History

Documentation

Exhibition

The history of the Dege Parkang is closely bound to the history of the Kings of Dege. From a mythical ancestor in the eighth century, the Dege royal dynasty rose to found and rule an influential independent Tibetan kingdom in the Kham area of Eastern Tibet, controlling a large area straddling the Jinsha River (the upper reaches of the Yangtse River) on what is now the border between the Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan. Astute politicians, the Kings of Dege maintained political power through generous patronage of religious institutions: their unusual pattern of patronage for all five schools of Buddhism meant strong support for monasteries, learning and art in the area under their political control. They were also able stay on good terms with both of their powerful neighbors, the governments of Central Tibet and the Qing Dynasty. A gradual weakening of the family through the nineteenth century followed by a succession struggle in the early twentieth century brought about the effective end of their political control, but they remained in nominal power until the annexation of Tibet by the Chinese Communists in 1950.

The survival of the Dege Parkang during the "Three Crises"--its close escape from destruction during the campaigns of Gonpo Namgyal in the mid-nineteenth century, survival through the succession struggles in the early twentieth century, and finally its preservation through the period of religious suppression under the CCP--are credited to sources both natural and supernatural. The Parkang returned to production in the 1980's after a hiatus of almost twenty-five years, and today produces and distributes sutra and other religious books throughout Tibet and China as well as printed thangkas and mandala to local people, pilgrims and, increasingly, to tourists. As the present Director, Tsewang Jirme Rinpoche says, "This is not a museum of antiques, it is a living institution." The temple has been recognized by the PRC since the fifties as a national site for historical preservation and is working for recognition as a World Heritage Site. Dege has attracted western notice ( e.g. New York Times , March 19, 2000: "Storehouse of Tibetan Culture,") and welcomes tourists, but because of its remote location -- four days by bus from Chengdu -- only the most committed travelers visit it.  

The Dege Parkang today faces a set of challenges that arise from the social, economic and political developments concomitant with the opening of Kham to development and tourism. How does an essentially feudal social institution negotiate the transition to a globalized community of ideas and exchange. Current leadership at the Parkang has worked to clarify the institution's bureaucratic status, open new sources of funding and support, and to gain control of its media representation. All of these programs demand money, and new sources of funding, both governmental and donations steered by the government, have been developed. Nevertheless, the institution remains in competition with hundreds of other cultural preservation projects in China and with numerous other religious institutions in Kham and Tibet. The leadership at the Parkang needs to find a way to transform immense cultural capital into the means to support the institution.