Tibet Tours

POTALA PALACE

MOUNT EVEREST (8848m)

JOKHANG TEMPLE

NAMTSO – The highest salty lake in the world

MOUNT KAILASH

THE LONGEST, LARGEST AND THE HIGHEST RIVER IN THE WORLD

THE MOST IMPROTANT TIBETAN FESTIVAL – LOSAR

Brief / profile

Also called Palcho Monastery, the Palkhor Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhism monastery with a unique structural style. Moreover, it’s also the monument of architecture period.

Location

The monastery stands about 230 km south of Lhasa and 100 km from the east of Shigatse.

History
It was firstly established in 1418 and it took 8 years to complete the main hall and other sub-halls in the monastery. In 1427, the construction of Myriad Buddha Stupa began and finished in 10 years.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery.
In the monastery, the Bodhi Dagoba, the Main Assembly Hall, murals as well as Zhacang are especially outstanding.
Firstly, the Bodhi Dagoba with the height of 32 meters is a 9-tier building composed of 108 gates, 76 chapels as well as shrines. The chapels inside overlap each other, thus this structure earned the name of “tower upon tower”.
Secondly, also called “Tshomchen”, the Main Assembly Hall is a 3-story building with a history of 500 years or so. There’re the Main Chapel with 48 columns, the cloister as well as the Eastern and Western Chapels on the first floor. The bronze statue of Salyamuni is in the Main Chapel. On the second floor, Manjusri Bodhisattva, Arhats and White Tara are dedicated. In addition, Dakinis, Amitabha Buddha as well as esoteric Buddhism murals are on display.
Thirdly, the Myriad Buddha Stupa is a must-visit resort with an area of 2,200 square meters. There’re altogether 108 gates and 77 chapels. The stupa also enjoys the name of Bddha figure museum since there’re thousands of copper, Gold and mud figures of Buddha besides the famous painting of millions Buddha.
Fourthly, the murals inside are also worth visiting. They present various subjects such as 2 kinds of Buddhism (local and inland), Tibetan Buddhism stories and so on.
In addition, the Saka Dawa Festival is held on April, 15th to commemorate Sakyamuni. On that day, 500 Lamas chant sutras and loyal pilgrims gather in the monastery.

Transportation.
Palkhor Monastery is in the central area of Gyangts County, so you can get there just on foot.

Admission fee.
The admission fee for this scenic spot is RMB 40.

Note
It’s open to the public from 9：10 to 16:00 and the suggested time for a visit is 2 hours. Moreover, visitors should pay RMB 5 if you’d like to take pictures in the Stupa. In addition, another RMB 15 is needed for the entrance of Myriad Buddha Stupa with a camera. However, it’s really a worthwhile visit.

Brief / profile

Karola Snow Mountain is a hot scenic spot in Gyangtse, showing a wonder to the world.

Location

It’s situated the border between Nagarze County and Gyangze County.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery
As a component of Jin Feng Ning anti-Saudi, this mountain is the biggest one among the La-track Kangri Range. The upper side of the mountain is on a soft slope and there’re 2 Ice Tongues with the length of 3 km and width of 750 meters. The entire mountain covers an area of 9.4 square kilometers. Since there’re full of crannies between the 2 ice tongues, avalanche and icefall often occur.
Besides, due to its striking height, the top is usually covered with thick snow. When looking in a distance, the Karola Snow Mountain is just like a fairyland.

Brief / profile

With an area of about 638 square kilometers, the Yamdrok Yumsto Lake is one of 3 largest holy lakes as well as the largest freshwater lake in Tibet. Surrounded by many snow-covered mountains and small streams, the lake with the length of 130 kilometers is not only a scenic spot but also a pilgrimage destination, attracting numerous devout worshippers every year.

Location
It’s located in Nankartse County on the southern bank of the Yarlong Tsangpo River in the Shannan Region of Tibet.

Why got its this name
This lake is also named Coral Lake due to its irregular shape. Besides, the lake boasts smooth clear water just like the surface of jade. Under the sunshine, the water is really like a mirror, hence it also another name: the Green Jade Lake.
Architecture / Structure / Each scenery
With a length of 130 kilometers and width of 70 kilometers, the Yamdrok Yumtso Lake is fan-shaped, extending from northwest to southeast. This salt lake of low consistency usually freezes every mid-November.
Moreover, there’re many isles providing ideal living environment for the abundant fishes in the lake. Here is also the largest habitat for water birds in the north of Tibet. Every year, numerous birds such as swans, pigeons and so on will fly here from south to spend the winter. If looking from the nearby mountain, you will see the holy sapphire-like Yamdrok Yumtso Lake with small islands.
Besides, the lake is also rich in hydroelectric power and there’s a power station completed in 1996. Furthermore, it’s the largest one in Tibet.
Nowadays, a large number of tourists and pilgrims come here to enjoy the tranquil scenery along the lake, the snow-covered mountains as well as the sporadic villages nearby.

Legend and Story
It’s said that a female Guardian of Buddhism in Tibet turned into Yamdrok Yumtso Lake after her departure of the Heaven, adding mystery and holiness to the lake.
Therefore, the locals believe it will bring happiness and protect them.

Transportation
Tourists can take a bus in Lhasa and get off at the Great Bridge of the Yarlung Tsangpo River and then take a taxi to the lake. Besides, renting a car is also good choice to have a tour and may cost you RMB 1,500 to 2,000 a day.

Brief / profile

With the elevation of roughly 2,300 meters, Zhangmu Town also named Khasa is the border town between China and Nepal as well as a trading post. Endowed with the subtropical climate, this town is mild and humid.

Location

It stands on the mountainside of Qomolangma Mountain and in the south of the Himalayas.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery.
Thanks to the mild climate, the town is embraced by marvelous mountains, winding rivers, lush vegetations as well as blossoming flowers, presenting charming natural scenery. Along the road in the middle of peaks, tourists will be greeted by rushing waterfalls, giving you another feeling of this little town. When coming here all the year round, you can enjoy all of these.
Moreover, you can visit the houses scattered on the mountainside. The outer walls are painted into red, white, green or yellow. Here, you seldom see the traditional Tibetan houses. There’re various shops along the only road in the Zhangmu Town. And streets and stone stairs link all the houses together, thus it’s really easy for you to find your way. Besides, almost all rooftops boast small gardens, radiating another unique beauty of the town.
Furthermore, as a prosperous harbor, Zhangmu Town enjoys exotic flavor since many foreign goods are coming here from India and Nepal.

Present condition
Nowadays, this town is undergone constructions to cater for the trade and booming tourism.

Transportation.
Since there’s no shuttle bus between Zhangmu Town and Lhasa, visitors can rent a car to get there. in addition, you can also take the only public bus from Lhasa to Zhangmu Town every Friday.

Note
Tourists should bring your ID card or passport for checkpoint. Moreover, you are advised to take raincoats or umbrellas due to the frequent rain in the town. Also skid-proof shoes are necessary because there’re many slippery stone stairs.

Highway transport is the main transport in Ngari. There are four roads leading to Ngari. One is the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway. The road starts from Yecheng, Xinjiang, and winds south 1,179 kilometers to the Town of Shiquanhe, the capital city of Ngari Prefecture. The road stretches through 10 snow-capped mountains of the Kunlun Ranges. It is the highest road in the world. Almost 1,000 km of the road is at an elevation 4,000 meters and 130 km of the road at an elevation of 5,000 meters. However, due to the harsh circumstances, it is still a difficult journey to Ngari along the road.

The beginning part of the second and third road is a same road, which starts from Lhasa and stretches west along the China-India highway. The road joins the Xinjiang-Tibet highway (the Yecheng-Lhaze part) until it enters the Ngamring County, where the road divides into the so-called northern and southern route: the 1,750 km long northern route [Coqen-Sang (the Sangsang District in Ngamring County) road to Coqen] passes Gerze, Ge’gyai and finally reaches Shiquanhe Town; the 1,300 km long southern road starts from Lhaze, passes by Zhongba and reaches Burang (the Lhaze-Burang Road) (The road passes Mt Kailash and Mapham Yutso Lake region and winds west, passes Mentu and reaches Shiquanhe Town).

The road condition of the southern road is better. There are no regular buses. It is only possible to travel by taxi or hitchhiking. It is a much longer distance to take the northern road and the road condition is worse. But the road passes by the Yamzhou Yumco Lake. [The lake, called the “jade lake” in Tibetan, is located in Zamar Lung Village, Baidi Township, Nanggarze County of Lhoka (Shannan in Chinese) Prefecture of Tibet. It is known as one of the “three sacred lakes” (Lhomo Namco Holy Lake, Mapham Yutso Lake and Yamzhou Yumco Lake are called as the “three sacred lakes” in Tibet). Being the largest inland lake at the northern foot of the Himalayas, Yamzhou Yumco Lake is at an altitude of 4,441 meters, with an area of 678 sq. km. The lake is 30 meters deep on an average, with the deepest part being 59 meters.] It is necessary to pass a 340-kilometer long part of the old road to reach the lake. The road condition is quite bad. However, when tourists reach the Kamba La mountain pass, it is spectacular to have a birds-eye view of the lake and it’s worth visiting.

Both the northern and the southern roads run through the depopulated area and the grasslands, the gobi, swamps and deserts.

The forth road, the Amdo-Shiquanhe road starts from Amdo in Nagqu of Tibet, passes through the Chiangtang grassland and stretches west. The road joins the above-mentioned northern road at Dongco and leads to Shiquanhe. Due to the poor road condition, the poor supply of oil, food and medical equipment along the road, and the harsh climate, the road is only available in August and September.

In the western part of Tibet, Ngari has an average elevation of more than 4,500 meters and is famous as the top of the roof of the world. The area has many lakes but less people and is a paradise of wild yaks, Tibetan antelopes, Mongolian gazelle, wild donkeys and other kinds of wildlife. In the western part of Ngari there are the famous ruins of Guge Kingdom, Toding Monastery, Duoxiang Castle and other historical sites. The holy mountains and sacred lakes in Burang attract more domestic and foreign pilgrims.

Guge Kingdom
The Guge Kingdom is a wonder of Ngari. In the mid-nine century, the Tubo imperial court came to an end. The offspring of the King Namdam established their own kingdoms and Gyede Nyimagong became the king of Ngari. The second son of his three sons occupied Zarang and established the Guge Kingdom.
In the main ruins of the Guge Kingdom in Zarang, the destroyed city walls and the natural earthen forests exist harmoniously. More than 400 house and 800 caves scatter on the 300 meter-high mountain slope. As the capital of the Guge Kingdom, the Zarang Ruins cover an area of 720,000 square meters. It is the second largest building complex in Tibet next to the Potala Palace.
The main buildings include the Red Temple, White Temple and Mandala Hall. More than 1,000 square-meter murals on the walls of the Samsara Hall are most precious, In addition to the images of Buddha, murals demonstrate such seldom images as other living things and the snakes with a human head. The caves around the temples still house some weaponry and hamlets used by the ancient soldiers.

Holy Mt. Kailash
Mt. Kailash is 6,638 meters above sea level and is the main peak of the Gangdise Mountains. More than 250 glaciers around the peak make it the sources of the Indus, Ganges and Yalutsanpo Rivers. Mt. Kailash is the holy mountain in Tibet and attracts flocks of pilgrims from other parts of the country, India and Nepal to pay their respects to the Buddha. Also it is one of the pilgrimage centers of Tibet Buddhism, Hinduism and the Bon.

Sacred Lake Manasarova
One of the three sacred lakes in Tibet, Lake Manasarova is a place respected by the Tibetan people. Lake Manasarova is 4,587 meters above sea level. The lake covers an area of 412 square kilometers with a depth of 77 meters. On the slope of the mountain by the lake stands the Jiniao Monastery, a best place to overlook the lake.

Rutog Cliff Carvings
Cliff carvings are discovered in several places along the road from Shiquanhe to Rutog. Renmudong cliff carvings on the side of the road are of the animals and figures. Simple and rough, they are full of vitality. Qiniaopu cliff carvings are rare to find and are 70 kilometers from Rutog. Carved on a precipitous cliff, they depict all kinds of animals and figures. The carvings are vivid and are of a high artistic value.

Toling Monastery
It has become famous as the Indian senior monk Atisa arrived after experiencing 10-year hard traveling and presided the work of the monastery. It has since then attracted more monks from faraway. The murals in the Toling Monastery are of a free, wild and exaggerate style, like the works by Pablo Picasso.

Qamdo — a Bright Pearl in East Tibet
Qamdo is a beautiful, vast and rich area in the valleys of Jinsha, Nujiang and Lancang rivers at the foot of Transverse Mountains. It attracts tourists from home and abroad with its wonderful mountains, rivers, dense forests, historical sites and simple local folklore.

Champalin Monastery
One of the biggest monasteries in the U areas, it was built by Sherb Songbo, a disciple of Tsonggaba, leader of the Yellow sect, in 1444. The main living Buddha of the monastery received titles of nobility offered by the Qing imperial court. Until today, the monastery houses a bronze seal offered by the Qing Emperor Kangxi to the living Buddha Pebala and a horizontal board with an inscription by the Qing Emperor Qianlong. Also the monastery houses many statues of Buddha, murals and Thangkas, which are of a high value for appreciation.

Barkhor Street is the oldest street in Lhasa located in the old area of Lhasa City, around the Jokhang Temple. This is the central place in Tibet for culture, religion, arts and the economy. It’s said that in 647A.D., the first Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo built the Jokhang Temple. Due to its magnificence, it quickly attracted thousands of Buddhist pilgrims. As a result, a trodden path appeared. That is the origin of Barkhor Street. The street was paved by hand-polished stone boards. For tourists, Barkhor Street is a wonderful place showing the original outlook of Lhasa. Tibetans also come to the area often to pray and have been coming to this area for centuries.
Many pilgrims enter the area walking by body-lengths along the street clockwise. The way they express their piety could make you understand the holiness of religion. In the street, there is a bazaar like atmosphere with several stalls set up selling all sorts of artifacts, food and clothes. Traders come here from all over the region to sell their things and try to make a decent living. This is the best bazaar in the country and one can find anything Tibetan that one desires.

Located in the eastern part of Tibet and covering an area of 108,600 sq km (about 26,835,621 acres), Chamdo Region borders Sichuan Province to the east, Yunnan Province and Burma to the southeast and Qinghai Province to the north. The political and commercial center of the region is Chamdo Town, which is just located along the Chuanzang Highway that connects Sichuan and Tibet. Two rivers passing through the town divide it into four districts.
The culture relics discovered in 1977 and 1980 tell the long history of Chamdo Region. There were inhabitants living in the region 5,000 years ago. Under the unification campaign of King Songtsen Gampo, Chamdo Region became a part of Tubo Kingdom and has been called Kham for many years. Even now, Tibetan people who live here are referred to as Khampa. There are many ethnic groups living in the region, including Tibetan (Khampa), Han, Hui and Naxi, but the culture of Khampas are above all the most prevalent, thriving and unique. Folk dancing and singing, delicate gold and silver vessels, and the Khampas’ traditional customs attract more and more visitors each year.
Like other parts of Tibet, most of Tibetan people in Chamdo Region believe in Tibetan Buddhism . There are many ancient monasteries, murals and sculptures that have been left in the name of Tibetan Buddhism. Splendid sacred mountains and holy lakes are also scattered throughout the region. Besides, there is a Catholic church in Chamdo Region, one of the two Catholic churches in Tibet. Hot springs in the region are also legendary for their curative effects. Rare animals such as golden monkey and red deer are well protected in natural reserve areas.

 
Ancient Tea-Horse Road (South Silk Road) is another feature of Chamdo Region. In the year 641, Princess Wencheng entered Tibet to marry King Songtsen Gampo. She brought a great deal of books, various tools, seeds, art and craftsmen, and tea. The Tibetan like tea very much but the climate in Tibet is unfavorable for the planting of tea trees. So, many trade caravans brought tea, silk and other goods from inner China and then sold them to the Tibetans. Most of them departed from Yunnan and passed through Chamdo Region to Lhasa. The road on the steep cliffs and wild grasslands were narrow and dangerous and it was vital that the caravans were alert and cautious at all times during their trek to Tibet. At that time, it took half a year’s time to arrive in Lhasa from Yunnan.
Nowadays, Bamda Airport and national highways can provide good transportation options for the increasing number of visitors coming to Chamdo Region every year. Hotels and facilities have been improved and restaurants of Sichuan cuisine can be found in every town and county. If you like wildlife, nature and exotic Khampa culture, don’t hesitate to come to Chamdo!

Lhasa winter sun so bright, much warmer than our old home.” The first Tibet Tourism Mr. Meng emotion Road, Shenyang visitors. Although Tibet has entered a relatively cold, dry winter, lack of oxygen, but the Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and other tourist attractions, “Jeans + sunglasses + bag” in domestic and foreign tourists are taking pictures of pictures of interest.
”
Autonomous Region Tourism Administration, said party secretary Yu Yun Gui, winter tourism in Tibet has its unique charm, in the “sun city” of Lhasa Plateau can be bathed in warm sun in winter, but winter is the best season to view Mount Everest, the world’s largest Canyon ” Jiangnan of Tibet “Linzhi is also a good place to play.

In recent years, with the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet railway and the Nyingchi airport transport, restricting the rapid development of Tibet’s economy began to break the bottleneck, tourism is becoming a major industry in Tibet, the biggest beneficiary. According to the latest statistics show that as of the end of October this year, Tibet received 3.72 million overseas tourists trips, tourism in Tibet’s economic development in the position of the leading industries become increasingly apparent.

Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission deputy chief told reporters that any of this cloud, the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction of the tourism industry, created the basic conditions, aircraft, cars, self-driving tour with “wang” together. In 2006, Tibet’s total tourism income of 27.7 billion yuan, equivalent to 9.6% of Tibet’s GDP, a record high.

In the northern suburb of Lhasa’s mother hot folk customs head Duobujie Park, said: “after the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, to the surge in the number of tourists here. Two years ago only 600 tourists, last year received more than 2,000 times, and this year only on half a year received 2,200 million, compared with more than last year. “tourism will become the local peasants and herdsmen an important way for people to get rich.

In previous years, winter and spring festival known as the Tibet travel “low season”, but in the first 5 months of this year, the statistical data shows that in the winter and spring in Tibet tourism “is not short off-season”, January to May of this year, Tibet the number of tourists increased by 82.7%.

Shu Yun Gui said that tourism is linked to the national economy 109 industries and 39 sectors, its strong lead, and radiation in Tibet to continue to sound and fast development of tourism, promote the optimization of economic structure and to upgrade and promote Tibet’s economy driven by investment type to investment, consumption, export driven changes in joint coordination, enhance self-accumulation and self-development capacity, the practical realization of economic development pattern.

Today, Tibet is drawing a “characteristic feature of” development blueprint. Autonomous Region Party Secretary Zhang said Tibet to modernize the country, one can not copy the pattern of the mainland and coastal areas must be the party’s 17 guided by the spirit, firmly establish the scientific development concept, as soon as possible out of a “Chinese characteristics, Tibet characteristics” path of development.