When you come to Gyantse, Pala Manor is a must-go place.

Pala was originally the chief of a tribe, but moved to Tibet due to civil strife, and obtained the official title of the local government of Tibet. With the increase of the power of the Pala family, the scale of the Pala manor expanded day by day. In 1904, the British invading army burned down the original Pala Manor in Jiangga Village near Gyangze. After the end of the Anti-British War, Pala Manor moved to Banjulunbu Village, and its family power has continued to expand after decades. Wangjiu, the owner of the Pala Manor, was a young lama of Linbu Monastery, and took charge of the daily affairs of the manor after returning to secular life. He rectified the manor economy, expanded the scale of the manor, and strengthened the rule over serfs. Before the democratic reform in Tibet, Pala owned 22 small manors, occupied more than 8,600 grams of land (area measurement unit), 6 pastures, and a total of more than 14,250 heads of livestock ( only), occupying more than 2,440 Langsheng (serfs). In 1959, Pala Wangjiu participated in the rebellion and fled abroad. All his manors should have been confiscated. At that time, the Gyantse Working Committee considered that Pala Manor was one of the twelve largest manors in Tibet and had special significance, so it properly protected it. Subsequently, the county party committee and the county government carried out many repairs on it. Pala Manor is the only well-preserved old Tibetan aristocratic manor.

Pala Manor is the main manor of the Pala family of the Tibetan aristocrats. In 2013, it was included in the seventh batch of national key cultural relics protection units.

There are 57 existing houses in the Pala Manor. The main building is a three-story building with scripture halls, living rooms, bedrooms, and a special hall for playing mahjong. The carved beams and painted buildings in the room are magnificent. The scripture hall is well-furnished, scriptures and altars are well preserved; in the bedroom, there is a dazzling array of gold, silver and jade; there are also precious food, tableware, imported wine, imported white vinegar, and precious fur clothing left by the Pala nobles. , clearly reappearing the proud and luxurious life of the Pala nobles. The three photos displayed in the scripture hall and bedroom reflect the historical background at that time from the side. In the main building, torture tools such as leather whips and shackles are displayed, and the old prison is still preserved in the manor, which is a tool for Tibetan nobles to rule serfs. There are 13 Langsheng courtyards that still maintain their original appearance. The Langsheng houses are crowded, low and dark, like a cage, in stark contrast to the luxurious residences of nobles. The Pala Manor is a true portrayal of the two different lives of nobles and serfs in old Tibet. It is the epitome of old Tibet and provides a large number of examples for researching old Tibet's politics, economy, and culture.

This is one of the many manors of the Pala family. After visiting the open part, I feel that the word manor in my mind doesn’t quite match. Like an ordinary landlord’s house, the overall management level of the scenic spot seems to have stayed in the last century. This time we invited a scenic spot tour guide, the content is richer than the display.

The door of the building here is relatively short. Ask the tour guide, the tour guide said that it is to block ghosts and zombies. There are also legends of zombies on the plateau? Legend has it that zombies really can't bend down.

This room shows the owner playing mahjong with his wife and friends. On the wall is the owner's photo.

How do you feel that the owner of the village in the wax figure looks like a lama? Did the tour guide make a mistake? There is obviously hair on the wall, but it has fallen out with age? If he's old, he doesn't look as old as his wife's wax figure!

I have a good impression of this owner, not because he is rich and powerful and has studied abroad, but because he insists on monogamy, even when he has no children. This is so rare in the era of polygamy, polyandry, and heirs. Is it because of love? Dig a little deeper and maybe make a love movie.

Inside is the Buddhist hall. The windows of the Buddhist hall are inlaid with imported stained glass, which is said to be the same style as the stained glass in Western churches at that time. Stories such as Journey to the West are painted under the windows, which are paintings of the Han nationality. There is also a small room on the side that mainly collects scriptures.

The Buddhist hall is the best place in the Tibetan family. The Buddhist hall of the owner's house combines the Tibetan, Chinese and Western styles at that time.

Here is the scene where the slave asks the butler for instructions.
The housekeeper looks like a woman from a distance, but she is not.

kitchen

There are still some places where you can't shoot,
From the precious historical photos on display, it can be seen that the owner was in a high position in the rule of Tibet at that time.
Judging from the beverages, drinks, medicines, watches and other items used in daily life, the life of the Tibetan nobles was synchronized with that of the Western high society at that time.
Judging from the owner's experience of studying abroad and receiving education, the ideas and practices of the Tibetan nobles in raising their children are in step with those of the world.
By analogy, so the level of civilization, education and access to information of the Tibetan nobles at that time should also be synchronized with the world? !
Pala Manor Gives Us a New Look at Tibetan History