  Remark: Derge Printing Press is introduced here for its establishment and development with very close relation to Palpung Monastery, and especially to the 8th Kenting Tai Situpa. Buddhist culture is the most important part of Tibetan culture. Among all the monasteries and areas, Lhasa, Labrang and Derge are the three major culture centers, for each of them possesses a well-established monastic printing press. Derge Printing Press has the good reputation of "the treasure or pearl of Tibet". It is located at Derge County of Kham Region. It is governed as a nationally protected culture by Chinese government since 1996. Chinese government recently rendered an application to United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization for Derge Printing Press to become one of the World Cultural Heritage. The founding of Derge Printing Press was started in 1729 by Derge King Tenpa Tsering, and was basically completed until 1756, 27 years later. At the early stage of the founding, Tenpa Tsering and the 8th Kenting Tai Situpa Chokyi Jugne made strict management regulations for Derge Printing Press to insure the printing quality. These rules continued to be used till 1949. The area of Derge Printing Press is about 1632 square meters, with 5886 square meters built-up area and more than 30 rooms. It was built in a traditional Derge building style, a compound houses built around a courtyard, mixed style of monastic and common building. Derge Printing Press searched and collected grand volumes of different schools of Tibetan Buddhism to make the printing plates. In 1729, Tenpa Tsering assigned the 8th Kenting Tai Situpa as the major editing and proofreading supervisor to start carving Kangyur, the collection of the Buddha's actual teachings. This voluminous work was completed in 1734 by continuously hard working of more than 60 calligraphers, 10 copy editors, 400 carvers and 100 workers. This edition of printing plate is universally acknowledged as the most perfect Buddha teachings printing plate in Kham till now. After that, more than 60 volumes of other texts and Tengyur, the collection of works of subsequent Indian masters, were carved. The plates are continuing till made nowadays. More than 43600 plates were mended or re-carved since 1980s. In 1988, Derge Printing Press printed 200 copies of Rinchen Terzod based on Palpung Monastery's edition. This volume which was edited and compiled by the 1st Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche is very import and valuable for research of Tibetan history and Tibetan Buddhism. Now, the extant plates in Derge Printing Press are about 280000 pieces which are classified into text plates and painting plates. The styles of the painting plates are very diversified and creative, limitless from time and space. They may represent all the different styles and schools of paintings since 18 century. Paintings on the walls (thangkhas) are also distinguishing features of Derge Printing Press. Most of the thangkhas are painted in Karma Gadri style which was created by the 8th Kenting Tai Situpa. These thangkhas represent the supreme achievements of Tibetan art works.   |