Category: Places of Interest in Tibet

Lhasa in Tibetan means "lands of God" and has been the center of politics, economy, culture and religion in the Tibet Autonomous Region since ancient times. It is located on the north bank of the Kyichu river, a tributary of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, at an altitude of 3650 meters above sea level. Lhasa has a history dating back over 1300 years and its many attractions are described below. Potala PalaceThe Potala, one of the most famous architectural works in the world, sits on top of the Red Hill in Lhasa. Constructed In the 7th century, after the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo's married Princess Wencheng of the Tang Court, the Palace was built to provide the Tibetan court with a place for worship and meditation. In the mid-17th century, it was extended by the 5th Dalai Lama to its present size, and became the Winter Palace of the Dalai Lamas. The construction took fifty years from commencing to completion. The Potala is divided into two sections, namely, the Red Palace and White Palace. The total height of the Potala is 117 meters spanning thirteen story's. The length from east to west is 400 meters and the breadth from south to north is 350 meters. The building is constructed of stone and timber with golden roofs. It is a majestic architectural masterpiece. Norbulingkha (The summer Palace of the Dalai Lama):The name Norbulinka means "Jeweled Garden," a fitting title for this 200 year old park, stretching over 360,000 sq. m. The 370 room summer palace of the Dalai Lama is located inside the park at Lhasa and was constructed in 1755. During the following years more and more structures were added like chapels, gardens, fountains and pools with the most important contribution by the 14th Dalai Lama. His palace is also the

Shigatse, or Xigazê, is the second biggest town situated in the South Central of the Tibet Autonomous Region. "Shigatse" in Tibetan means the "Estate that fulfills one's Wishes". It lies on the ancient caravan route between Lhasa and Kathmandu and is a one of the most important trade centers in Tibet, distributing goods (mainly agriculture and husbandry products) between Lhasa, Nepal, Western Tibet and China (Xinjiang) and Kashmir (North-West India). Shigatse is overlooking the confluence of the Nyangchu River and the Yarlung Tsangpo River which makes the the soil around Shigatse very fertile and productive. To the north-east of Shigatse, the Konkaling monastery is situated, but the most famous monastery is located in the south-west and is called the Tashilhunpo monastery, the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important high priest in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama. The monastery houses 3300 priests and the many houses and temples are surrounded by the Thanka wall. Between the monastery and the city is the Thom; a bustling 'free' market where one can buy local handicrafts embedded with coral and turquoise, Tibetan daggers, Chinese porcelain and yak butter. The market lies at the foot of the ruins of the Shigatse Fortress, a large 17th-century fort standing on a low hill to the north-west where a garrison of 1000 Tibetan soldiers is stationed. The Shalu monastery is situated 20 kilometers southeast of Shigatse and is a perfect stop on your way from Shigatse to Gyantse. Tashilhunpo Monastery:Tashilhunpo Monastery is the biggest Gelugpa Monastery in the Tsang region of Tibet. It is located in the town of Shigatse and was founded by Gedun Drup, a disciple of Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelungpa Sect. Gedun Drup is recognized as the first Dalai Lama and he built the monastery in 1447 as

A small agricultural town famous for its wool carpets and the Palkor Choide Chorten, Gyantse lies between a Monastery and a fort in the Nyang-chu Valley on fertile grounds along an old trading route. Before 1959, traders coming from Kalimpong and Gangtok in India would enter Tibet through Yadong traveling on to Gyantse, en route to Lhasa. Palchor Choede Monastery and KUMBUM:NamoPalchor Choide Monastery is located west of Gyantse city and founded in 1418 jointly by Kedup Je of the Gelugpa Sect and Rabten Kunsang of the Sakyapa Sect. The Palchor Monastery is enclosed by mountains in the east, west and north and has a special influence over Tibet's Buddhism owing to its unification of three different sects, the Gelukpa, the Sakyapa and Bhuton Sects who were all worshiped in this Monastery. The famous Kumbum pagoda stands nine stories high and has 108 doors and 77 chapels. It contains clay sculptures and various murals. The pagoda is said to have 100,000 images, either sculpted or painted, this is the reason for its name Kumbum, literally meaning "100,000 Images". Chortens are receptacles of worship, similar to the stupas of India, with many sacred objects within: statues, books, frescoes and items of gold and silver. The Gyantse Chorten is a deluxe model, and is quite innovative in its architecture, it has about 70 interlocking chapels that you see as you spiral your way up the six floors to the golden plume at the top. Each chapel is richly, often grotesquely, decorated with thousands of frescoes, statues and artifacts and lined with Buddhist texts inscribed in Sanskrit. In aerial perspective, the chorten is supposedly shaped like a Mandala, the embodiment of the Lamaist universe. Pilgrims circumambulate this giant wedding-cake, the inner spiraling circuit of the Chorten is a meditational aid to enlightenment with

Tsetang is the jumping board for exploration of the Yarlung valley area which is the cradle of Tibetan civilization. This area has the oldest building in Tibet, Yumbu Lagang, the oldest monastery, Samye, and has the birthplace of the six original Tibetan clans, the Monkey Cave on Mount Zodang Gongpori. THE YARLUNG VALLEYThe Yarlung Valley which is 72 kilometers long is said to be the cradle of Tibetan Civilization. Here lies the birthplace of the six original clans and it is the home of the great Tibetan empire that reigned in the sevnth and eight centuries. The people living in the Valley have created their own unique folk culture and this Yarlung culture has been an important component of Tibetan Culture. Tsedang is seen as the jumping board of the Yarlung Valley. Tradduk Temple:The Tradduk Temple, located in Nedong, three miles from Tsedang up the Yarlung Valley is supposed to be the first Buddhist temple. It was established by King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and belongs to the Gelugpa Sect (Order of Excellence). The main attraction of this temple is the Assembly Hall. The images enshrined here are all bronze and the corridors are covered with murals. The Tombs of the Tibetan Kings:The Tibetans didn't give their Kings a sky burial but choose interment in tombs instead. Experts differ in their explanations; some believe this was due to cultural influence of the Tang Dynasty in China, others consider this was a result of Buddhist influence. Both of these explanations have been determined by an archeological survey of Tibet, started in 1984, which has discovered over 1000 graves in 20 groups near Nedong. Since these graves belong to a Neolithic culture, which flourished over 3000 years ago, it appears that burial in the ground was a common practice long

Yamdrok Yumtso lies to the south of the Yarlong Tsangpo River and about a hundred kilometer to the southwest of Lhasa. The lake is 130 kilometers (about 80 miles) in length and 70 kilometers (about 43 miles) in width and is one of the four holy lakes. The other lakes are Lhamo La-tso, Namtso and Manasarovar. This freshwater lake, unlike other Tibetan lakes, is sweet and non-saline. During the summer, it is turquoise green in colour, but during the winter it has a thick crust of ice. The name of the lake literally means "green jade" and therefore it is also known as the Green Jade Lake. Some people also refer to it as Coral Lake because its irregular shape, like the two pincers of a large scorpion. It is abundant in fish and has a large migratory bird population. Like mountains, lakes are considered sacred by the Tibetan people, and are seen as dwelling places of protective deities. Yamdrok Yumtso Lake is said to be the female Guardian of Buddhism in Tibet and the people here believe that it will bless and protect them. It is said that if its waters dry, Tibet will no longer be habitable. Nagarje or Nakartse is the biggest settlement on the shores of Yamdrok Lake and in the lake are several small islands and nine bigger ones where one is home to the famous Samding Monastery. The islands are very fertile and green and together with the snow-capped mountains in the distant it gives an astonishing view. From the mountains you can also have this beautiful view on Yamdrok Yumtso making it an attraction not to miss when visiting Tibet.

Xegar (4350 meter or 13800 feet), also called Shekar Dzong or Tingri, is a town at the base of Mount Everest on the Tibetan side. Built at the foot of the ruins of Xegar Dzong, this small city with only 3000 inhabitants is the starting point for many climbing expeditions to the highest peaks in the world. Xegar is situated only 7 km from the main road leading from Nepal to Lhasa. THE HIMALAYASThe mighty Himalayas, like a silver screen, zigzag along Tibet's southern horizon and give Tibet its name "Roof of the World". It possesses eleven peaks over 8000 meters, among which five lie along the Sino-Nepalese border, Mt. Everest (8848 m.), the world's highest peak, Mt. Lhotse (8516 m.), Mt. Makalu (8463 m.), Mt. Cho-Oyu (8201 m.), Mt. Shisha Pangma (8012 m.). There are some thirty peaks over 7000 m. and many more above 6000 m. The landscape on the northern side of the Himalayas contains the world's highest glaciers. QUOMOLANGMAQuomolangma, literally meaning "The Third Goddess" in Tibetan, is the highest mountain on earth with an altitude of 8848m. Mount Quomolangma is known to the western world as Mt. Everest, stands south of Tingri in southern Tibet, on the border between China and Nepal. The optimum time to visit Mount Quomolangma is from April to June, a golden period for mountaineers and many attempts to reach its summit are made. Nearby the Rongpu Monastery can be found, a camp for mountaineers, having the highest elevation in the world. There are 217 glaciers on the northern slope of the peak giving it an amazing view. More information about the other peaks can be found in our climbing section. GUTSUOGutsuo (4480m or 14200ft), also called Galsuo, is a military base camp situated at the base of the plateau. After passing

Lhatse (3950m) is situated where the main Tibetan road turns westwards towards Mt. Kailash and Mansarovar Lake. During the short summer season, the whole valley is covered with green barely fields and bright yellow mustard meadows. It is a welcome change after the barren lands of the Tibetan plateau. However, the town is really small with only a few thousand people. Nearby a monastery is located as well as a old fort. There is also a small, hot spring located a few kilometers away. SAKYASakya (Sag'ya, 'Grey Earth or Clay'), is situated off the main Shigatse to Xegatse route, and was once the base of the Sakyapa Sect (Red Hats), who rose to power in the 13th century. In those times Sakya was the capital of Tibet from 1268 to 1354 and it became the first religious government with a lama as head of state. The sect has numerous followers in Tibet, so Sakya is naturally the object of their pilgrimage.Sakya Monastery: Sakya Monastery:Located in Sakya, the Monastery stands in two parts on either side of Dongchu River. This Monastery is the centre of the Sakyapa Sect (White Earth Order). The northern part of the monastery was built in the year 1079 and the southern founded in 1268 by a famous Abbot of Sakya, Pagpa, who once ruled the whole of Tibet during the Yuan Dynasty and unfortunately, only the southern part remains. The State Council has classified it as a national protected monument, owing to its valuable number of Buddhist sutras and cultural remains.The Monastery is different from other monasteries because of its architecture, it looks more like a fort instead of a religious institution from the outside. The monastery has big walls with watch towers on each of the corners and has various interesting items for a visit

Known as 'Kuti' to Nepalese traders, Nyalam used to be an important trade centre. Nowadays, barrack style Chinese communes surround the typical old flat roofed, mud-brick houses. Although vegetation is sparse, one can see an abundance of alpine fauna on the hillside during the summer months.

Better known by its Tibetan name, Khasa, Zhangmu is a small settlement clinging to a hillside 10 km from the Friendship Bridge that crosses the Bhotekoshi river. Since the closure of the China/India border from Gangtok, Zhangmu has become the major trading point between Tibet and Nepal. The climate is quite different from the hinterland. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily wooded with many waterfalls in summer and impressive ice formations in winter. It has a bank, a post office, a government store, and is presently undergoing a construction boom to meet the demands of trade and tourism.

Located 12 km away to the southeast of Chamdo town, Karo is at an altitude of 3200 meters above sea level, Karo ruins date back four to five thousand years and belong to the Neolithic Age. These ruins contain simple living structures, stone paved roads, stone walls and cave dwellings. Also many different kinds of chipped stone implements have been discovered. The discovery of the Karo ruins provided new material for the study of migration and exchange between peoples of northwest and southwest of the region in the Neolithic Age.

Situated in the Tsada region of Ngari the Guge Kingdom was originally built in the 10th Century. According to historical records some sixteen hereditary kings have reigned here. The extensive Guge kingdom ruins are found on a hillside around 300 meter high. The ruins cover an area of 180,000 square meters, and include five magnificent temples and palaces, more than 300 chapels, 300 caves, and 3 stupas each of which are around 10 meters in height. The temples contain many lively murals and clay sculptures.

The northern grasslands, called "Changthang" in Tibet, have an extremely cold climate. Eight or nine months a year, the whole region is frozen except for the occasional hot springs. The regions terrestrial heat spots are found in Yangpachen, eighty-seven kilometers to the northwest of Lhasa, they cover some forty km. Steam and hot geezers shoot up from the ground to over one hundred meter

Mt KailashMt. Kailash (Kang Rimpoche), situated in the Western region of Tibet, has been considered sacred by Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and Bonpos for thousands of years. For Hindus and Buddhists, it is the center of Universe. In past a visit to this holiest place was something of a dream for mankind but due to the road network this dream has turned into reality. Mt. Kailash is also revered as the source of four great rivers of Asia, Indus, Bramhaputra (Tsangpo), Karnali (Ganges) and Sutlej which are all fed by the water of the nearby sacred Lake Mansarovar. Lake ManasarovarLake Manasarovar Sacred Lake Manasarovar (4588m) is located in the Western Tibet between Mt. Kailash (6714 m) and Gurla Mandhata Range (Memo Nani, 7694m). For Hindus, Lake Manasarovar floats beneath the shadow of holy Kailash and was created to show the omnipotence of Brahma's mind (manas). Tibetans know it as Maphan Tso, 'the Unconquerable Lake'. For many, this is holiest lake in Asia.The Hindu poet Kalidash has written in the 3rd Century: "When the earth of Manasarovar touches anyone's body or when anyone bathes therein, he shall go to the paradise of Brahma, and he who drinks its water shall go to the heaven of Shiva and shall be released from the sins of 100 births. Even the beast that bears the name of Manasarovar shall go to the paradise of Brahma. Its water is like pearls". The ideal time to go round Manasarovar is in late autumn and early spring when the streams and rivers flowing into the lake are low. Some Tibetans prefer to circumambulate the lake in winter when everything is frozen. It is then possible to walk very near to the shoreline. During most of the year, a pilgrim should be prepared to wade across small and large