# Tsetang > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tsetang > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tsetang.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsetang > Source revision: 1320069317 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Infobox settlement |name = Tsetang |official_name = Zêtang Chongdä |native_name = {{longitem|style=font-size:110%;|{{nobold|{{bo-textonly|རྩེ་ཐང་གྲོང་རྡལ།}} · {{lang|zh-hans|泽当镇}}}}}} |other_name = |settlement_type = [Town](/source/Towns_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) |image_skyline = Bundesarchiv Bild 135-S-15-22-22, Tibetexpedition, Blick auf Tsetang.jpg |image_caption = |image_flag = |image_seal = |nickname = |pushpin_map=China Tibet |coordinates = {{coord|29|15|N|91|46|E|region:CN-54|display=inline}} |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = [People's Republic of China](/source/China) |subdivision_type1 = [Province](/source/Provinces_of_China) |subdivision_type2 = [Prefecture-level city](/source/Prefecture-level_city) |subdivision_type3 = [District](/source/District_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China) |subdivision_name1=[Tibet Autonomous Region](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) |subdivision_name2= [Shannan](/source/Shannan%2C_Tibet) |subdivision_name3=[Nedong](/source/N%C3%AAdong_District) |established_title = |established_date = |leader_title = |leader_name = |area_magnitude = |area_total_km2 = |area_land_km2 = |area_water_km2 = |elevation_m = |population_total =approximately 15,200 |population_as_of = 2007 |population_density_km2 = |population_metro = |population_note = |postal_code = |area_code = |website = |footnotes = |image_size = |timezone = [CST](/source/China_standard_time) |utc_offset = +8 |blank_name = |blank_info = }} {{Infobox Chinese |s=泽当 |t=澤當 |p=Zédāng |tib=རྩེ་ཐང། |wylie=rtse thang |zwpy=Zêtang |order=st}} left|thumb|300x300px|Tsetang, Tibet about 1938 thumb|upright=1.2|Hotel in Tsetang 2014 '''Tsetang''' ({{bo|t=རྩེད་ཐང|w=rtsed thang|s=tsé tang}}){{Cite web |title=Geographical names of Tibet AR (China): Tibet Autonomous Region |website=KNAB Place Name Database |publisher=Institute of the Estonian Language |date=2018-06-03 |url=https://www.eki.ee/knab/valik/cn54.htm}}{{efn|Alternative English spellings: '''Tsethang''', '''Chethang''' and '''Chetang'''.}} or '''Zedang''' ({{lang-zh|c=泽当镇|p=Zé dāng zhèn}}),{{efn|Alternative Chinese spellings: '''Zêtang''' and '''Zetang'''.}} is the fourth largest city in Tibet and is located in the [Yarlung Valley](/source/Yarlung_Valley), {{convert|183|km|abbr=on}} southeast of [Lhasa](/source/Lhasa) in [Nedong District](/source/Nedong_District) of the [Shannan Prefecture](/source/Shannan%2C_Tibet) in the [Tibet](/source/Tibet_Autonomous_Region) region of [China](/source/China). It is the capital of Shannan Prefecture (which is also referred to as "Shannan City").Dorje (2009), p. 219. Tsetang has been the capital of the Yarlung region since antiquity and was the seat of the [ancient emperors of Tibet](/source/List_of_emperors_of_Tibet) and, as such, a place of great importance. In the 19th century, it is said to have comprised some 1,000 houses, a bazaar, a [gompa](/source/gompa) and a fort.{{sfn|Das|1902|loc=p. 228 and note}} As the capital of Shannan, it is the second-largest settlement in the historical [Ü-Tsang](/source/%C3%9C-Tsang) region. It lies at an elevation of {{convert|3100|m|-2|abbr=on}} above sea level and has a population of approximately 52,000 persons.Mayhew (2005), p. 153. It is only about {{convert|4|km|abbr=on}} to the northeast of the town of [Nedong](/source/N%C3%AAdong_County) and they have now essentially merged into one city.Buckley (1986), p. 153. Tsetang is situated near the flank of [Mount Gongbori](/source/Mount_Gongbori) ({{convert|3400|m|-2|abbr=on}}) where many ancient ruins (such as ruins of [Gajiu Monastery](/source/Gajiu_Monastery)) are located. It is known as the cradle of Tibetan's civilization. ''[Samye](/source/Samye)'', Tibet's first monastery, is located only {{convert|30|km|abbr=on}} from Tsetang and was founded in 779 CE by [King Trisong Detsen](/source/King_Trisong_Detsen). The 14th century monastery of Tsetang, Ganden Chökhorling, was originally [Kagyupa](/source/Kagyupa) but was taken over by the Gelugpas in the 18th century. It was destroyed during the [Cultural Revolution](/source/Cultural_Revolution) in the 1960s but has been restored since. Ngamchö is also a [Gelugpa](/source/Gelugpa) monastery and contains the bed and throne of the Dalai Lama and has a chapel devoted to medicine. The Samten Ling and Drebuling monasteries of the [Sakyas](/source/Sakya_(Tibetan_Buddhist_school)) still remained in 1959 but have since been destroyed and mostly built over. There is, however, the reconstructed Gelugpa Sang-ngag Zimche Nunnery, in the ruins of Samten Ling with a 1000-armed statue of [Chenresig](/source/Chenresig) (Avalokiteshvara) said to have been made by Emperor [Songtsen Gampo](/source/Songtsen_Gampo) (605 or 617? - 649 CE). The town supposedly dates back to the founding of the Tsetang Gompa in 1351 which became an important centre of learning.Dowman (1988), p. 174. One of three caves in the mountainside to the east of the town is said to be the birthplace of the Tibetan people who resulted from the mating of a monkey and a beautiful cannibal [ogress](/source/ogress). About {{convert|5|km|abbr=on}} south of Tsetang is [Changzhug](/source/Changzhug) Monastery founded during the reign of [Songtsen Gampo](/source/Songtsen_Gampo) and about {{convert|10|km|abbr=on}} further is [Yumbulagang](/source/Yumbulagang) which, according to legend, was built as a palace for the first king, [Nyatri Tsenpo](/source/Nyatri_Tsenpo), and was the first building in Tibet. There are several hotels and a guesthouse in Tsetang.Buckley (1986), pp. 153-156. {{clear left}} == Climate == Tsetang has a [cold semi-arid](/source/Semi-arid_climate) climate ([Köppen climate classification](/source/K%C3%B6ppen_climate_classification) ''BSk'').{{citation needed|date=September 2025}} The average annual temperature in Haidian is {{cvt|9.2|C}}. The average annual rainfall is {{cvt|384.7|mm}} with July as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in June, at around {{cvt|16.5|C}}, and lowest in January, at around {{cvt|0.4|C}}. {{Weather box|width=auto |location = Tsetang (1981–2010 normals, extremes 1981–2010) |single line = Y |metric first = Y |collapsed = Y |Jan record high C = 20.5 |Feb record high C = 20.6 |Mar record high C = 25.0 |Apr record high C = 26.5 |May record high C = 28.7 |Jun record high C = 30.0 |Jul record high C = 30.3 |Aug record high C = 28.5 |Sep record high C = 27.1 |Oct record high C = 24.5 |Nov record high C = 22.5 |Dec record high C = 19.3 |Jan record low C = -18.2 |Feb record low C = -13.3 |Mar record low C = -10.1 |Apr record low C = -6.8 |May record low C = -2.6 |Jun record low C = 0.7 |Jul record low C = 5.8 |Aug record low C = 4.5 |Sep record low C = -0.7 |Oct record low C = -6.1 |Nov record low C = -11.2 |Dec record low C = -14.8 |Jan high C = 8.9 |Feb high C = 10.5 |Mar high C = 13.9 |Apr high C = 16.8 |May high C = 20.6 |Jun high C = 24.0 |Jul high C = 23.4 |Aug high C = 22.6 |Sep high C = 21.2 |Oct high C = 18.2 |Nov high C = 13.2 |Dec high C = 9.7 |year high C = |Jan mean C = 0.4 |Feb mean C = 2.8 |Mar mean C = 6.4 |Apr mean C = 9.2 |May mean C = 13.0 |Jun mean C = 16.5 |Jul mean C = 16.4 |Aug mean C = 15.7 |Sep mean C = 14.2 |Oct mean C = 10.2 |Nov mean C = 4.5 |Dec mean C = 0.6 |year mean C = |Jan low C = -7.3 |Feb low C = -4.6 |Mar low C = -0.7 |Apr low C = 2.5 |May low C = 6.3 |Jun low C = 10.3 |Jul low C = 11.3 |Aug low C = 10.9 |Sep low C = 9.0 |Oct low C = 3.5 |Nov low C = -2.7 |Dec low C = -6.7 |year low C = |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation mm = 0.3 |Feb precipitation mm = 1.1 |Mar precipitation mm = 5.6 |Apr precipitation mm = 12.6 |May precipitation mm = 26.7 |Jun precipitation mm = 48.7 |Jul precipitation mm = 113.3 |Aug precipitation mm = 110.8 |Sep precipitation mm = 56.0 |Oct precipitation mm = 8.4 |Nov precipitation mm = 1.0 |Dec precipitation mm = 0.2 |year precipitation mm = |Jan humidity = 29 |Feb humidity = 28 |Mar humidity = 31 |Apr humidity = 39 |May humidity = 43 |Jun humidity = 49 |Jul humidity = 60 |Aug humidity = 61 |Sep humidity = 58 |Oct humidity = 43 |Nov humidity = 34 |Dec humidity = 32 |unit precipitation days = 0.1 mm |Jan precipitation days = 0.5 |Feb precipitation days = 1.2 |Mar precipitation days = 3.1 |Apr precipitation days = 6.4 |May precipitation days = 9.3 |Jun precipitation days = 13.5 |Jul precipitation days = 19.9 |Aug precipitation days = 18.6 |Sep precipitation days = 12.4 |Oct precipitation days = 3.3 |Nov precipitation days = 0.7 |Dec precipitation days = 0.3 |year precipitation days = |Jan sun = 230.2 |Feb sun = 220.5 |Mar sun = 250.8 |Apr sun = 255.9 |May sun = 269.9 |Jun sun = 248.3 |Jul sun = 213.8 |Aug sun = 223.0 |Sep sun = 231.7 |Oct sun = 264.2 |Nov sun = 244.3 |Dec sun = 237.8 |year sun = | Jan percentsun = 71 | Feb percentsun = 69 | Mar percentsun = 67 | Apr percentsun = 66 | May percentsun = 64 | Jun percentsun = 59 | Jul percentsun = 50 | Aug percentsun = 55 | Sep percentsun = 63 | Oct percentsun = 75 | Nov percentsun = 77 | Dec percentsun = 75 | year percentsun = |Jan snow days = 1.4 |Feb snow days = 2.6 |Mar snow days = 6.3 |Apr snow days = 5.2 |May snow days = 1.0 |Jun snow days = 0 |Jul snow days = 0 |Aug snow days = 0 |Sep snow days = 0 |Oct snow days = 1.0 |Nov snow days = 1.4 |Dec snow days = 0.6 |year snow days = |source 1 = [China Meteorological Administration](/source/China_Meteorological_Administration) (precipitation days, snow days, sunshine 1991–2011){{cite web |url=http://data.cma.cn/data/weatherBk.html |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网 – WeatherBk Data |publisher=[China Meteorological Administration](/source/China_Meteorological_Administration) |language = zh-hans |access-date=27 August 2023}} {{cite web|url=https://experience.arcgis.com/template/e724038fda394e9d9b7921f10fd1aa55/page/%E7%BA%AF%E8%A1%A8%E6%A0%BC%E7%BB%9F%E8%AE%A1-(%E5%AF%B9%E6%AF%948110%E5%8F%98%E5%8C%96)/?org=UQmaps |script-title=zh:中国气象数据网|publisher=[China Meteorological Administration](/source/China_Meteorological_Administration) |language = zh-hans | access-date =27 August 2023}} }} ==Notes== {{notelist}} ==Footnotes== {{Reflist}} ==References== * Buckley, Michael and Strauss, Robert. ''Tibet: a travel survival kit''. (1986) Lonely Planet Publications, Victoria, Australia. {{ISBN|0-908086-88-1}}. * {{citation |last=Das |first=Sarat Das |title=Journey to Lhasa and Central Tibet |publisher=John Murray |location=London |year=1902 |url=https://archive.org/details/journeytolhasaa00dasgoog |via=archive.org}} * Dorje, Gyurme (2009). ''Tibet Handbook''. Footprint Handbooks, Bath, England. {{ISBN|978-1-906098-32-2}}. * Dowman, Keith. ''The Power-Paces of Central Tibet: The Pilgrim's Guide'', (1988). Routledge & Kegan Paul, London & New York. {{ISBN|0-7102-1370-0}}. * Mayhew, Bradley and Kohn, Michael. (2005) ''Tibet''. 6th Edition. {{ISBN|1-74059-523-8}}. {{Shannan_Prefecture-level_city}} {{Authority control}} {{coord|29|15|N|91|46|E|region:CN-54_type:city|display=title}} Category:Populated places in Shannan, Tibet Category:Township-level divisions of Tibet --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tsetang](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsetang) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsetang?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.