Gyantse is a small town south west of Lhasa. It is one of the few places where the Chinese have not changed much. Gyantse is known because of its Fortress, the Dzong, a very special building, the Kimbum, and a monastery, the Pelkor Chode. The reason why people build a town there is because of the trade in wool. Gyantse is situated on the road to India and is close to the Friendship Highway. This road runs at a height of approximate 3500 m above sea level. The Dzong Fort is build on a hill.

A little further down the road is a wall build around a monastery and a strange building called the Kumbum. The monastery is called Pelkor Chode and was founded in 1418. This is the only monastery which is left inside the wall. It is visited by Gelugpa monks. The Kumbum is a building with a strange form. Inside there are a large number of statues.