
* Rikug/Rengong (, )
* Zhidé/Xide (, )
* Khorchak/Kejia (, ), and
* Tridé/Chide (, )
The town's government is seated in the Jirang Neighborhood Committee.

Demographics

As of 2018, the town has a hukou population of 4,477.

Per the 2010 Chinese Census, the town has a permanent population of 6,047, up from 5,026 in the 2000 Chinese Census.

A 1996 estimate placed the town's population at 4,700.

Transport

Air

Ali Pulan Airport opened in December 2023 and is a dual-use military-civilian airport that serves the town.

Road

National Road S207 starts in Purang, heading NE past Lake Rakshastal and Manasarovar to China National Highway 219.

Border crossings

Purang is near the borders with India and Nepal. A road leads some down the Karnali River to the border crossing at the village of Xie'erwa (Tibetan: Sher) into Hilsa in Nepal ( Humla District, Karnali Zone) where a historic trail and now a rough motor road continuing to Simikot. There is also a border crossing into India ( Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand State) over Lipulekh Pass.

Geography and climate

Purang has a cold arid climate (Köppen ''BWk''), with long, cold winters and mild summers. The normal monthly mean temperature ranges from in January to in July, and the annual mean is . Annual precipitation is only around .

References

Bibliography

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External links

Purang: a region joining Tibet, Nepal, and India
''(Kailashzone Charitable Foundation)''

Photos of Taklakot

{{China–Nepal border crossings

Populated places in Ngari Prefecture
Township-level divisions of Tibet
China–Nepal border crossings