Dzong Hill (Shigatse Fort),Gyangze Town, Shigatse

When we left Palkor Monastery, it was raining. Soon, we caught sight of the Dzong Hill Ruin which was once a formidable fortress that dated back to the 14th century. Dzong means fort in Tibetan and the fort was a center of government administration. In 1904, a fierce battle against the British was fought there and it lasted for 8 months with Gyangze defeated as its people used primitive weapons against the guns of the powerful British army. Before the battle ended, the unyielding Tibetan forces resorted to using stones against the opposing army.

The fortress looked grand as it was situated on top of a hill. The coach pulled over at the front of the monument for us to take some pictures. The fortress has been well-preserved and is open to visitors today to give them the understanding of the feudal serf system which was installed during its glory days.

Mum had fallen ill the day before and was still sick when we reached our hotel. The moment we got into the hotel room, I went straight to open the window to get the fresh air in for mum. We made tea just as we've been doing at every place we stayed in China. The rain had stopped and the day was still sunny. Mum opted to stay in for a massage while my sis and I ventured out. Before we left, I had tried to close the window but there was a problem with the hinge. We got the handyman to drop by to fix it.

It was chilly outside with occasional winds blowing at us. We crossed the road and decided to hang out at a nearby park since there didn't seem to be any places of interest to go to in the vicinity. We sat on the pavilion which stands on stilts above the big pond. The view was nice with a hill at a distance.



People hurrying to keep themselves and their belongings from the rain. And, there's a snooker table here!


Some people were oblivious to the rain and went about in their windbreaker


The cows are still left in the rain


Dzong Hill Fortress


A closer shot of the fortress


A monument erected at a square at the bottom of the fortress


Shigatse city, full of life


Cars and rickshaws. Piles of earth in front of the shops.


Ladies walking about


Mountains surrounding the fields


A ruin at the hilltop


Woman with a baby and shovel by the roadside


Workers doing construction


City centre of Shigatse


Dinner at Shigatse. I like this dish. It's beef slices covered with these crumbs of something.


Buying fruits after dinner. Peaches and apricots are so common here. They are so delicious and cheap!


Mum resting in our Shigatse hotel room


Me and sis taking a walk at the park in front of the hotel


Nice view from the pavilion