South of the now paved road, linking Shigatse with Lhasa in central Tibet is the small tourist and farming village of Gyantse. Approaching Gyantse, the eye locates the old fort resting atop a dry brown hill in the center of town. This fort, dzong in Tibetan,
once guarded the valley from raiders who used to swoop in from the north. Now, Gyantse Dzong catches the suns first rays and watches as tourists arrive from the north, most auspicious as they say in Tibet.