Zhangzhung or Shangshung was an ancient kingdom in western and northwestern Tibet, existing from about 500 BC to 625 AD, pre-dating Tibetan Buddhism. The Zhangzhung culture is associated with the Bon religion, which has influenced the philosophies and practices of Tibetan Buddhism. Zhangzhung people are mentioned frequently in ancient Tibetan texts as the original rulers of today's western Tibet. Only in the last two decades have archaeologists been given access to do field work in the areas once ruled by the Zhangzhung.
Extent
Tradition has it that Zhangzhung consisted "of three different regions: Goba, the outer; Phugpa, the inner; and Barba, the middle. The outer is what we might call Western Tibet, from Gilgit in the west to Dangs-Ra Khyung-rDzong in the east, next to lake Namtso, and from Khotan in the north to Chu-Mig-brGyad-Cu-gTsa-gNyis in the south. Ladakh, including Lahaul and Spiti, was part of Goba. The inner region is said to be Tazig [often identified with Bactria], and the middle Rgya-Khar-Bar-Chod, a place not yet identified." While it is not certain whether Zhangzhung was really so large, it was an independent kingdom and covered the whole of what is today's Western Tibet, Ladakh and Gilgit.
The capital city of Zhangzhung was called Khyunglung (), the "Silver Palace of Garuda", southwest of Mount Kailash (Mount Tise), which is identified with palaces found in the upper Sutlej Valley.
According to Rolf Alfred Stein, author of Tibetan Civilization, the area of Zhangzhung was not historically a part of Tibet and was a distinctly foreign territory to the Tibetans: