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Zamthang County or Ndzamthang County (), or Rangtang County ( zh, s=壤塘县, p=Rǎngtáng Xiàn) is a county in the northwest of
Sichuan Province Sichuan is a Provinces of China, province in Southwestern China, occupying the Sichuan Basin and Tibetan Plateau—between the Jinsha River to the west, the Daba Mountains to the north, and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau to the south. Its capita ...
, China, bordering on the
Banma County Banma County or Baima County is a county of southeastern Qinghai, Qinghai Province, China, bordering Sichuan to the south. It is the southernmost county-level division under the administration of Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Red Army ...
of
Qinghai Province Qinghai is an inland province in Northwestern China. It is the largest province of China (excluding autonomous regions) by area and has the third smallest population. Its capital and largest city is Xining. Qinghai borders Gansu on the nort ...
to the north. It is one of 13 counties under the administration of and lies the westernmost
county-level division The administrative divisions of China have consisted of several levels since 1412, due to mainland China's large population and geographical area. In the People's Republic of China, the constitution provides for three levels of government. Ho ...
of the
Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, also known as Aba (; Qiang language, Qiang: ; zh, s=阿坝藏族羌族自治州, t=阿壩藏族羌族自治州), is an autonomous prefecture of northwestern Sichuan, bordering Gansu to the north and ...
. Zamthang is on the upper reaches of the
Dadu River The Dadu River (, ), known in Tibetan as the Gyelmo Ngul Chu (), is a major river located primarily in Sichuan province, southwestern China. The Dadu flows from the eastern Tibetan Plateau into the Sichuan Basin where it joins with the Min Rive ...
, bordering the Barkam County and
Ngawa County Ngawa County (, zh, s=阿坝县 , p=Ābà Xiàn), or Aba or Ngaba, is a county in the northwest of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. It is located in the remote northwest ...
on the east and northeast, and adjoining
Jinchuan County Jinchuan County or Quqên (; zh, s=金川县) is a county in the northwest of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. The seat of county is Dowu Town (Lewu). The county spans ...
on the south, and
Sêrtar County Sêrtar County or Serthar County (; zh, s=色达县) is a county in the northwest of Sichuan Province, China, bordering Qinghai province to the north. It is one of the 18 counties under the administration of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefectu ...
,
Luhuo County Luhuo County or Zhaggo ( zh, s=炉霍县; ) is a county of Sichuan Province, China. It is under the administration of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. History On March 24, 1923, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck between Luhuo and Dawu ...
and Dawu County in the west and south. Zamthang, which means "the field of
Jambhala Jambhala, also known as Dzambhala, Dzambala, Zambala or Jambala, is the Buddhist deity of fortune and wealth and a member of the Jewel Family . He is sometimes equated with the Hindu deity Kubera. Jambhala is also believed to be an emanation of Ava ...
" () in Tibetan, lies in the southeast of the
Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or Qingzang Plateau, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central Asia, Central, South Asia, South, and East Asia. Geographically, it is located to the north of H ...
and in the historical region of
Amdo Amdo ( am˥˥.to˥˥ zh , c = 安多 , p = Ānduō ), also known as Domey (), is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions. It encompasses a large area from the Machu (Yellow River) to the Drichu (Yangtze). Amdo is mostly coterminous wi ...
. The vast majority of the population is
Tibetan Tibetan may mean: * of, from, or related to Tibet * Tibetan people, an ethnic group * Tibetan language: ** Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard ** Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dial ...
(30,200), followed by
Han people The Han Chinese, alternatively the Han people, are an East Asian ethnic group native to Greater China. With a global population of over 1.4 billion, the Han Chinese are the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 17.5% of the worl ...
(3949),
Qiang people The Qiang people (Qiangic languages, Qiangic: ''Rrmea''; ) are an List of ethnic groups in China, ethnic group in China. They form one of the 56 ethnic groups officially recognised by the People's Republic of China, with a population of approx ...
(269) and
Hui people The Hui people are an East Asian ethnoreligious group predominantly composed of Islam in China, Chinese-speaking adherents of Islam. They are distributed throughout China, mainly in the Northwest China, northwestern provinces and in the Zhongy ...
(78).


History

In 1958, according to the result of the 81st conference of
State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative authority of China, headed by the Premier * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of S ...
, Zamthang county was founded. The name of the county was retrieved from a natural village located in the current administrative region of the county. The village was located on a hill shaped like a
Jambhala Jambhala, also known as Dzambhala, Dzambala, Zambala or Jambala, is the Buddhist deity of fortune and wealth and a member of the Jewel Family . He is sometimes equated with the Hindu deity Kubera. Jambhala is also believed to be an emanation of Ava ...
holding a
Dhvaja Dhvaja (; ) is the Sanskrit term for a banner or a flag. Flags are featured in the iconography, mythology, and architecture of Indian religions such as Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jainism. They are one of the ashtamangala, the eight auspicious embl ...
. According to the Tibetan-Chinese dictionary published by
Publishing House of Minority Nationalities The Publishing House of Minority Nationalities () is a publishing house established on January 15, 1953, as a division of the National Ethnic Affairs Commission of the United Front Work Department, and focused on academic publishing. Its headquarte ...
, Jambhala in Tibetan means
Caishen Caishen () is the mythological figure worshipped in the Chinese folk religion and Taoism. He has been identified with many historical figures, viewed as his embodied forms, among whom Zhao Gongming (, Wade–Giles: ''Chao Kung-ming''; also kn ...
in Chinese, therefore "Jambhala" was retrieved to be part of the county's name ( zh, c=壤巴拉, links=no; ). Also, there was a flat ground located in front of the hill, in Tibetan, "thang" () means "ground" or "field", therefore, the second part was retrieved as "thang" (). Therefore, the county's name is the combination of "Jambhala" and "thang". In order to simplify the name, the government took "Jam" in "Jambhala" as "Zam" (; ) and made the county's name "Zamthang"(; ).


Culture


Jonang The Jonang () is a school of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to the early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. It became widely known through the work of the popular 14th century figure Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The J ...
Buddhism

Between Xiangla Dongji Holy Mountain Scenic Area and Haizi Mountain Scenic Area, which are the two most famous touristic attraction in Zamthang, bred the religion of
Jonang The Jonang () is a school of Indo-Tibetan Buddhism. Its origins in Tibet can be traced to the early 12th century master Yumo Mikyo Dorje. It became widely known through the work of the popular 14th century figure Dolpopa Sherab Gyaltsen. The J ...
Buddhism, one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The other schools are
Nyingma Nyingma (, ), also referred to as ''Ngangyur'' (, ), is the oldest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Nyingma school was founded by PadmasambhavaClaude Arpi, ''A Glimpse of the History of Tibet'', Dharamsala: Tibet Museum, 2013. ...
,
Kagyu The ''Kagyu'' school, also transliterated as ''Kagyü'', or ''Kagyud'' (), which translates to "Oral Lineage" or "Whispered Transmission" school, is one of the main schools (''chos lugs'') of Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan (or Himalayan) Buddhism. ...
,
Sakya The ''Sakya'' (, 'pale earth') school is one of four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism, the others being the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Gelug. It is one of the Red Hat Orders along with the Nyingma and Kagyu. Origins Virūpa, 16th century. It depict ...
,
Kadam Kadam may refer to: *Kadam (clan), an Indian clan *Kadam (Tibetan Buddhism), a school of Buddhism * Kadam People, an ethnic group in Uganda *Kadam Rao Padam Rao, the earliest available manuscript in Dakhini masnavi * Kadam River, a minor tributary ...
,
Gelug file:DalaiLama0054 tiny.jpg, 240px, 14th Dalai Lama, The 14th Dalai Lama (center), the most influential figure of the contemporary Gelug tradition, at the 2003 Kalachakra ceremony, Bodh Gaya, Bodhgaya (India) The Gelug (, also Geluk; 'virtuous' ...
, gcod yul () and
Bon Bon or Bön (), also known as Yungdrung Bon (, ), is the indigenous Tibetan religion which shares many similarities and influences with Tibetan Buddhism.Samuel 2012, pp. 220–221. It initially developed in the tenth and eleventh centuries but ...
(the relationship to Tibetan Buddhism is controversial). The symbols of Jonang Buddhism in Zamtang are 3 famous temples with the name of Querji Temple, Zangwa Temple, and Zebuji temple, all of which are originated from The East SangzhuLuobuling monastery built in 1435 BC. The architecture of the monastery is integrated, made it shaped like a small town. There was also another statement that instead of a small village, the name of the county was actually from the monastery. The builder of the monastery was called Zhong, who was an influential man in
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
. Zhong was named "The master of Promoting the doctrine" by the imperial court of Ming dynasty.


Language

Most of the Tibetan people in Zamthang are
Gyalrong people The Gyalrong () people, also called ''rgyal rong, jiarong'' ( zh, s=嘉绒人), or Gyelrongwas, live in parts of the Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture and Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, China. The word Gyalrong is an ...
, and they mainly speak
Amdo Tibetan Amdo Tibetan (; also called ''Am kä'') is the Tibetic language spoken in Amdo (now mostly in Qinghai, some in Ngawa and Gannan). It has two varieties, the farmer dialects and the nomad dialects. Amdo is one of the three branches of tradition ...
, which is one of four main spoken Tibetic languages, the other three are
Central Tibetan Central Tibetan language, also known as Dbus Tibetan, Ü Tibetan or Ü-Tsang Tibetan, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan. ''Dbus'' is the Wylie spelling of the name in Tibetan script, , whereas ''Ü'' is ...
,
Khams Tibetan Khams Tibetan () is the Tibetic languages, Tibetic language used by the majority of the people in Kham. Khams is one of the three branches of the traditional classification of Tibetic languages (the other two being Amdo Tibetan and Ü-Tsang). In ...
and
Ladakhi language The Ladakhi language is a Tibetic language spoken in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is the predominant language in the Buddhist-dominated district of Leh district, Leh, and a minority language in the district of Kargil district#Langua ...
. The people who speak
Amdo Tibetan Amdo Tibetan (; also called ''Am kä'') is the Tibetic language spoken in Amdo (now mostly in Qinghai, some in Ngawa and Gannan). It has two varieties, the farmer dialects and the nomad dialects. Amdo is one of the three branches of tradition ...
can not understand the people who speak the other three Tibetic languages, because although these four languages share the same written script, their phonology, grammar and vocabulary are quite different. Therefore, Zamthang people cannot directly talk to
Lhasa Lhasa, officially the Chengguan District of Lhasa City, is the inner urban district of Lhasa (city), Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region, Southwestern China. Lhasa is the second most populous urban area on the Tibetan Plateau after Xining ...
people, unless they specifically go learn the Central Tibetan language. More specifically, the Amdo Tibetan is not a tonal and retains many word-initial
consonant clusters In linguistics, a consonant cluster, consonant sequence or consonant compound is a group of consonants which have no intervening vowel. In English, for example, the groups and are consonant clusters in the word ''splits''. In the education fie ...
that have been lost in
Central Tibetan Central Tibetan language, also known as Dbus Tibetan, Ü Tibetan or Ü-Tsang Tibetan, is the most widely spoken Tibetic language and the basis of Standard Tibetan. ''Dbus'' is the Wylie spelling of the name in Tibetan script, , whereas ''Ü'' is ...
.


The 9-floor Maitreya Pagoda

The 9-floor
Maitreya Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...
Pagoda A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...
in Zamthang could be regarded as an exhibition hall of
Buddharupa Much Buddhist art uses depictions of the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha, which are known as () in Sanskrit and Pali. These may be statues or other images such as paintings. The main figure in an image may be someone else who has obtained ...
, displaying various Buddharupa including
mural A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' ...
s, Thangka paintings, clay statues and some metal statues. What's interesting about the pagoda is that outside the wall of the 9th floor of the pagoda, each side has a row of stone slabs protruding from the wall, about 20 cm in length, and exactly one-foot board is placed on it. The explorer can come out from the gate of the tower, hold the tower body in his hand, move his/her steps on this row of suspended stone slabs, and turn around the pagoda.


Lhamo in Nanmuda Town

This
Lhamo Lhamo (), or Ache Lhamo, is a classical secular theatre of Tibet with music and dance that has been performed for centuries, whose nearest western equivalent is opera. Performances have a narrative and simple dialogue interspersed with comedy ...
in Nanmuda is one of the Lhamo that mainly performed in
Amdo Amdo ( am˥˥.to˥˥ zh , c = 安多 , p = Ānduō ), also known as Domey (), is one of the three traditional Tibetan regions. It encompasses a large area from the Machu (Yellow River) to the Drichu (Yangtze). Amdo is mostly coterminous wi ...
district, and it performs in
Amdo Tibetan Amdo Tibetan (; also called ''Am kä'') is the Tibetic language spoken in Amdo (now mostly in Qinghai, some in Ngawa and Gannan). It has two varieties, the farmer dialects and the nomad dialects. Amdo is one of the three branches of tradition ...
or Amdo folk singings.


Sculpture and painting

Sculptures and paintings are a must-look in the religious culture and art of Zamthang area. There are clay sculptures, woodcut or woodcarving sculptures, brick carving sculptures, sculptures made of
Yak butter Yak butter (also known as "dri butter" or "su oil" , zh, 酥油) is butter made from the milk of the domestic yak (''Bos grunniens''). Many herder communities in China (including Tibet), India, Mongolia, Nepal, and Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan produc ...
and sandpaintings, all of which have perfect and vivid shapes. The
Buddharupa Much Buddhist art uses depictions of the historical Buddha, Gautama Buddha, which are known as () in Sanskrit and Pali. These may be statues or other images such as paintings. The main figure in an image may be someone else who has obtained ...
in temples are mainly clay sculptures and woodcarving sculptures, where woodcarving sculptures are generally used on lintels, pillar windows and other buildings, with dragons, tigers, lions and
Ashtamangala The Ashtamangala () is the sacred set of Eight Auspicious Signs ( zh, 八吉祥, ''bajixiang'') featured in a number of Indian religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism. The symbols or "symbolic attributes" () are yidam and teaching too ...
s symbolizing good luck engraved on it. The brick carving sculptures are mainly used to construct the roof lace of Tibetan-style buildings, animals on the cornice and relieves on the windowpane. Sandpaintings are mainly to draw Thangka paintings and murals. Thangkas, called religious scroll paintings, are painted with brocade, silk embroidery, and colour paintings. As a treasure of Tibetan religious art, they have precious value and are enshrined in temples or Tibetan homes. The murals are mainly used to decorate the temple corridors.


Apparel

Tibetan costumes in Zamthang have materials mainly used sheepskin and pupu (wool material woven with wool). The Zamthang robe is long, with a broad front and border. In some Tibetan festivals, people in Zamthang will Wear a felt hat, a silk ribbon around the waist, a waist knife. Many Tibetan robes use cloths or high-grade cloths, and colourful silk or precious otter skin (or other animal skins). The costume is inlaid with expensive coral, agate, turquoise, jade or gold and silver. A Tibetan robe is extremely valuable.


Weddings and funerals

Zamthang is located in a traditional Tibetan pastoral area,the relationship between men and women is free, but marriage requires parental consent. The date of marriage is usually determined by the
Living Buddha A ''tulku'' (, also ''tülku'', ''trulku'') is an individual recognized as the reincarnation of a previous spiritual master (lama), and expected to be reincarnated, in turn, after death. The tulku is a distinctive and significant aspect of Tibet ...
or
lama Lama () is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan word ''la-ma'' means "high mother", ...
. The Tibetan funerals in Zamthang are religious funerals with Tibetan traditions.
Cremation Cremation is a method of Disposal of human corpses, final disposition of a corpse through Combustion, burning. Cremation may serve as a funeral or post-funeral rite and as an alternative to burial. In some countries, including India, Nepal, and ...
was only used for lama or respectable people in ancient times, while it became popular among normal Tibetan people after the new millennium and have certain specifications. Babies or children are usually buried in water. Only villains or bad persons are buried in the ground.


Administrative divisions

Zamthang comprises 8
townships A township is a form of human settlement or administrative subdivision. Its exact definition varies among countries. Although the term is occasionally associated with an urban area, this tends to be an exception to the rule. In Australia, Canad ...
, 3
towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...
:


Climate


References

{{authority control Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture County-level divisions of Sichuan