Ü དབུས་
Northern Ü
Tsurphu Valley
Nam-tso
Reting Valley
Lhundrub County
Medro Gongkar County
Lhoka Prefecture
Samye
Tsetang
Yarlung Valley
Chongye Valley
Mindroling
Dratang
Gongkar
Ü དབུས་
Why Go?
Ü (དབུས་) is Tibet’s heartland and contains almost all the landscapes you’ll find across the plateau, from sand dunes and meandering rivers to soaring peaks and juniper forests. Due to its proximity to Lhasa, Ü is the first taste of rural Tibet that most visitors experience, and you can get off the beaten track surprisingly easily here. Fine walking opportunities abound, from day hikes and monastery koras (pilgrim circuits) to overnight treks.
Ü is the traditional power centre of Tibet, and home to its oldest buildings and most historic monasteries. The big sights, such as Samye, are unmissable, but consider also heading to lesser-visited places such as the Drigung and Yarlung Valleys, or to smaller monasteries like Dratang and Gongkar Chöde. Make it to these hidden gems and you’ll feel as though you have Tibet all to yourself.
When to Go
A Nam-tso gets very busy in July and August, so consider visiting in late April or May. The lake remains frozen from November until May.
A Pilgrims converge on Tsurphu and Taklung Monasteries in May/June during the Saga Dawa Festival to take part in a festival of cham (religious monk dances), the unfurling of a huge thangka and epic bouts of Tibetan-style drinking games.
A Festival season at Samye Monastery is in June/July. Time your trek from Ganden to end in the middle of the festivities.
A See Tibetan horsemen at their finest during the Dajyur Horse Festival in July/August outside the town of Damxung en route to Nam-tso.
Best Places to Stay
Ü Highlights
1 Samye Monastery Exploring the mandala-shaped complex of Tibet’s first monastery.
2 Tradruk Monastery Stopping at this atmospheric ancient monastery and passing by the ruins of cliffside Rechung-puk.
3 Reting Monastery Exploring the juniper-scented kora (pilgrim circuit) and the meditation retreat of Tsongkhapa before making the lovely walk to Samtenling Nunnery.
4 Drigung Til Monastery Admiring the views of the Zhorong-chu Valley from any of the many courtyards of this monastic complex that was spared the brunt of the Cultural Revolution’s destruction.
5 Gongkar Chöde Monastery Searching the dark interior, heavy with centuries of butter candle smoke, for the unusual 16th-century murals.
6 Tsurphu Monastery Seeing the historic home of the Karmapa school, still an important monastic centre.
Permits
Travel in Lhasa prefecture (central and northern Ü) requires only the standard Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit, but you still need to pre-arrange a guide and transport to receive this. Most of Lhoka prefecture requires an additional Alien’s Travel Permit, which your agency will need to arrange in Lhasa or Tsetang.
NORTHERN Ü དབུས་བྱང་
Northern Ü (དབུས་བྱང་) is a wild landscape that has more in common with the grasslands of northern Tibet than the desert valleys further south and west. Physical beauty is here in abundance, from the epic turquoise waters of Nam-tso and the snowy peaks of the Nyenchen Tanglha range to the pretty, fertile Zhorong-chu Valley. There’s plenty of history, as well, most notably the birthplace of King Songtsen Gampo in the Gyama Valley.
It’s surprisingly easy to get off the beaten track in northern Ü. While hundreds of Chinese day trippers descend daily on fragile Nam-tso you’ll find monastery towns like Lhundrub and Taklung almost undiscovered, and sacred sights such as Drigung Til Monastery and Tidrum Hot Springs still bustling with Tibetan pilgrims who visit for religious rather than touristic purposes. Whether you are biking, hiking or just visiting by car, come prepared for some exploration.
Tsurphu Valley
%0891 / ELEV 4490M
Tsurphu Valley is the site of the eponymous Tsurphu Monastery, seat of the Karma branch of the Kagyu order of Tibetan Buddhism. The Karma Kagyu (or Karmapa) are also known as the Black Hats, a title referring to a crown given to the fifth Karmapa by the Chinese emperor Yongle in 1407. Said to be made from the hair of 100,000 dakinis (celestial beings, known as khandroma in Tibetan), the black hat, embellished with gold, is now kept at Rumtek Monastery in Sikkim, India. You’ll see images of the 16th Karmapa wearing the hat, holding it down with his hand to stop it flying away.
Most travellers visit Tsurphu as a day trip, but there is a very basic monastery guesthouse here and trekkers might find themselves camping in the upper valley before their trek starts.
About 40km west of Lhasa, the road to Tsurphu crosses the Tolung-chu near the railroad bridge. From here it’s another 25km to the monastery, passing Nenung Monastery en route. Most travellers visit Tsurphu as a side trip on the way to Nam-tso.
A pilgrim minibus runs between Lhasa’s Barkhor Sq and Tsurphu but was off limits to foreigners at the time of research.
History
Tsurphu was founded in 1187 by Dusum Khyenpa, some 40 years after he established the Karma Kagyu (or Karmapa) order in Kham, his birthplace. It was the third Karma Kagyu monastery to be built and, after the death of the first Karmapa, it became the head monastery for the order.
It was the first Karmapa, Dusum Khyenpa (1110–93), who instigated the concept of reincarnation, and the Karmapa lineage has been maintained this way ever since.
The Karma Kagyu order traditionally enjoyed strong ties with the kings and monasteries of Tsang, a legacy that proved a liability when conflict broke out between the kings of Tsang and the Gelugpa order. When the fifth Dalai Lama invited the Mongolian army of Gushri Khan to do away with his opponents in Tsang, Tsurphu was sacked (in 1642) and the Karmapa’s political clout effectively came to an end. Shorn of its political influence, Tsurphu nevertheless bounced back as an important spiritual centre and is one of the few Kagyud institutions still functioning in the Ü region. When Chinese forces invaded in 1950, around 1000 monks were in residence; now there are about 330 monks.
The respected 16th Karmapa fled to Sikkim in 1959 after the popular uprising in Lhasa and founded a new centre at Rumtek. He died in 1981 and his reincarnation, Ogyen Trinley Dorje, an eight-year-old Tibetan boy from Kham, was announced amid great controversy by the Dalai Lama and other religious leaders in 1992. More than 20,000 Tibetans came to Tsurphu to watch the Karmapa’s coronation that year. In December 1999, the 17th Karmapa undertook a dramatic escape from Tibet into India via Mustang and the Annapurna region. He currently resides in Dharamsala, India.
ITINERARIES
Ü is a relatively small region compared to other areas of Tibet, resulting in shorter drives and fewer days on the road. Some sights, including Tsurphu Monastery and Lhundrub, could be visited as day trips from Lhasa, although spending nights out of the city allows for a slower pace and reduces backtracking, particularly on longer itineraries that aim to take in the entire region.
You can combine Ü’s main sights with other regions of Tibet. From Nam-tso you can continue to Shigatse directly over the Margyang-la. From Medro Gongkar you can continue east to Draksum-tso and Nyingtri prefecture. From Gongkar (the airport), you can get onto the southern Friendship Hwy and head west to Gyantse or head on to Tsetang and north to Nyingtri via the small town of Rutok.
Ü is usually tackled in three day-long stages, broken up with a stop in Lhasa. If time is short, your priority should be Lhoka prefecture, which houses the highest concentration of historic and religious sites. Head from Lhasa to Samye Monastery and back, stopping at places like Dorje Drak and Dratang Monastery.
Day 1 Leave Lhasa towards the Tsurphu Valley, stopping in for a visit at Tsurphu Monastery before continuing all the way to Nam-tso to enjoy the lake’s tranquillity after the crowds have departed.
Day 2 Circle back to Lhasa via the old eastern route, stopping in along the way in the Reting Valley, Sili Götsang and Taklung Monastery. If there’s still time left in the day, visit the small monasteries of Lhundrub County on your way back into the capital.
Day 3 Head south along the new airport highway to Lhoka prefecture, detouring to the impressive monasteries near Gongkar before turning east towards Dratang and Mindroling, then doubling back across the new bridge to Samye.
Day 4 Samye is easily worth a day itself, particularly if you’ve got the energy to climb up to the temples of the Chim-puk Hermitage complex high above. If you can handle more hiking, drive over to Dorje Drak to walk the steep but impressive kora path above the monastery.
Day 5 Carry on to the Yarlung Valley and Chongye Valley to see a bit of Tibet’s pre-Buddhist and early Buddhist history, overnighting back in Tsetang.
Day 6 Head north from Tsetang via Rutok to the Zhorong-chu Valley, visiting the numerous monasteries and nunneries of the area before spending the night at the foot of Drigung Til in the township of Mamba.
Day 7 Return to Lhasa, stopping for a half-day at Ganden Monastery if it’s not included on your itinerary elsewhere.
1Sights
oTsurphu MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(མཚུར་ཕུ་དགོན་པ་, 楚布寺, Chǔbù Sì; ¥50)
Tsurphu has four main buildings and you could easily spend half a day here – longer if you plan to do the excellent outer kora (pilgrim circuit). If you’re short on time, concentrate on the large central assembly hall and the upstairs former living quarters of the Karmapa.
Completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, the current structures date back from 1982 and reconstruction is ongoing. The monastery is home to 370 monks, with around 50 more living in seclusion in the surrounding mountains.
The large assembly hall in the main courtyard houses a funeral chörten (stupa) containing relics of the 16th Karmapa. Statues include the main central image of the first Karmapa, alongside Öpagme (Amitabha), Sakyamuni (Sakya Thukpa), and the eighth and 16th Karmapas. Pilgrims particularly venerate a small speaking statue of Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche, a 15th-century meditation master and teacher of the eighth Karmapa. Along the right-hand wall of the hall are stacked the monastery’s huge festival thangkas.
Scamper up the ladder to the right of the main entrance to visit the private quarters of the Karmapa. First up is the Karmapa’s bedroom, complete with a jigsaw puzzle of a Buddhist thangka and the Karmapa’s throne. The small Audience Hall contains a footprint of the 14th Karmapa as well as a picture of the 16th Karmapa wearing his holy headgear.
Across the upper courtyard is the 17th Karmapa’s bedroom, not always open to visitors, where an attendant monk inside will pat you on the back with a shoe once worn by the man himself. A quick look at the Karmapa’s bookshelves reveals an interest in birdwatching and astronomy; unexpected titles include Peter Pan, The Fantastic Four and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Other boyhood possessions include a globe and a toy car.
Walking west (clockwise) around the monastery complex, you’ll pass a large darchen (prayer pole) covered in yak hide and prayer flags before coming to the main protector chapel (gönkhang). There are five rooms here, all stuffed to the brim with wrathful deities. A row of severed animal heads, including ibex and Marco Polo sheep, lines the entry portico.
The first room is dedicated to Tsurphu’s protector deity, an aspect of blue Nagpo Chenpo (Mahakala) called Bernakchen. The third room features Dorje Drolo, a wrathful form of Guru Rinpoche astride a tiger, and the fourth room features a Tantric form of the Kagyud protector Dorje Phurba holding a ritual dagger. The fifth room contains a silver statue of Tseringma, a protectress associated with Mt Everest, riding a snow lion.
The large building behind the gönkhang is the Serdung (Senlung) Lhakhang, which once served as the residence of the Karmapa. Pilgrims are blessed with sacred scriptures in the upper living room of the Karmapa. The side chapel features new statues of all 16 previous Karmapas. Look for the photos of Tsurphu before and after the Cultural Revolution, and as you approach the building from the left look up to see a golden handprint imprinted by the current Karmapa.
The Lhachen Lhakhang, which is to the right of the Serdung Lhakhang, houses a towering 20m-high statue of Sakyamuni that rises through three storeys; this replaced a celebrated 13th-century image destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Stairs to the right outside the chapel lead to a viewing platform on the upper floor.
Most people call it quits here, but the hardcore can explore several more residences and colleges to the north, as well as the kora path that runs around the back of the Serdung Lhakhang and Lhachen Lhakhang. The yellow lhakhang to the right of the assembly hall houses a small wood-block printing press.
The outer walls of the monastery are marked at four corners by four coloured chörtens.
Nenung MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(乃朗寺, Nǎilǎng Sì)
Rebuilt only in 2016, this hilltop Kagyu school monastery is now home to 30 monks including the 11th Powa Rinpoche, an important Karma Kagyud reincarnation who gives well-known speeches from his seat here.
Tsurphu FestivalRELIGIOUS
(
hMay/Jun)
Tsurphu has an annual festival from the eighth to the 11th days of the fourth Tibetan month during Saga Dawa. There’s plenty of free-flowing chang (Tibetan barley beer), as well as the raising of the darchen (prayer pole; eighth day), ritual cham dancing (10th day) and the unfurling of a great thangka (11th day) on the platform across the river from the monastery.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
At the time of research, foreigners were not allowed to travel on public transport in Tibet outside of Lhasa.
Nam-tso གནམ་མཚོ་ 纳木错
%0891 / ELEV 4750M
Nam-tso (Nàmùcuò) is the second-largest saltwater lake in China and one of the most beautiful natural sights in Tibet. It is over 70km long, reaches a width of 30km and is 35m at its deepest point. When the ice melts in late April, the lake is a miraculous shade of turquoise and there are magnificent views of the nearby snow-capped mountains.
Nam-tso is the single most popular tourist stop outside of Lhasa, but many visitors come on grueling one-day trips that visit the lake for just a few of the midday hours. Spending a night here provides a far quieter perspective on the lake once the crowds have gone.
1Sights & Activities
Almost all travellers head for Tashi Dor (扎西岛, Zhāxīdǎo), a hammerhead of land that juts into the southeastern corner of the lake. Here at the foot of two wedge-shaped hills are a couple of small chapels and several meditation caves with views back across the clear turquoise waters to the huge, snowy Nyenchen Tanglha massif (7111m).
Your initial experience of Tashi Dor is unlikely to inspire visions of Shangri-La. The poorly planned tourist base is an unsightly mess, ringed with barking dogs, litter and overflowing toilets. Food is overpriced and day-tripping tourist crowds taking yak rides can be heavy during summer lunchtimes. Try to ignore all this and push ahead to the monastery and kora (pilgrim circuit). The nicest time to explore the site is between 9am and noon, before day-trip visitors arrive from Lhasa, or during late afternoon and at sunset.
On the eastern edge of the Tashi Dor peninsula is a bird sanctuary populated by migratory birds between April and November. Species to look out for include bar-headed geese and black-necked cranes.
oNam-tsoLAKE
(གནམ་མཚོ་, 纳木错, Nàmùcuò; %0891-611 1111; May-Oct ¥120, Nov-Apr ¥60)
The waters of sacred Nam-tso, the second-largest salt lake in China, are an almost transcendent turquoise blue and shimmer in the rarefied air of 4730m. Most people come here for the scenery and for the short but pilgrim-packed kora. Geographically part of the Changtang Plateau, the lake has an incredible location, bordered to the north by the Tángǔlā Shān range. The Nyenchen Tanglha (Tangula) range, with peaks of over 7000m, towers over the lake to the south.
It was these mountains – capped by the 7111m Nyenchen Tanglha peak – that Heinrich Harrer and Peter Aufschnaiter crossed on their incredible journey to Lhasa (their expedition is documented in the book Seven Years in Tibet). The scenery is breathtaking, but so is the altitude: 1100m higher than Lhasa. Count on a week in Lhasa acclimitising before rushing out here, otherwise you risk symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS).
Tashi Dor MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(扎西岛寺, Zhāxīdǎo Sì) 
F
There are two separate monastery buildings near the Tashi Dor camp. The further of the two from the main Tashi Dor tourist compound is the main monastery chapel featuring a central Guru Rinpoche statue and the trinity of Öpagme, Chenresig and Pema Jigme (Guru Rinpoche), known collectively as the Cholong Dusom. Protectors include Nyenchen Tanglha on a horse and the blue-faced Nam-tso, the god of the lake, who rides a water serpent. Both gods are rooted deeply in Bön belief.
Closer to the tourist buildings is the Gar Lotsawa Drub-puk, a smaller but more atmospheric chapel built around a cave and featuring a statue of Luwang Gyelpo, the king of the naga (lake-snake spirits). Pilgrims test their sin by lifting the heavy stone of Nyenchen Tanglha, the mountain deity who resides in the nearby peak of the same name. Look for the stone footprint of Gar Lotsawa.
Several other chapels and retreats are honeycombed into the surrounding cliffs.
oTashi Dor KoraWALKING
The short kora takes less than an hour (roughly 4km) and is unmissable. Try to tag along with some pilgrims and do one circuit at dusk, when the light on the lake is magical. If you have enough time, it’s well worth also hiking up to the top of the western hill for good views, especially at sunset.
The main kora path leads off west from the accommodation area, past Tashi Dor Monastery to a hermit’s cave hidden behind a large splinter of rock. The trail (now a 4WD track) continues round to a rocky promontory of cairns and prayer flags, where pilgrims undertake a ritual washing, and then continues past several caves and a chaktsal gang (prostration point). The twin rock towers here look like two hands in the namaste greeting and are connected to the male and female attributes of the meditational deity Demchok (Chakrasamvara). Pilgrims squeeze into the deep slices of the nearby cliff face as a means of sin detection. They also drink water dripping from cave roofs and some swallow ‘holy dirt’. It’s a great place to explore if you bring a torch.
From here the path curves around the shoreline and eventually passes a group of ancient rock paintings protected by blue railings. Pilgrims test their merit nearby by attempting to place a finger in a small hole with their eyes closed. At the northeastern corner of the hill is the Mani Ringmo, a large mani wall, at the end of which is a chörten with a chakje (handprint) of the third Karmapa.
There are several other great hikes around Tashi Dor. If you have time, it’s worth walking to the top of the larger and less visited of the two hills to the east (two hours return). There are superb views to the northeast of the Tanglha range, which marks the modern border between Tibet and Qīnghǎi (Amdo). Morning light is best here. You can also walk around the base of this larger hill in about 2½ hours.
For the seriously devout there is a pilgrim route that circles the entire lake. It takes around 18 days to make a full lap, staying occasionally at small chapels and hermitages along the way.
DON’T MISS
STRETCHING YOUR LEGS
Tightly planned 4WD tours sometimes leave your legs itching for a walk and some exploration. One sure way to shake things up is to embed the following day hikes and koras (pilgrim circuits) into your itinerary.
A Tashi Dor kora
zFestivals & Events
Dajyur Horse FestivalCULTURAL
The hippodome (horse-racing stadium) outside the county town of Damxung (འདམ་གཞུང་རྫོང་།, 当雄, Dāngxióng) hosts a week-long horse festival at the end of the seventh Tibetan month, generally July or August. Expect horse races, competitive games and even the odd yak race.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are a dozen ugly prefabricated shacks that serve as hotels, restaurants and shops at Tashi Dor, which these days resembles a sort of Wild West mining camp. Bedding is provided at all places, but nights can get cold, so bring plenty of warm clothes. Most accommodation is only available between April and October, with prices peaking in July, August and September.
Between the altitude, the cold and the barking dogs, most people sleep fitfully at best. None of the hotels have indoor toilets or running water – in fact, the whole site is an E. coli outbreak waiting to happen, and the lakeside public toilets are particularly grim.
Tashi Dor’s many restaurants offer almost identical menus of pricey Sichuanese and Tibetan dishes (¥30 to ¥70 per dish). Several places sell delicious locally made yoghurt for ¥15.
Damxung White Horse HotelHOTEL$$
(当雄白马宾馆, Dāngxióng Báimǎ Bīnguǎn; %158 8909 6668, 0891-611 2098; 2 Qukahe Donglu; 曲卡河东路2号; r ¥200; 
a
W)
If you need to overnight in Damxung on the way to or from Nam-tso or are visiting for the Dajyur Horse Festival, this standard midrange hotel is the only place in town that is licenced to host foreigners.
God Sheep HotelGUESTHOUSE$$
(神羊宾馆, Shényáng Bīnguǎn; %139 0890 0990; dm ¥60, r ¥200-260; W)
One of the better-run guesthouses at Nam-tso. The metal cabins aren’t pretty, but there’s a wide range of rooms with proper beds, electric blankets, clean sheets and electrical outlets. The cosy restaurant is warmed by a dung-fuelled stove and the walk to the toilets is shorter than at any other guesthouse. Discounts of 20% are available outside the high season.
Holy Lake Nam-tso GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$$
(神湖纳木措客栈, Shénhú Nàmùcuò Kèzhàn; %136 1891 1180, 0891-611 0388; dm ¥60-120, r ¥230-360; 
iW)
While most places at Nam-tso look like glorified toolsheds, this is an actual structure, decorated with photos taken by the guesthouse owner. The cheapest rooms surround a comfortable sitting area where you can get Chinese or Tibetan meals. The better rooms are in a side building and offer proper mattresses with electric blankets.
You’ll need to negotiate for a decent price. On the positive side, it stays open for part of the winter from March through November, when almost all the other guesthouses and restaurants have closed.
8Getting There & Away
Nam-tso is about 240km northwest of Lhasa. En route to the turn-off at Damxung, at Km3778, is a viewpoint of Nyenchen Tanglha (7111m). By road from Damxung (འདམ་གཞུང་རྫོང་།, 当雄, Dāng xióng) it’s 4.5km to a new visitor centre that was under construction at the time of research, 4.5km further to the checkpost where tickets are checked, a further 16km winding uphill journey to the 5186m Largen-la, 7km to a junction with the road that rings the lake, and then a slow 28km to Tashi Dor.
Around 4km before the checkpost, just past the hippodome (horse-racing stadium) near Najia village, a paved road branches 3km to Kyang-rag (also spelled Jangra or Gyara) Monastery, a possible detour. Another road leads north from the ticket gate for 12km to Kangmar Monastery.
Some domestic tourists visit Nam-tso as an exhausting 480km day trip from Lhasa. It’s much better to make this a two- or three-day trip, stopping off at Tsurphu en route and looping back through Reting, Sili Götsang and Taklung monasteries.
Reting Valley ར་སྒྲེང་ 热振沟
%0891 / ELEV 4200M
The Reting Valley (Rèzhèn Gōu) is the site of the once-influential Reting Monastery. Pre-1950 photographs show Reting Monastery sprawled gracefully across the flank of a juniper-clad hill in the Reting Tsampo Valley. Like many others, it was almost completely destroyed by Red Guards and its remains stand testament to the destruction of the Cultural Revolution.
Still, the juniper groves remain and the monastery has been rebuilt, so the site is one of the most beautiful in the region. The Dalai Lama has stated that should he return to Tibet it is at Reting that he would like to reside.
The Reting Monastery Guesthouse (r ¥200) operates a small teahouse, while snacks and sundry are available from small shops along the main road through the valley. This is also the only overnight option that accepts international visitors.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
KYANG-RAG MONASTERY
Though this small branch of Lhasa’s Sera Monastery may not look like much, home to only three or four monks at a time who are sent for a year to maintain the small temple that was rebuilt in 1984 after nearly complete destruction during the Cultural Revolution, it has a long and storied history in the Gelugpa tradition.
It is said that the sixth Panchen Lama, Palden Yeshe (1738–80), and his retinue once camped along the Kyang-chu. One day a kyang (wild ass) wandered into camp and entered the tent used by him in his religious practice. The Panchen Lama tossed a sack containing sacrificial cakes on the back of the wild ass. The kyang exited the tent, wandered to the other side of the river and disappeared into a cliff. Curious, Palden Yeshe went in pursuit of the kyang and reached the cliff where it was last seen. Here he found an old monk who had covered the spot with his cloak. The Panchen Lama demanded to know what was going on and pulled off the cloak. Immediately his nose began to bleed. Taking this as a mystic sign, he used the blood to paint an image of Palden Lhamo on the rocks. This site became the inner sanctum of Kyang-rag Monastery. As it turned out the kyang was no ordinary animal but a local deity and the mount of the great goddess Palden Lhamo. For that reason the place became known as Kyang-rag (Wild Ass Beheld).
North of Damxung look for an unmarked turn-off just north of the Hippodrome, from where the monastery is 2km.
1Sights & Activities
Reting Monastery dates to 1056. It was initially associated with Atisha (Jowo-je) but in later years it had an important connection with the Gelugpa order and the Dalai Lamas. Two regents – the de facto rulers of Tibet for the interregnum between the death of a Dalai Lama and the majority of his next reincarnation – were chosen from the Reting abbots. The fifth Reting Rinpoche was regent from 1933 to 1947 and played a key role in the search for the current Dalai Lama, serving as his senior tutor. He was later accused of collusion with the Chinese and died in a Tibetan prison.
The sixth Reting Rinpoche (Tenzin Jigne) died in 1997. In January 2001 the Chinese announced that a boy named Sonam Phuntsog had been identified out of 700 candidates as the seventh Reting Rinpoche; the Dalai Lama opposes the choice.
Reting MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(རྭ་སྒྲེང་དགོན་པ་, 热振寺, Rèzhèn Sì; ¥30)
Founded in 1056, Reting Monastery was completely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Once the seat of the Reting Rinpoche, several of whom served as regents during the minority of underage Dalai Lamas, the temple retains little of its former political influence but is still an important spiritual centre of the Gelugpa school and is home to 160 monks.
Samtenling NunneryBUDDHIST SITE
(桑旦林寺, Sāngdànlín Sì) F
A pleasant hour-long (2.5km) walk or a quick drive northeast of Reting leads to the village-like Samtenling Nunnery, home to more than 140 nuns. The main chapel houses a meditation cave used by Tsongkhapa; to the right is his stone footprint and a hoofprint belonging to the horse of the protector Pelden Lhamo. The trail branches off to the nunnery from the sky burial site to the northeast of the Reting Monastery.
Reting Monastery KoraWALKING
The monastery is still graced by surrounding juniper forest, said to have sprouted from the hairs of its founder Dromtompa. A pleasant 40-minute kora leads up from the old guesthouse around the monastery ruins, passing several stone carvings, a series of eight chörtens and an active sky burial site.
At the kora’s highest point a side trail branches 25 minutes’ walk up the hillside to the drubkhang (meditation retreat) where Tsongkhapa composed the Lamrim Chenmo (Graduated Path), a key Gelugpa text.
8Getting There & Away
Getting to Reting has been made considerably more difficult by the construction of the huge Phongdo reservoir. Vehicles have to make a massive detour by heading west along the road to Damxung, doubling back at the Rinphu Bridge along the north side of the reservoir and then swinging north 48km into the Reting Valley for an extra 1¼ hours of driving.
From Reting it’s 74km to Taklung and 100km to Damxung. A dirt road leads north over the mountains from a signed junction 11km southwest of Reting to join the main Lhasa–Nagchu Hwy near Wumatang (乌玛塘, Wūmǎtáng). Check conditions with locals before attempting this short cut.
Lhundrub County
%0891 / ELEV 4050M
Centered on the main town of Lhundrub (ལྷུན་གྲུབ་གཞུང་ ལྷུན་གྲུབ་, 林周, Línzhōu), peaceful Lhundrub County is dotted with small monasteries and temples that rarely get a foreign visitor despite being only 70km away from Lhasa.
The only guesthouse in Lhundrub licenced to accept foreigners is the very basic Nalendra Monastery Guesthouse (纳连查寺客栈, Nàliánchá Sì Kèzhàn; dm ¥50), but it’s definitely the type of place to stay for the atmosphere rather than the comfort. A small teahouse here sells basic Tibetan favourites, while in Lhundrub town Tibetan and Sichuanese cafes line Gānqū Lù (甘曲路).
TIBETAN NOMADS
If you get off the beaten track around Nam-tso, you might get a peek at the otherwise inaccessible life of Tibet’s drokpas (seminomadic herders) who make their home in the Changtang, Tibet’s vast and remote northern plateau. In the Changtang the drokpas are known as Changpa. You will also get the chance to visit a drokpa camp on the trek from Ganden to Samye.
Nomad camps are centred on spider-like brown or black yak-hair tents. Each tent is usually shared by one family, though a smaller subsidiary tent may be used when a son marries and has children of his own. The interior of a nomad tent holds all the family’s possessions. There will be a stove for cooking and also a family altar dedicated to buddhist deities and various local protectors, including those of the livestock, tent pole and hearth. The principal diet of nomads is tsampa (roasted-barley flour) and yak butter (mixed together with tea), churpi (dried yak cheese) and sha gambo (dried yak meat).
Tending the herds of yaks and sheep is carried out by the men during the day. Women and children stay together in the camp, where they are guarded by one of the men and the ferocious Tibetan mastiffs that are the constant companions of Tibet’s nomads. The women and children usually spend the day weaving blankets and tanning sheepskins.
With the onset of winter it is time to go to the markets of an urban centre. The farmers of Tibet do the same, and trade between nomads and farmers provides the former with tsampa and the latter with meat and butter. Most nomads these days have a winter home base and only make established moves to distant pastures during the rest of the year.
The nomads of Tibet have also traditionally traded in salt, which for generations was collected from the Changtang and transported south in bricks, often to the border with Nepal, where it was traded for grain (as documented in the film The Saltmen of Tibet). These annual caravans are fast dying out. Traditional life suffered its greatest setback during the Cultural Revolution, when nomads were collectivised and forcibly settled by the government. In 1981 the communes were dissolved and the collectivised livestock were divided equally, with everyone getting five yaks, 25 sheep and seven goats.
Until recently drokpas numbered around 500,000 across the plateau. Government incentives are forcing the settlement of nomads, further reducing their numbers and grazing grounds. The black ‘nomads’ tents’ you see along the road to Nam-tso are now little more than facades for the nomads’ new homes – prefabricated white shacks. The introduction of the motorbike has further transformed nomad life. Pressure also comes in the form of enforced migration dates and winter housing, as well as attitude changes among the drokpas themselves, as young people move from the grasslands in search of a ‘better life’ in urban centres. How far into the 21st century their way of life will persist is a matter for debate among Tibetologists.
1Sights
Nalendra MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(纳连查寺, Nàliánchá Sì) F
Ruins dwarf the rebuilding work at Nalendra, but it’s still an impressive monastery. Founded in 1435 by the lama Rongtonpa (1367–1449), a contemporary of Tsongkhapa, it was largely destroyed in 1959. Where there were once 4000 monks now only 30 remain, though around 110 more live in seclusion in the nearby mountains. Nalendra is 12km west of Lhundrub county town.
As you enter Nalendra’s main building, the impressive gönkhang (protector chapel; women cannot enter) has a central Gompo Gur, a form of Mahakala and protector of the Sakyapa school, as well as statues of Pehar (on an elephant) and Namse (Vairocana, on a snow lion), both in the left corner. Look for the three huge wild yak heads and the stuffed mountain goat, in varying states of decay.
The main hall has a statue of Rongtonpa in a glass case, while the inner sanctum features Rongtonpa in the front centre, flanked by two Sakyapa lamas. The same room contains the silver funeral stupa of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyeltsen, who is credited with rebuilding Nalendra after its destruction during the Cultural Revolution.
The chapel to the left contains hundreds of statues of Buddha Sakyamuni, which pilgrims crawl under to receive a blessing. In the centre is an unusual statue of Nampar Namse (Vairocana) with four faces.
Other chapels worth checking include the Tsar Kangtsang, under renovation at research time, the shedra (monastic college), the Jampa Kangtsang (with its interesting statue of skeletons in a yabyum pose), and the ruins of the dzong outside the monastery gate to the west.
You can get a great overview of the monastery from ascending to the top of the white chörten just below the monastery’s main buildings. To get an idea of the original layout, look closely at the mural on the immediate left as you enter the main assembly hall of the monastery.
Langtang MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(朗当寺, Lǎngdāng sì) F
If you have time to spare, this small but pleasant Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) monastery with a bucolic location is worth a quick stop en route to Nalendra Monastery.
8Getting There & Away
From the county town of Lhundrub expect a drive of around 1½ hours to Lhasa along the slow highway through small Tibetan villages. It’s possible to combine Lhundrub with a visit to Nam-tso (five hours without stops) via Reting, Sili Götsang and Taklung monasteries in one long day on the road.
DON’T MISS
TAKLUNG MONASTERY & SILI GöTSANG
Off the road between the Reting Valley and Lhundrub County, these two visually spectacular monasteries are worth the quick detour to explore.
Dynamited by Red Guards and with ruins still visible in the green fields of the Pak-chu Valley, the sprawling monastic complex of Taklung (Talung, སྟག་ལུང་དགོན་པ་, 达龙寺, Dálóng Sì) is around 120km north of Lhasa. Rebuilding continues but not on the scale of other, more spiritually important, monasteries in the area.
Taklung was founded in 1180 by Tangpa Tashipel as the seat of the Taklung school of the Kagyupa order. At one time it may have housed some 7000 monks (it currently has 115) but was eventually eclipsed in importance and grandeur by its former branch, the Riwoche Tsuglhakhang in Eastern Tibet.
Taklung’s most important structure was its Tsuglhakhang (Grand Temple), also known as the Red Palace. The building was reduced to rubble but its impressively thick stone walls remain.
To the south of the Tsuglhakhang is the main assembly hall, the Targyeling Lhakhang. Look out for the destroyed set of three chörtens behind the building, one of which contained the remains of the monastery’s founder.
To the west in the main monastery building, the Choning (Tsenyi) Lhakhang is used as a debating hall and has a statue of the bearded Tashipel to the right. The fine cham masks are traditionally worn during a festival on the ninth to 11th days of the fourth month during Saga Dawa (the festival clothes are in a metal box in the corner), and in the weeks leading up the festival it is sometimes possible to see monks practising the elaborate cham dances. Snarling stuffed wolves hang from the ceiling of the protector chapel next door.
Just behind here is the Jagji Lhakhang. In the small chapel upstairs look for a thankgka depicting a historic representation of Taklung before the destruction of the Cultural Revolution.
Taklung Monastery is 60km north of Lhundrub, over the 4845m Chak-la. It’s a 3km detour west of the main road.
A 4km drive north of the turn-off to Taklung brings you to Sili Götsang, an amazing eagle’s-nest hermitage perched high above the main road, home to 10 resident monks.
Many of the chapels have murals of the main Kagyud teachers – Tiropa, Naropa, Milarepa and Marpa. In the assembly hall ask to see the giant arrow said to have belonged to medieval trader Tsongpon Norbu Tsangpo. Below here is the meditation cave of the site’s founder, Tangbu Rinpoche, as well as several sacred rocks. Continue upstairs to see several smaller chapels and a stairway that leads to the rooftop and magnificent views of the surrounding valley.
A road climbing 2km to the base of the hermitage was nearly complete at the time of research, from where it’s a 20-minute walk. The village at the base of the hill was moved here in 2013 after old Phondo village was flooded by the dam and reservoir.
Medro Gongkar County མལ་གྲོ་གུང་དཀར་རྫོང་། 墨竹工卡县
Medro Gongkar County (Mòzhúgōngkǎ Xiàn) is most famously home to Drigung Til Monastery and Tidrum Nunnery, around 120km northeast of Lhasa.
The valley of the Zhorong-chu river (学绒藏布, Xuéróng Zángbù) is home to fortress-like monasteries, sprawling nunneries and central Tibet’s holiest sky burial site. Yet, despite being within easy day-trip distance from Lhasa, its bucolic landscapes see very few foreign visitors.
Only a few hours’ drive from the capital, the area offers a glimpse into rural life in Tibet. Change is underway in the region: towns are increasingly developed, rivers dammed and hillsides mined. Despite these intrusions of modernity many locals carry on as usual and there are plenty of opportunities to stop off at remote villages as you monastery-hop your way through the region.
When passing through overland between Nyingtri prefecture and Lhasa, it’s well worth adding an extra day to your itinerary to explore the region or combining the trip with a visit to Ganden Monastery.
Almost every town in Medro Gongkar County has at least a handful of Tibetan and Sichuanese restaurants along the old highway, so you’re never far from a meal in the region.
Medro Gongkar མལ་གོ་གུང་དཀར་ 墨竹工卡
%0891 / POP 4100 / ELEV 3830M
On the wide banks of the Kyi-chu, 65km northeast of Lhasa, Medro Gongkar (མལ་གོ་གུང་དཀར་, 墨竹工卡, Mòzhú Gōngkǎ) is a pit stop en route to Drigung Til. If you have time to spare it’s worth stopping at Katsel Monastery, which is shrounded in the legend of 7th-century King Songtsen Gampo.
While it is possible to overnight at the Xiánghé Shāngwù Bīnguǎn (祥和商务宾馆; %0891-613 2888; 2 Nanjing Lu; 南京路2号; s/d/tr ¥150/180/180; W) in central Medro Gongkar, visitors looking for an authentic Tibetan experience would do better to overnight at Ganden or Drigung Til instead.
It’s an easy hour’s drive of around 65km along the Lhasa–Línzhī Hwy from the capital, which continues east to Bāyī in around five hours with minimal sightseeing stops. Continuing up the Drigung Valley through Nyima Jiangre to Drigung Til expect around 1½ hours’ driving without stops.
Katsel MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(ཀ་རྩལ་་དགོན་པ) F
Legend has it that this combined Nyingmapa- and Kagyupa-order monastery was founded by the 7th-century King Songtsen Gampo, who was led here by the Buddha disguised as a doe with antlers. The temple is also significant as one of the original demoness-subduing temples – it pinned the monster’s right shoulder. Currently home to 47 monks, the monastery was heavily damaged in 1966 and rebuilt in 1983, with a later reconstruction in 2016.
The yellow house on the hilltop behind the monastery served briefly as the living quarters of the fifth Dalai Lama.
Katsel is several kilometres from the town centre, on the road to Drigung Til.
Nyima Jiangre འབྲི་གུང་ཆུས་ 尼玛江热
%0891 / POP 1900 / ELEV 3880M
The one-yak town of Nyima Jiangre (Drigung Qu, Nímǎ Jiāngrè), halfway between Medro Gongkar and Drigung Til, is a Tibetan Wild West town, with wild-haired traders strolling the streets and rocky escarpments forming the town’s backdrop.
It’s set at the auspicious confluence of three rivers and Chinese engineers have not overlooked the strategic location; an ugly dam has been stretched across the valley floor, forming a shallow reservoir.
Most travellers blow through in a rush to reach Drigung Til but the intrepid may want to stop off and explore the little-visited monasteries near the town.
A slew of Tibetan restaurants lines the main strip, with the friendly nuns at the Chulong Nunnery Teahouse (曲龙寺臧餐厅, Qūlóngsì Zàng Cāntīng; %136 1899 9703; dishes ¥15-20; h8am-9pm; W) making it an obvious favourite. There’s also a small supermarket where it’s possible to buy snacks and drinks. They claim to have the necessary licence to host foreign travellers in the very basic ¥30 shared rooms, with bathrooms on the street outside.
1Sights
Dzongsar MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(རྫོང་གསར་དགོན་པ, 徳仲寺, Dézhòng Sì) F
About 1km northwest of town is the Drigungpa-school Dzongsar Monastery. A short but steep climb brings you to a monastery located on a jagged slope; its name soon becomes clear – the monastery is a converted dzong. Built originally as a five-storey fortress in 1603 to serve as the seat of the highest lama of Drigung Til, the original structure was destroyed in 1959 and rebuilt in 1985 in its present form. It’s now home to 29 monks.
Chulong NunneryBUDDHIST SITE
(曲龙尼姑寺, Qūlóng Nígūsì) F
Founded by Drignung-Til as a branch of the Drigung Kagyu school in 1253, Chulong’s 112 resident nuns are now members of various Red Hat sects. Inside the main assembly hall look for statues of Guru Rinpoche flanked by Shakyamuni and the Buddha of Long Life. In a small chapel beside the main hall is the tomb stupa of the first Dzongsar lama.
Sha Pelma Wangchun MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
F
Just 2km southeast of Nyima Jiangre, Sha is dedicated to the Dzogchen suborder. A highlight of the monastery is the pair of 9th-century doring (inscribed pillars) that flank the entrance gate. These have inscriptions that detail the estates given to Nyangben Tengzin Zangpo, a boyhood chum of 38th King Tritsug Detsen, who ruled Tibet and much of Central Asia. It was Nyangben Tenzin Zangpo who founded the monastery. Only one of the pillars (to the left when entering) remains intact.
Yerga MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(羊日岗寺, Yángrìgǎng Sì) F
This 18th-century monastery, a branch of Drigung Til, is home to 38 monks of the Drigung Kagyu school. On the main altar of the assembly hall look for a photo of Yerga that predates the Cultural Revolution, and a painting of the same inside the entrance of a small chapel to the north of the main hall.
Yerga Monastery is around 8km north of Nyima Jiangre, 30km before Drigung Til.
8Getting There & Away
From Nyima Jiangre it’s 38km (a one-hour drive) to Drigung Til and 24km (30 minutes) to Medro Gongkar.
If you are headed to Reting Monastery, it’s possible to take the direct route along the Kyi-chu Valley via New Phongdo (the old town and dzong of Phongdo lie at the bottom of the Phongdo reservoir). En route you’ll pass the hillside Trakto Monastery, the partially rebuilt Yu Monastery (in Zashu village), the ruined Nyong Dzong and the impressive Karma Monastery (across the Kyi-chu and accessed by a bridge). Several other monastery ruins line the scenic route, but you’ll need to arrange all this well in advance to secure the necessary permits.
Mamba 门巴乡
%0891 / POP 2730 / ELEV 4200M
Above the small township of Mamba (Ménbā xiāng) stands Drigung Til Monastery. First established in 1167, it is the head monastery of the Drigungpa school of the Kagyupa order. By 1250 it was already vying with Sakya for political power – as it happened, not a particularly good move because the Sakya forces joined with the Mongol army to sack Drigung Til in 1290. Thus chastened, the monastery devoted itself to the instruction of contemplative meditation. There are around 205 monks at Drigung Til today.
POWA CHEMNO FESTIVAL
Every 12 years, in the year of the monkey, Drigung Til stages the massive Powa Chenmo festival, which brings pilgrims from all over Tibet. The festival was banned by the government in 1959 but was allowed to resume in 1992, 2004 and 2016, when it attracted more than 100,000 people.
1Sights
oDrigung Til MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(འབྲི་གུང་ཐིལ་, 直贡梯寺, Zhígòngtī Sì; ¥35)
Drigung Til sprouts from a high, steep ridge overlooking the Zhorong-chu Valley. The 180-degree views from the main courtyard are stunning and it’s a joy to hang out in the courtyard by the monastery to take in the view with the monks after their morning prayer or during afternoon debates.
Although it suffered some damage in the Cultural Revolution, the monastery is in better shape than most of the other monastic centres in this part of Ü.
The main assembly hall is the most impressive of Drigung’s buildings, though the version you see is a complete rebuild dating to only 2016. The left-hand figure inside is Jigten Sumgon, the founder of the monastery, with Sakyamuni in the centre and Guru Rinpoche to the right. Also look for the statue of local protector Abchi on a pillar to the side.
Upstairs on the 1st-floor Serkhang (Golden Chapel) you can see 1000 statues of Sakyamuni. Jigten’s footprint is set in a slab of rock to the side of the statue, as is his silver funeral chörten. From the bottom floor you can continue upstairs to a circuit of prayer wheels and a small chapel. Steps lead up to the left from here to the chörtens of the founders of Drigung Til and Tidrum.
Back in the lower courtyard is the monastery’s main protector chapel, the Abchi Lhakhang, which houses an impressive bronze statue of the protector Abchi Chudu next to the pelt of a snow leopard. Also look out for the pair of yak horns on the pillar, after which Drigung is said to be named (a dri is a female yak and gung means ‘camp’). The name may also derive from the hillside, which is said to be in the shape of a yak.
In the rear chapel of this building is a photo of Bachung (Agu) Rinpoche, a hermit who lived in the caves above Drigung Til for 65 years. The monks of Drigung Til still praise Bachung Rinpoche for his efforts in helping to rebuild the monastery.
Kora PathWALKING
Drigung’s hour-long monastery kora is worth a stroll for its fine valley views.
4Sleeping & Eating
The location of the Drigung Til Monastery Guesthouse (直贡梯寺客栈, Zhígòngtī Sì Kèzhàn; dm without bathroom ¥30-40) is hard to beat, right at the foot of the monastery, but more comfortable options exist down in Mamba village. The small teahouse at the zmonastery is better skipped; look instead for the row of Tibetan teahouses and Sichuanese cafes along the main road through the village.
Amdo Homestead HotelGUESTHOUSE$
(安达旅馆, Āndá Lǚguǎn; %139 8908 9930; dm ¥50, d without bathroom ¥200)
Run by a local family, this basic guesthouse’s Tibetan-style rooms are the cleanest in town. It’s in the centre of Mamba village, above a restaurant of the same name.
Drigung Til Monastery HotelHOTEL$$
(直贡梯寺旅馆, Zhígòngtī Sì Lǚguǎn; %158 8907 9071; per person 2-/3-/8-bed dm ¥100/70/40)
Conditions are clean but basic at this small hotel run by the monastery. It’s at the eastern end of Mamba village.
8Getting There & Away
Driving the 62km from Drigung Til Monastery through Mamba to Medro Gongkar takes around 1½ hours without stops for sightseeing, and another hour along the new highway to Lhasa.
Tidrum 德仲
%0891 / POP 170 / ELEV 4440M
The tiny community at Tidrum (Dézhòng) is composed primarily of nuns living in the eponymous nunnery and surrounding hills plus pilgrims who visit to bathe in the medicinal hot springs and worship at sites connected to Yeshe Tsogyal, the wife of King Trisong Detsen and consort of Guru Rinpoche.
The location is spectacularly set in a narrow gorge at the confluence of two streams, backed by a craggy peak and festooned with prayer flags in every direction. Sanitation in the community is underwhelming, so you may want to skip the possibility of overnighting here, but it’s a fascinating stop on route to or from Drigung Til.
1Sights
Tidrum NunneryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(གཏེར་སྒྲོམ་བཙུན་དགོན་, 德仲寺, Dézhòng Sì; ¥15)
The nunnery of 70 nuns has strong connections to Yeshe Tsogyal, the wife of King Trisong Detsen and consort of Guru Rinpoche (who himself is said to have meditated in a cave not far from the settlement). The Kandro-la, the resident spiritual leader of the nunnery, is considered a reincarnation of Yeshe Tsogyal. The main assembly hall is worth a visit. A cabinet holds a selection of self-arising rock images found in the hot springs.
Tidrum Hot SpringsHOT SPRINGS
(德仲温泉, Dézhòng Wēnquán; ¥5; h24hr)
Strip down and hop into this medicinal natural hot spring said to cure everything from rheumatism to paralysis, separated by sexes into two partially covered natural pools. It’s popular with pilgrims and can get quite crowded, but that’s all part of the experience at these springs that have been healing visitors for 1400 years or more. The springs are famous for the snakes that sometimes join bathers but locals insist in all those years they’ve never once been bitten.
At the time of research Tidrum was under-going major renovation and resembled a shanty town – not really conducive to an enjoyable soak. Far more relaxing is a visit to the lower springs (chu semye) resort of Shambhala Source, which has clean hotel pools and rooms with private tubs.
4Sleeping & Eating
There are two spartan guesthouses near the hot-springs complex if you want to overnight at Tidrum itself, but the better option is the Shambhala Source resort 5km before the settlement.
The nunnery runs a small teahouse (德仲寺茶馆, Dézhòngsì Cháguǎn; %153 4898 7369; dishes ¥15-30; h8.30am-8pm) just above the hot springs.
Dingjie Temple Limin HotelGUESTHOUSE$
(dm ¥30)
The guesthouse run by Tengyer Nunnery is probably the nicest place to stay at Tidrum proper, with conditions clean but basic. Riverside rooms have four beds and are arranged around a sunny glass-roofed atrium. Upper rooms are best. It’s on the kora path behind and to the left of the nunnery’s main assembly hall.
Shambhala SourceHOTEL$$
(得仲下温泉和宾馆, Dézhòng Xià Wēnquán Hé Bīnguǎn; %178 8800 6575; www.shambhalaserai.com; dm ¥50, d with private tub ¥400, d with/without shower ¥360/150; W
s)
Easily the most comfortable place to stay is this chic resort run by Lhasa’s Shambhala Serai group. It has its own riverside hot springs, 5km before Tidrum, and the best split-level suites boast their own private hot-water tubs. Simple food is available, but don’t expect much in the way of spa service, only towels and flip-flops (thongs) are provided.
If you have trouble getting in touch with the resort directly, try booking through the House of Shambhala in Lhasa.
8Getting There & Away
Tidrum is along an 8km road that leads up the side valley 3km before the town of Mamba at the foot of Drigung Til.
LHOKA PREFECTURE ལྷོ་ཁ། 山南
The serene waters of the braided Yarlung Tsangpo river meander through a swathe of land flanked by dramatic sand dunes and rich in Tibetan history – Lhoka prefecture (ལྷོ་ཁ།, 山南, Shānnán). It’s only a couple of hours from Lhasa and the numerous attractions are relatively near one another, allowing you to see the main sights in two or three days. Remote monasteries, royal tombs, ruined stupas, meditation retreats and medieval palaces are only some of the highlights you can visit in a three-day itinerary. With more time you could spend days exploring the various side valleys on foot or by mountain bike.
RUTOK MONASTERY & SPRINGS
Around three hours’ drive from Lhasa is the one-street hot-springs town of Rutok (རུ་ཐོག་, 日多, Rìduō), named after the small but pleasant monastery on the hillside north of town. This is nomads’ country, and every family takes their herds of 15 to 200 animals up into the mountains from May to September, during which the town is even quieter than normal.
Founded in the 12th century as a Black Hat monastery, Rutok Monastery (日多寺, Rìduō Sì) converted to the Yellow Hat sect in 1509 during the reign of the second Dalai Lama. Before destruction in 1959 it was home to 35 monks, though only 12 currently inhabit the 1982 reconstruction. To the right of the main hall is a small protector chapel that houses relics, some of which pre-date the Cultural Revolution, including a large wooden dorje (lightning bolt).
1Sights
Dorje Drak MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(རྡོ་རྗེ་བྲག་དགོན་པ་, 多吉扎寺, Duōjízhá Sì) F
Along with Mindroling Monastery, Dorje Drak (3520m) is one of the two most important Nyingmapa monasteries in Ü, both considered among the six great Nyingmapa monasteries in Tibet. With a remote and romantic location, historically less accessible than Mindroling, it consequently gets few Western visitors and the 40 resident monks seem happy to welcome travellers. It was under expansion at the time of research.
Dorje Drak was forcibly relocated to its present site in 1632 by the kings in Tsang. A line of hereditary lamas known as the Rigdzin leads the monastery. The title is named after the first Rigdzin Godemachen, thought to be a reincarnation of Guru Rinpoche. The fourth Rigdzin, Pema Trinley, was responsible for expanding the monastery in the early 18th century, though his efforts were for naught as the Dzungar Mongols sacked the place in 1718; Pema Trinley did not survive the onslaught. The 10th Rigdzin Lama currently resides in Lhasa.
Dorje Drak’s main assembly hall has statues of the first and second Rigdzins and the fifth Dalai Lama, while the inner room features Pema Trinley, the fourth Rigdzin, next to Sakyamuni; a small side chapel holds the ornate tomb stupa of the ninth Rigdzin lama. The old B&W photo by the entryway shows the extents of the original monastery.
The Samsum Namgyel Gönkhang to the right has five butter sculptures representing the chapel’s five protectors. A cabinet holds the monastery’s treasures, including a fragment of a staff belonging to Milarepa that was smashed in the Cultural Revolution.
To the east of the older structures, a new assembly hall was finished in 2015 with murals depicting the life of Shakyamuni. Up on the 2nd and 3rd floors are two smaller chapels, but the real draw here is the excellent vista of the monastic complex and Yarlung Tsangpo Valley beyond.
A demanding 1½-hour kora leads around the back of the dorje-(thunderbolt-)shaped rock behind the monastery, up to the ruined Sengye Dzong atop the rock. The path overlooks some dramatic sand dunes and the views from the retreat are simply stunning, but the faint, sandy trail is a hard slog up and a steep scramble down. You need to scale a fence to get to the dzong ruins.
Dorje Drak is on the northern bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo, 18km east of the Gālá Shān tunnel and bridge leading to the airport and a quick 50km west of Samye, along a well-sealed road. Hard-core trekkers can approach Dorje Drak from Lhasa, a trek of around four days.
Samye བསམ་ཡས 桑耶镇
%0893 / ELEV 3550M
The monastic town of Samye (Sāngyé Zhèn) is home to the the beautiful Samye Monastery, deservedly the most popular destination for travellers in the Ü region. As Tibet’s first monastery and the place where Tibetan Buddhism was established, the monastery is also of major historical and religious importance. Surrounded by barren mountains and rolling sand dunes, the monastery has a quiet magic about it that causes many travellers to rate it as the highlight of Ü.
If you are heading to Everest Base Camp or the Nepali border, a trip here will only add one day to your itinerary. You may have to detour briefly to the nearby town of Tsetang (རྩེད་ཐང་; 泽当; Zédāng) for your guide to pick up the required travel permit.
History
Samye was Tibet’s very first monastery and has a history that spans more than 1200 years. The monastery was founded during the reign of King Trisong Detsen, who was born close by, though the exact date is subject to some debate – it was probably founded between 765 and 780. Whatever the case, Samye represents the Tibetan state’s first efforts to allow the Buddhist faith to set down roots in the country. The Bön majority at court, whose religion prevailed in Tibet prior to Buddhism, were not at all pleased with this development.
The victory of Buddhism over the Bön-dominated establishment was symbolised by Guru Rinpoche’s triumph over the massed demons of Tibet at Hepo Ri, just to the east of Samye. It was this act that paved the way for the introduction of Buddhism to Tibet.
Shortly after the founding of the monastery, Tibet’s first seven monks (the ‘seven examined men’) were ordained here by the monastery’s first abbot, Indian Shantarakshita (Kenchen Shiwatso in Tibetan), and Indian and Chinese scholars were invited to assist in the translation of Buddhist texts into Tibetan.
Before long, disputes broke out between followers of Indian and Chinese scholarship. The disputes culminated in the Great Debate of Samye, an event regarded by Tibetan historians as a crucial juncture in the course of Tibetan Buddhism. The debate, which probably took place in the early 790s, was essentially an argument between the Indian approach to bodhisattvahood via textual study and scholarship, and the more immediate Chan (Zen) influenced approach of the Chinese masters, who decried scholarly study in favour of contemplation on the absolute nature of buddhahood. The debates came out on the side of the Indian scholars.
Samye has never truly been the preserve of any one of Tibetan Buddhism’s different orders. However, the influence of Guru Rinpoche in establishing the monastery has meant that the Nyingmapa order has been most closely associated with Samye. When the Sakyapa order came to power in the 15th century it took control of Samye, and the Nyingmapa influence declined, though it did not disappear completely.
Samye’s most common icons are of the Khenlop Chösum – the trinity of Guru Rinpoche, King Trisong Detsen and Shantarakshita.
Samye has been damaged and restored many times over the last 1000 years. The most recent assault on its antiquity was during the Cultural Revolution. Extensive renovation work has been ongoing since the mid-1980s and there are now 200 monks at Samye.
1Sights
oSamye MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(བསམ་ཡས་དགོན་པ་, 桑耶寺, Sāngyē Sì; map Google map; hdawn-dusk)
About 170km southeast of Lhasa, on the north bank of the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra River) is Samye Monastery, the first monastery in Tibet. Founded in 775 by King Trisong Detsen, Samye is famed not just for its pivotal history but for its unique mandala design: the Main Hall, known as Ütse, represents Mt Meru, the centre of the universe, while the outer temples represent the oceans, continents, subcontinents and other features of the Buddhist cosmology.
As renovation work continues at Samye, the original ling (royal) chapels – lesser, outlying chapels that surround the Ütse – are slowly being restored. Wander around and see which are open. Following is a clockwise tour of the major chapels open at the time of research. Aside from the Ütse, none require any entry fees.
Just inside the East Gate, the square in front of the Ütse has some interesting elements, including the Jampel Ling gönkhang (protector chapel). The top-floor balcony offers fine views of the Ütse. The ruined seven-storey Geku (Tower) that used to display festival thangkas has been rebuilt in recent years, and is once again used to display a large thangka during the Samye Dhoede (hJun/Jul) festival.
From the East Gate follow the prayer wheels south to the Tsengmang Ling (map Google map), once the monastery printing press, and just beyond the minor Mela Ling. Further on is another renovated chapel, the Ngamba Ling (Subdued Demon Temple), with modern murals and two 3D mandalas.
Past the yellow-walled residential college of the Shetekhang, the restored Aryapalo Ling, Samye’s first building, and Drayur Gyagar Ling (map Google map), originally the centre for the translation of texts, are worth extended stops.
Beside the Sacred Tree that serves as a popular stop for pilgrims and upon which they place stones and tie threads, the upper floor of the Vairosana Lakhang is lined with old paintings and a small chapel to Tantric Buddhist masters. Just north of here is a small chörten that pilgrims circumambulate.
The Nugko Jampa Ling is where Samye’s Great Debate was held, and an essential stop. Beyond the modern rebuilds of the relatively minor buildings of the Samten Ling and Jampa Lakhang, the delightful Triple Mani Lhakhang (map Google map) just to the north also has lovely murals.
Rounding the corner of the complex past the large Tree Shrine, the first major structure is the Natsok Ling. The chapel is a modern rebuild, but the statues of 21 Taras and the Past, Present, and Future Buddhas are worth a look inside.
The green-walled, Chinese-roofed Jangchub Semgye Ling is well worth a stop before breaking from the kora to walk south along the concrete path here to the Dawa Ling (map Google map), returning after to the kora path.
East of here is the Kordzo Pehar Ling (map Google map), the home of the oracle Pehar until he moved to Nechung Monastery outside Lhasa. It was once a highlight of Samye, but only time will tell what it looks like after the ongoing renovation.
Finally, return to the Ütse past the Namdok Trinang Ling. Though quite impressive from the outside, this temple is of relatively minor importance and was not open to visitors at the time of research.
It’s also possible to enter the four reconstructed concrete chörtens (white, red, green and black), though there is little of interest inside.
If you walk for 10 minutes beyond the southern gate, you’ll reach the Khamsum Sankhung Ling, a smaller version of the Utse that once functioned as Samye’s debating centre. It’s been under renovation for years, but there are seemingly no plans to reopen it soon.
oÜtseBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(map Google map; ¥35; hdawn-dusk)
The central building of Samye, the Ütse comprises a unique synthesis of architectural styles. The ground and 1st floors were originally Tibetan in style, the 2nd floor was Chinese and the 3rd floor Khotanese. The corner parapets with green and gold dorje (thunderbolt) designs are also unique. There’s a lot to see here, so budget a couple of hours and carry a torch (flashlight) for the darker spaces.
Just to the left of the East Gate is a stele dating from 779. The elegant Tibetan script carved on its surface proclaims Buddhism as the state religion of Tibet by order of King Trisong Detsen. The entryways are flanked by two snow lions and two ancient stone elephants. Upon entering the building itself, look for photos showing the Ütse before and after the Cultural Revolution.
From here the entrance leads into the first of the ground-floor chambers: the assembly hall. As you enter the hall, look for the statue of a chicken that is said to have once saved the monastery by waking up its monks during a fire. Pass statues of Thangtong Gyalpo and the writers Buton Rinchen Drup and Longchen Rabjampa to the left, before a row of figures greets you straight ahead: the translator Vairocana, Shantarakshita, Guru Rinpoche, Trisong Detsen and Songtsen Gampo (with an extra head in his turban). The photo below the Guru Rinpoche statue is of the famous original statue (now destroyed), which was a likeness of the guru and allegedly had the power of speech. Come here between 7am and 9am to hear the monks chanting.
To the rear of the assembly hall are steps leading into Samye’s most revered chapel, the Jowo Khang. You enter the inner chapel via three painted doors – an unusual feature. They symbolise the Three Doors of Liberation: those of emptiness, signlessness and wishlessness. A circumambulation of the inner chapel follows at this point (take a torch).
The centrepiece of the inner chapel is a 4m statue of Sakyamuni said to have appeared miraculously in the stone. Ten bodhisattvas and two protective deities line the heavy side walls of the chapel, which are decorated with ancient murals. Look also for the blackened Tantric mandalas on the ceiling.
Back in the main assembly hall, on the right are two groups of three statues: the first group is associated with the Kadampa order (Dromtompa and Atisha); the second group is multi-denominational and includes lamas from the Nyingmapa, Sakyapa and Gelugpa orders.
To the right of the hall is a gönkhang (protector chapel), with statues of deities so terrible they must be masked. A stuffed snake lurks over the blocked exit, while a stag’s head adorns the inside entrance.
Before ascending to the 1st floor, take a look at the Chenresig Chapel, outside and to the left of the main assembly hall, which features a dramatic 1000-armed statue of Chenresig known as Chaktong Chentong.
As you head up to the 2nd floor, look for the giant troughs used to store the monks’ tsampa (roasted-barley flour) and a series of wall paintings depicting the life of Guru Rinpoche. The structure here echoes the inner chapel and features an image of Guru Rinpoche in a semi-wrathful aspect, flanked by Tsepame and Sakyamuni, with Shantarakshita and Trisong Detsen flanking them. Look up to see the Chinese-influenced bracketing on the beams. There is an inner kora (pilgrim circuit) around the hall.
As you leave the inner chapel, look for a hole in the wooden panelling; steps lead up from inside the false wall to a secret room with statues of Vairocana and Trisong Detsen, which was used by King Trisong Detsen to listen to the lamas’ teaching without being observed.
Some of the murals outside this hall are very impressive; those on the southern wall depict Guru Rinpoche, while those to the left of the main door show the fifth Dalai Lama with the Mongol Gushri Khan and various ambassadors offering their respects. The Dalai Lama’s quarters are just behind you at the southeastern corner of this floor, featuring a fine mural depicting Samye.
The 3rd floor is a modern renovation to the Ütse, the original having been entirely destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. It holds statues of four of the five Dhyani Buddhas, with a mandala of the fifth (Namse) on the ceiling, and along the outside of the hall’s walls are paintings of Tibetan, Indian and Nepalese masters.
Walk around the back to a ladder leading up to the 4th floor. This chapel holds the sacred core of the temple, as well as an image of Dukhor (Kalachakra), a Tantric deity, but it is generally locked. As you descend from the 3rd floor there is a rare mural of the 14th (current) Dalai Lama at the top of the stairwell to the left. It was left on view for decades, but at the time of research the authorities had blocked the mural with a wooden board.
As you head back downstairs, stop at the 1st-floor relic chamber. Among the sacred objects on display are the staff of Vairocana, the stone skull of Shantarakshita, a dorje made from meteorite and a turquoise amulet containing a lock of Guru Rinpoche’s hair. A shop in the corner of the hallway sells protective amulets, though it is often unmanned.
Back on the ground floor, you can follow the prayer-wheel circuit of the Ütse, and look at the interesting murals showing the founding of the monastery. You can also ascend to the outer roof for views over the complex. The roof was restored in 2016 using the traditional materials of twigs and packed earth.
ShetekhangBUDDHIST SITE
If you pass this yellow-walled residential college between 11am and noon, or between 5.30pm and 7pm, listen for the sounds of teachings from the main hall or debating in the attached courtyard.
Aryapalo LingBUDDHIST SITE
The restored Aryapalo Ling was Samye’s first building and retains a lovely ancient feel. The statue of Arya Lokeshvara is similar to one seen in the Potala Palace. A small door allows pilgrims to inch around the base of the protector Tamdrin. There’s a sacred tree in the courtyard, a birdsong-filled space that epitomises the tranquility of Samye.
Nugko Jampa LingBUDDHIST SITE
The Jampa Ling, on the western side of the Samye complex, is the site of Samye’s Great Debate, which determined the course of Tibetan Buddhism. On the right as you go in, look out for the wall mural depicting the original design of Samye, with zigzagging walls. There is an unusual semicircular inner kora (pilgrim circuit) here that is decorated with images of Jampa.
LHAMO LA-TSO
One of Ü’s most important pilgrimage destinations, Lhamo La-tso (ལྷ་མོ་བླ་མཚོ, 拉姆拉措, Lāmǔ Lācuò) has been revered for centuries as an oracle lake.
The Dalai Lamas have traditionally made pilgrimages to Lhamo La-tso to seek visions that appear on its surface. The Tibetan regent journeyed to the lake in 1933 after the death of the 13th Dalai Lama and had a vision of a monastery in Amdo that led to the discovery of the present Dalai Lama. The lake is considered the home of the protector Palden Lhamo.
The gateway to Lhamo La-tso is the dramatic, but mostly ruined, Chökorgye Monastery (4500m; 琼果杰寺, Qióngguǒjié Sì). Founded in 1509 by the second Dalai Lama, Gendun Gyatso (1476–1542), the monastery served later Dalai Lamas and regents as a staging post for visits to the lake. On the nearby slope is a mani wall that consecrates a footprint stone of the second Dalai Lama.
From Chökorgye Monastery, it’s a 12km drive (about 40 minutes) up a twisting mountain road to the shökde, a ritual throne built for the Dalai Lamas just short of the mountain pass that overlooks Lhamo La-tso. It is now buried under a mound of kathak (prayer scarves). It’s a further 90-minute walk to get down to the lake (roughly 3.5km in total), which is encircled by a kora.
Though Lhamo La-tso has not been open to international travellers for years, it remains an incredibly important place in Tibetan culture and history. It is always worth asking your travel agency if the area is open during your visit.
Jangchub Semgye LingBUDDHIST SITE
The green-walled, Chinese-roofed Jangchub Semkye Ling houses a host of bodhisattvas around a statue of Marmedze (the Past Buddha) on an ornate lotus plinth, with a 3D wooden mandala to the side. Look for the sacred stone to the left. Take a torch (flashlight) to see the exceptional Central Asian–style murals.
Hepo RiVIEWPOINT
(ཧས་པོ་རི་་, 海不日神山, Hǎibùrì Shénshān)
Hepo Ri is the hill some 400m east of Samye where Guru Rinpoche vanquished the demons of Tibet. A 30-minute climb up the side ridge brings you to an incense burner festooned with prayer flags and superlative views of Samye below. Head south along the ridge and descend along the paved path. Early morning is the best time for photography.
Pilgrims honour Hepo Ri as one of the four sacred hills of Tibet (the others being Gangpo Ri at Tsetang, Chagpo Ri in Lhasa and Chuwo Ri at Chushul). King Trisong Detsen established a palace here. Trails branch off here from the road leading from Samye’s East Gate.
THE SAMYE MANDALA
Samye’s overall design was based on that of the now-vanished Odantapur Temple of Bihar in India, and is a highly symbolic mandalic representation of the universe. The central Ütse temple represents Mt Meru (Sumeru; Rirab in Tibetan), and the temples around it in two concentric circles represent the oceans, continents and subcontinents that ring the mountain in Buddhist cosmology. The complex originally had 108 buildings (an auspicious number to Tibetans). The 1008 chörtens on the circular wall that rings the monastery represent Chakravala, the ring of mountains that surrounds the universe.
4Sleeping & Eating
Outside the monastery’s eastern gate is a line of almost identical restaurants that double as budget guesthouses on the 2nd floor or out the back. For something a little nicer, head northeast to the Samye Monastery Guesthouse, which is functionally a standard modern hotel.
Tashi Guesthouse & RestaurantGUESTHOUSE$
(扎西旅馆, Zhāxī Lǚguǎn; map Google map; %189 8993 7883; dm/r without bathroom ¥60/120; W)
Pleasant two-, four- and five-bed dorms with clean foam beds above a restaurant by the East Gate. If things are busy, you may have to pay for all beds in a room to keep it private. The nice teahouse restaurant downstairs (8.30am to 10.30pm) has an English menu of Tibetan and Chinese staples from ¥15 to ¥30 per dish.
Friendship Snowland HotelGUESTHOUSE$
(雪域同胞旅馆, Xuěyù Tóngbāo Lǚguǎn; Gangjong Pönda Sarkhang; map Google map; %136 1893 2819; dm ¥100)
Proper mattresses (not just foam ones) are on offer here, in concrete triples out the back or above the cosy restaurant of the same name.
Samye Monastery GuesthouseHOTEL$$
(桑耶寺宾馆, Sāngyēsì Bīnguǎn; map Google map; %0893-783 6666; d ¥240, without bathroom ¥200, tr ¥300; W)
This huge modern hotel is the default option for most visitors. Although devoid of monastic charm, the carpeted double rooms are comfortable (check for barking dogs when choosing your room) and have a hot-water shower and the only western toilets in town. The cheaper doubles share a bathroom down the hall (no showers).
Friendship Snowland RestaurantCHINESE$
(Gangjong Pönda Sarkhang, 雪域同胞藏餐旅馆, Xuěyù Tóngbāo Zàngcān Lǚguǎn; map Google map; %136 1893 2819, 136 5958 4773; dishes ¥16-50; h8.30am-11pm; W)
The backpacker-inspired menu at this pleasant Tibetan-style restaurant includes banana pancakes, hash browns and omelettes, making this your best breakfast bet. Good Chinese and Tibetan dishes are also available, as well as yak sizzlers.
Monastery RestaurantTIBETAN$
(map Google map; dishes ¥15-28; h8am-8pm; 
v)
Expect loads of atmosphere, sunny outdoor seating, a vegetarian menu and pilgrims galore at this welcoming place within the monastery compound. Fried Chinese dishes are the best options for food, but you can also just sit around and drink sweet tea like the locals.
Snowland Yungdruk RestaurantTIBETAN$
(雪域玉龙饭馆, Xuěyù Yùlóng Fànguăn, Kangchen Yungdruk Sarkhang; map Google map; %133 9803 9191; dishes ¥5-20; h8am-11pm)
Take tea or simple Tibetan meals in the sunny atrium if it’s not full of locals playing dice. There are also a handful of very basic dorms off the back courtyard from ¥30 to ¥60.
Dōngběi XiǎofàndiànDUMPLINGS$
(东北小饭店; map Google map; dishes ¥12-30; h8am-11pm; Wv)
If you need a change from Tibetan and Sichuanese cuisine, these northeast-style dumplings prepared by a friendly transplant from Shāndōng province are delicious. The picture menu makes ordering a breeze for non-Chinese speakers, and a veg-heavy menu will suit vegetarians.
8Getting There & Away
Once only accessible by a charming old ferry across the Yarlung Tsangpo river, the boats have stopped and since 2017 a highway connects Samye to Lhasa in 1½ hours or less, but this will get even shorter when the direct highway between Lhasa and Samye opens within the next few years.
Leaving Samye, Tsetang is around one-hour’s drive along the highway, but if you’re not interested in heading to the east of Lhoka, it’s also possible to take a new bridge across the Yarlung Tsangpo, 17km west of Samye, to head directly to Mindroling, Dratang or Gongkar without backtracking.
A pilgrim bus runs daily between Lhasa’s Barkhor Sq and Samye, but at the time of research foreigners were not allowed to take it in either direction. If that ever changes, tickets can be purchased from the small ticket office (map) in front of the Samye Monastery Guesthouse.
WORTH A TRIP
A CAVE SHRINE RETREAT
Chim-puk Hermitage (མཆིམས་ཕུ་གྲུབ་ཁང་, 青朴修行地, Qīngpǔ Xiūxíngdì) is a collection of cave shrines northeast of Samye that grew up over the centuries around the meditation retreat of Guru Rinpoche. Chim-puk’s Tantric practitioners were once famed for their ability to protect fields from hailstorms. It is a popular excursion for travellers overnighting at Samye. Make sure your agency knows in advance that you want to visit or you’ll have to haggle over the return 20km trip.
Pop into the impressive new nunnery at the base of the hill to hear the nuns chanting between 8am and noon.
From here trails lead up for about an hour past dozens of cave shrines to the lhakhang (subsidiary chapel) built around Guru Rinpoche’s original meditation cave halfway up the hill and that of Jigme Lingpa in a small cave just behind. Most of the hillside shrines here are still inhabited by practitioners.
Ascending clockwise along the kora that visits all of the hillside’s temples, the first is the Yongdu Lahkong (Gathering Chapel). Built in 2006, it houses statues of Guru Rinpoche and Samye’s former abbots. Continuing up the kora path leads to the Champung Guru temple, built atop the entrance to the meditation cave said to have been used by Guru Rinpoche himself, and believed to grant wishes to devout buddhists who visit. From here it’s a short climb to the complex’s highest temple, the Samye Changpu (Victorious Stupa). Originally used as a library, the building now houses another large statue of Guru Rinpoche and three large thangka paintings, plus the views from the courtyard present spectacular views of the rest of the Chim-puk complex and the Yarlung Tsangpo river.
From the parking lot up to the Champung Guru temple expect a 1½-hour walk, and slightly more to the Samye Changpu. The descent, which loops around the east of the complex via another small temple housing statues of the wrathful form of Guru Rinpoche, can be accomplished in around 40 minutes.
If you are feeling fit and acclimatised, it’s possible to climb to the top of the peak above Chim-puk. To make this climb from the Guru Rinpoche cave, follow the left-hand valley behind the caves and slog it uphill for 1½ hours to prayer flags at the top of the ridge. From there a path leads for another 1½ hours to the top of the conical peak, where there are a couple of meditation retreats and fine views of the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley. You’ll need the whole day to make this hike, and plenty of water.
Tsetang རྩེད་ཐང་ 泽当
%0893 / POP 52,000 / ELEV 3610M
An important Chinese administrative centre and army base, Tsetang (Zédāng) is the fourth-largest city in Tibet and the capital of huge Lhoka prefecture. The centre of town is a thoroughly modern city where you’ll find decent restaurants, midrange accommodation and a couple of internet cafes. The more interesting area is the small former Tibetan town, and the monasteries clustered there on the slope of Gangpo Ri, one of Ü’s four sacred mountains.
Most travellers use Tsetang as a base to visit outlying sites of the Yarlung and Chongye Valleys.
1Sights
Ngamchö MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(安曲寺, Ānqū Sì; map Google map) F
Originally founded as a hospital of Tibetan medicine, this site transitioned first to a Kagyupa monastery. In the 14th century the highest lamas here set off to debate with Tsongkhapa, but found themselves so overwhelmed with respect for the great teacher that they couldn’t carry through with their plans and converted the monastery to the Gelugpa tradition upon their return.
On the top floor is the bedroom and throne used by the current Dalai Lama. A side chapel is devoted to medicine, with images of the eight medicine buddhas. The protector chapel displays fine festival masks, representing snow lions, stags and demons. It’s possible to see ritual cham dances with these masks on the 20th day of the 10th month of the Tibetan calendar.
Ganden Chökhorling MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(甘丹曲果林寺, Gāndān Qūguǒlín Sì; map Google map) F
This 14th-century monastery was originally a Kagyu institution, but by the 18th century the Gelugpas had overtaken it with the blessing of the seventh Dalai Lama; explaining why the large central statue is of Tsongkhapa. From a height of around 130 monks, the monastery is now home to only 10, partly because during the Cultural Revolution the building was used as an army hospital. At the time of research it was undergoing a complete renovation, expected to finish by the end of 2018.
Sang-ngag Zimchen NunneryBUDDHIST SITE
(桑阿赛津尼姑寺, Sāng’āsàijīn Nígūsì; map Google map; ¥10)
Inside the main assembly hall the principal image to the left is of a 1000-armed Chenresig dating back to the time of King Songtsen Gampo. According to some accounts, the statue was fashioned in the 7th century by the king himself. There are around 20 resident nuns now, down from a peak of about 50. After visiting the main hall, head upstairs to see two small protector chapels.
Gangpo RiMOUNTAIN
(གོང་པོ་རི, 贡布日神山, Gòngbù Rì Shénshān)
Gangpo Ri (4130m) is of special significance for Tibetans as the legendary birthplace of the Tibetan people, where Chenresig in the form of a monkey mated with the white demon Sinmo to produce the beginnings of the Tibetan race. The Monkey Cave, where all this took place, can be visited near the summit of the mountain. Do it in the spirit of a demanding half-day walk in the hills, as the cave itself is somewhat uninspiring.
The most direct trail leads up from the Sang-ngag Zimche Nunnery, climbing about 550m to the cave. The walk up will take about two hours – bring plenty of water. The walk up Gangpo Ri is part of a long pilgrim route, which local Tibetans make each year on the 15th day of the fourth lunar month.
4Sleeping & Eating
Finding good budget accommodation is a problem in Tsetang. Its cheaper hotels are prevented from accepting foreigners by a strong PSB presence, and those that have a licence for foreigners are on the mid- to high-end of the price spectrum.
Given the size of Tsetang there’s a surprisingly lack of culinary diversity, with the same range of Sichuanese cafes and Tibetan teahouses available across most of Ü, though the Aba Home Tibetan Restaurant is admittedly a nicer than average example of the latter. For a bit of a change, check out Shǎnxī Fēngwèi for a taste of the flavours of Shǎnxī province in northwestern China.
Yulong Holiday HotelHOTEL$$
(裕砻假日大酒店, Yùlóng Jiàrì Dàjiǔdiàn; map Google map; %0893-783 2888, 0893-782 5558; 30 Naidong Lu; 乃东路30号; r ¥220-300, tr ¥340, incl breakfast; aW)
This three-star place offers clean plush rooms, though some streetside rooms are noisy. You can even listen to your favourite Chinese pop tunes in the power shower, if you can figure out how the thing works.
Tibetan Source HotelHOTEL$$
(藏之源大酒店, Zángzhīyuán Dàjiǔdiàn; map Google map; %131 0232 8810, 0893-782 1588; 12 Naidong Lu; 乃东路12号; d/tr incl breakfast ¥280/320; aW)
Standard rooms in the main building are decorated with Tibetan motifs but are quite small. The cheaper rooms in the back are bigger and almost as good.
Ze Soure Theme HotelHOTEL$$$
(泽源主题宾馆, Zé yuán zhǔtí bīnguǎn; map; %0893-766 8585, 0893-766 8686; 10 Sare Lu; 萨热路10号; r/ste ¥520/720; aW)
If you’re looking for luxury in Tsetang, this is your best bet. We’re still not sure what the ‘theme’ is, but at least rooms are spacious and public spaces are decked out in a modern, understated decor.
Aba Home Tibetan RestaurantTIBETAN$
(map Google map; %139 8993 2031; 8 Sare Lu; 萨热路8号; dishes ¥7-40; h7am-late; W)
Invite your guide to this cosy, friendly and modern Tibetan restaurant, featuring traditional seating, a partial picture menu and lots of local colour. Choose one of the set meals that all the other Tibetans are diving into.
Shǎnxī FēngwèiCHINESE$$
(陕西风味; %177 8916 3209; Sanxiang Dadao; 三湘大道; dishes ¥20-45; h10am-11pm; W)
If you find yourself hungry while waiting for the PSB to open, pop across the street to this fantastic little joint run by a family from Shǎnxī province. There’s a picture menu as well, if you’re stuck for what to order.
TSETANG’S OLD TOWN KORA
The best way to visit the small monasteries in the Tibetan quarter is to join the pilgrims on the clockwise kora (pilgrim circuit).
From Ganden Chökhorling Monastery swing north and then east to Ngamchö Monastery. From here the kora path winds round the base of Gangpo Ri to a holy spring where pilgrims wash their hair. The trail climbs to a bundle of prayer flags and a throne-shaped incense burner before descending to Sang-ngag Zimche Nunnery. A side trail ascends the hill to the Monkey Cave.
8Information
The Public Security Bureau (公安局, Gōng’ānjú; Sanxiang Dadao; 三湘大道; h9am-12.30pm & 3-6pm) has a strong presence here so your guide will probably disappear for a few minutes to register your passport and pick up an alien’s travel permit for outlying sights, including Samye Monastery. Try to time your arrival so that you’re not waiting around for their lunch break (12.30pm to 3pm) to end.
Bank of China (中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng; map; %95566; 18 Hunan Lu; 湖南路18号; h9.30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10.30am-4.30pm Sat & Sun) Changes cash and travellers cheques and has an ATM.
8Getting There & Away
Tsetang is 2½ hours from Lhasa along the highway on the north side of the valley, passing by Samye (one hour) and Dorje Drak (1½ hours) en route. Along the old road through the south of the valley expect around 2½ hours to Gongkar via Dratang (1½ hours) and the turn-off for Mindroling (one hour).
At the time of research, a direct highway to Lhasa via Samye was under construction; it will shave up to an hour off the direct trip. Further into the future, Tsetang will be a stop on the Sìchuān–Tibet train line that is expected for completion in 2025.
Locally, Minibus 2 (map) runs from the centre of Tsetang to Tradruk Monastery and Yumbulangang.
Yarlung Valley ཡར་ཀླུང་གཞུང་ 雅鲁流域
ELEV 3220M
The Yarlung Valley (Yǎlǔ Liúyù) is considered the cradle of Tibetan civilisation. Tibetan creation myths tell of how the first Tibetan people evolved here from the union of a monkey and an ogre, and early histories state that the first kings descended from heaven on a sky cord at Mt Yarlha Shanpo on the western edge of the valley. The early Tibetan kings unified Tibet from their base here in the 7th century and their massive burial mounds still dominate the area around Chongye to the west. Yumbulagang, perched on a crag like a medieval European castle, is the alleged site of Tibet’s oldest building, while Tibet’s first cultivated field is said to lie nearby.
There are no guesthouses in the Yarlung Valley, so most travellers will visit from Tsetang.
1Sights
The major attractions of the Yarlung Valley can be seen in a half-day trip combined with Chongye Valley.
oTradruk MonasteryMONASTERY
(ཁྲ་འབྲུག་དགོན་པ་, 昌珠寺, Chāngzhū Sì; ¥35; hdawn-dusk)
Dating back to the 7th-century reign of Songtsen Gampo, Tradruk is one of the earliest Buddhist temples in Tibet. It was founded at the same time as Lhasa’s Jokhang and Ramoche to act as one of Tibet’s demoness-subduing temples (Tradruk pins down the demoness’s left shoulder). In order to build the monastery here, Songtsen Gampo had first to take the form of a hawk (tra) in order to overcome a local dragon (druk), a miracle that is commemorated in the monastery’s name.
Tradruk was significantly enlarged in the 14th century and again under the auspices of the fifth and seventh Dalai Lamas. The monastery was badly desecrated by Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution.
The entrance of the monastery opens into a courtyard area ringed by cloisters. The building to the rear of the courtyard has a ground plan similar to that of the Jokhang, and shares the same Tibetan name, Tsuglhakhang. Like the Jokhang, there is both an outer and inner kora path.
The principal chapel, to the rear centre, holds a statue of a speaking white Tara known as Drölma Sheshema (under a parasol), in front of the reconstructed remains of five stone Dhyani Buddhas. The statue of Jampelyang (Manjushri) in the corner allegedly swam to the monastery during a flood.
To the left is the Choegyel Lhakhang, with statues of Songtsen Gampo and his wives and ministers, next to original fragments of stone statuary from next door’s stone Dhyani Buddhas.
The Tuje Lhakhang to the right has statues of Chenresig, Jampelyang and Chana Dorje, who form the Tibetan trinity known as the Rigsum Gonpo. The stove to the right is said to have belonged to Princess Wencheng (Wencheng Konjo), the Chinese consort of Songtsen Gampo.
Upstairs and to the rear is a central chapel containing a famous 400-year-old thangka of Chenresig (known as Padmapani) made up of 29,000 pearls, as well as an ancient applique thangka depicting Sakyamuni, said to have been presented by Princess Wencheng to Songtsen Gompa. A protector chapel to the side has an unusual statue of the Hindu god Brahma.
Tradruk is around 7km south of the centre of Tsetang, accessible by local bus 2.
Rechung-puk MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(རས་ཆུང་ཕུག་, 日琼布寺, Rìqióngbù Sì) F
A popular pilgrimage site associated with the illustrious Milarepa (1040–1123), the scenic ruins of Rechung-puk Monastery are set high on a dramatic escarpment that divides the two branches of the Yarlung Valley.
Milarepa, founder of the Kagyupa order, is revered by many as Tibet’s greatest songwriter and poet. It was his foremost disciple, Rechungpa (1083–1161), who founded Rechung-puk as a puk (cave) retreat. Later a monastery was established at the site, eventually housing up to 1000 monks. This now lies in ruins. For pilgrims, the draw of the monastery is the atmospheric cave of Black Heruka, draped with hundreds of bracelets; the pilgrims are thumped on the back with Milarepa’s walking stick and the stone footprint of Rechungpa.
YumbulagangHISTORIC BUILDING
(ཡུམ་བུ་བླ་སྒང་, 雍布拉康, Yōngbùlākāng; chapel ¥60; h7am-7pm)
A fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung Valley, Yumbulagang is considered the oldest building in Tibet. At least that is the claim for the original structure – most of what can be seen today dates from reconstructions in 1982 and 2018. It is still a remarkably impressive sight, with a lovely setting.
The founding of Yumbulagang stretches back into legend and myth. The standard line is that it was built for King Nyentri Tsenpo, a historic figure who has long since blurred into mythology. Legend has him descending from the heavens and being received as a king by the people of the Yarlung Valley. More than 400 Buddhist holy texts (known collectively as the ‘Awesome Secret’) are said to have fallen from the heavens at Yumbulagang in the 5th century. Murals at Yumbulagang depict the magical arrival of the texts.
There has been no conclusive dating of the original Yumbulagang, although some accounts indicate that the foundations may have been laid over 2000 years ago. It is more likely that it dates from the 7th century, when Tibet first came under the rule of Songtsen Gampo.
The plan of Yumbulagang indicates that it was originally a fortress and much larger than the present structure. Today it serves as a chapel and is inhabited by around eight monks who double as guards – in 1999 some 30 statues were stolen from the main chapel. Its most impressive feature is its tower, and the prominence of Yumbulagang on the Yarlung skyline belies the fact that this tower is only 11m tall.
The ground-floor chapel is consecrated to the ancient kings of Tibet. A central buddha image is flanked by Nyentri Tsenpo on the left and Songtsen Gampo on the right. Other kings and ministers line the side walls. There is another chapel on the upper floor with an image of Chenresig, similar to the one found in the Potala. There are some excellent murals by the door that depict, among other things, Nyentri Tsenpo descending from heaven, Tradruk Monastery, and Guru Rinpoche arriving at the Sheldrak meditation cave (in the mountains west of Tsetang).
Perhaps the best part is a walk up along the ridge above the building, if only to get some peace from the syrupy Chinese pop music blasting from the car park below. There are fabulous views from a promontory topped with prayer flags. It’s an easy five-minute climb and no entry fee is needed.
Across the valley from Yumbulagang is an incredibly fertile and verdant crop field known as zortang, said to be the first cultivated field in Tibet. Farmers who visit the valley will often scoop up a handful of earth to sprinkle on their own fields when they return home, thereby ensuring a good crop.
Yumbulagang is 6km south of Tradruk Monastery. Local bus 2 from Tsetang passes by Yumbulagang.
8Getting There & Away
The Yarlung Valley is due south of Tsetang, around 13km from the town centre to Yumbulagang. Bus 2 from Tsetang reaches into the valley, but most visitors with their own drivers will visit along with a trip to the Chongye Valley for a half-day excursion from Tsetang.
Chongye Valley འཕྱོང་རྒྱས་གཞུང་ 琼结山谷
ELEV 3810M
The Chongye Valley (Qióngjié Shāngǔ) holds a special place in the heart of every Tibetan, for it was here that the first great Tibetan monarchs forged an empire on the world’s highest plateau and was also the birthplace of the fifth Dalai Lama. The capital eventually moved to Lhasa but the valley remained hallowed ground and the favoured place of burial for Tibetan kings. Rugged cliffs surround the scenic burial ground on all sides.
Most visitors to the Chongye Valley go as a day trip from Tsetang and combine it with attractions in the Yarlung Valley.
1Sights
Chongye Burial MoundsTOMB
(འཕྱོ ང་རྒྱ ས་སྲོ ང་བཙན་བང་བས, 藏王墓, Zàngwáng Mù; ¥30; h8am-7pm)
The tombs of the Tibetan kings at Chongye represent one of the few historical sites in the country that give any evidence of a pre-Buddhist culture in Tibet. Accounts of the location and number of the heavily eroded mounds differ – the most common consensus is that 21 exist altogether, though only 16 have so far been pinpointed. All said and done, the faint mounds of earth are somewhat underwhelming, but the views back towards Chongye are impressive.
Most of the kings interred here are now firmly associated with the rise of Buddhism on the high plateau, but the methods of their interment point to the Bön faith. It is thought that the burials were probably officiated by Bön priests and accompanied by sacrificial offerings. Archaeological evidence suggests that earth burial, not sky burial, might have been widespread in the time of the Yarlung kings, and may not have been limited to royalty.
The most revered of the 10 burial mounds, and the closest to the main road, is the 130m-long Tomb of Songtsen Gampo. It has a small Nyingmapa temple atop its 13m-high summit, rebuilt in 1985, which is hardly worth the entry fee. The furthest of the group of mounds, high on the slopes of Mt Mura, is the Tomb of Trisong Detsen.
Chingwa Tagtse DzongFORT
(འཕྱིང་བ་སྟག་རྩེ་རྫོང་, 青瓦达孜宫, Qīngwǎ Dázī Gōng) F
This dzong can be seen clearly from Chongye town and from the burial mounds, its crumbling ramparts straddling a ridge of Mt Chingwa. Once one of the most powerful forts in central Tibet during the 14th century, it dates back to the time of the early Yarlung kings in the 7th century when it originally served as a palace. The dzong is also celebrated as the birthplace of the great fifth Dalai Lama.
Riwo Dechen MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(འཕྱོང་རྒྱས་རི་བོ་བདེ་ཆེན་, 日乌德庆寺, Rìwū Déqìng Sì) F
The large, active, Gelugpa-sect Riwo Dechen Monastery sprawls above Chongye’s old town across the lower slopes of Mt Chingwa below the fort. The main assembly hall has a statue and throne of the fifth Dalai Lama. Just below the monastery is a grand new chörten.
Tangboche MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(ཐང་ཕོ་ཆེ་, 唐布齐寺, Tángbùqí Sì; ¥10)
A minor site thought to date back to 1017, Tangboche Monastery is about 15km southwest of Tsetang on the way to Chongye. Atisha, the renowned Bengali scholar, stayed here in a meditation retreat. The monastery’s murals, which for most visitors are the main attraction, were commissioned by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1913. They can be seen in the monastery’s main hall – one of the few monastic structures in this region that was not destroyed by Red Guards.
One thing to look out for are the unusual long side chapels lined with protector puppets dressed in monk’s robes. The assembly hall is home to local protector Yongsten Gyelpo and a heart-shaped stone made of meteorite.
8Getting There & Away
The Chongye Valley is southwest of Tsetang, 28km from the city centre to the Chongye Burial Mounds – expect the trip to take around 40 minutes without stops. Most travellers will combine a trip here with a visit to the Yarlung Valley to the east, returning to Tsetang after the half-day outing.
Mindroling སྨིན་གྲོལ་གླིང་ 敏珠林
%0893 / POP 320 / ELEV 3750M
Home to the largest, most important Nyingmapa monastery in Ü, Min-droling (Mǐnzhūlín) is a worthwhile detour from the Lhasa–Tsetang road. Nice walks lead off the kora around the Tsuglhakhang, west up the surrounding valley through the village to the ruins of a meditation retreat and a nunnery.
Very few tourists overnight at Mindroling, but it is possible, and if you can stomach the dirty rooms of the monastery guesthouse (敏珠林寺宾馆, Mǐnzhūlín Sì Bīnguǎn; %133 9803 0301; dm ¥50, s/d without bathroom ¥100/120) you’ll appreciate having the extra time to explore the village and the ruins surrounding the monastery.
Skip the stuffy monastery restaurant in favour of the Lāsà Cáishén Cáng Cān teahouse on the far side of the parking lot. There’s also a small teahouse opposite the Kumbum Tongdrol Chenmo and a small shop just beside the monastery guesthouse.
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
NAMSELING MANOR
One of the only buildings of its type still standing in Tibet, Namseling Manor (རྣམ་སྲས་གླིང, 囊色林庄园, Nángsèlín Zhuāngyuán; %caretaker 133 9803 5933) is a seven-storey family mansion that dates from the 17th century and was once used as a local lama’s summer palace. The interior is typically closed to visitors but it’s worth a scramble around if you can track down the caretaker. The moat and bridge are a modern addition.
The building is 3km south of the main highway near Km161, around 13km east of the turn-off for Mindroling and 26km west of Tsetang.
1Sights
Mindroling MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(སྨིན་གོལ་གླིང་དགོན་པ་, 敏珠林寺, Mǐnzhūlín Sì; admission ¥25, photography ¥45)
Although a small monastery was founded at the present site of Mindroling as early as the 10th century, the date usually given for the founding of Mindroling is the mid-1670s. The founding lama, Terdak Lingpa (1646–1714), was highly esteemed as a terton (treasure finder) and scholar, and counted among his students the fifth Dalai Lama. Subsequent heads of the monastery were given the title Minling Trichen, which passed from father to son
The monastery was razed in the Dzungar Mongol invasion of 1718 and later restored, but is still renown as one of the best educational centres in the Nyingmapa tradition. From a height of around 500, the monastery is now home to 70 monks.
The central Tsuglhakhang is an elegant brown stone structure on the western side of the courtyard. The bare main hall itself has a statue of Terdak Lingpa, along with Dorje Chang (the founder of Tantric Buddhsm) and a row of seven Kadam-style chörtens – the monastery originally belonged to the Kadampa school. The inner chapel has a large Sakyamuni statue. The hands were destroyed by Chinese troops looking for relics, but the rest is original.
Upstairs, the first chapel you’ll see is the Zheye Lhakhang, with statues of Guru Rinpoche and Terdak Lingpa (with a white beard and an excellent hat). The Terza Lhakhang houses several treasures, including a stone hoof print, a mirror that takes away disease and a famed old thangka with the gold footprints and handprints of Terdak Lingpa, which was given to the fifth Dalai Lama.
The top floor holds the central Lama Lhakhang, with some fine ancient murals of the Nyingma lineages, plus a central statue of Kuntu Zangpo (Samantabhadri) and two 3D mandalas. The Dalai Lama’s quarters remain empty.
The other main building, to the right is the Sangok Podrang, used for Tantric practices. To the left of the main entrance is a famous ‘speaking’ mural of Guru Rinpoche. Flanking the left wall of the assembly hall is a huge thangka that is unfurled once a year on the 18th day of the fourth lunar month. The views from the rooftop here are excellent.
Nice walks lead off from the kora around the Tsuglhakhang, west up the valley through the village to the ruins of what used to be a meditation retreat and a nunnery.
Mindroling has cham dancing on the 10th day of the fifth Tibetan lunar month and the fourth day of the fourth lunar month. The latter festival features the creation of four sand mandalas nine days later.
Mindroling Incense FactoryFACTORY
(敏珠林寺藏香厂, Mǐnzhūlín Sì Zàngxiāng Chǎng; h7am-1pm & 2-7pm)
After a visit to Mindroling Monastery it’s worth popping into this traditional factory just off the parking lot. Tibetan workers split fragrant logs and machines pulp, mix and press the juniper and other herbs into incense sticks. Bundles of the incense are available for purchase at a shop beside the parking lot in large (¥40) and small (¥20) boxes.
Kumbum Tongdrol ChenmoBUDDHIST SHRINE
(白塔, Báitǎ; ¥10)
This white chörten outside and below Mindroling Monastery was constructed in 2000 with Taiwanese funds. It replaces a 13-storey chörten destroyed in the Cultural Revolution, though the fantastic paintings along the internal kora appear much older than they are. It’s possible to climb past the ground-floor statue of Jampa to its six upper floors, recommend if for nothing else than the views of the surrounding monastery from the rooftop walkway.
Dratang གྲྭ་ནང་གཞུང་ 扎塘
%0893 / POP 9500 / ELEV 3600M
The small town of Dratang (Zhātáng) is of outsized importance to scholars and enthusiasts of Tibetan Buddhism, primarily for the rare murals of the Dratang Monastery around which the town has grown. Nearby and worth a visit are the ruins of the Jampaling Kumbum, a 13-storey chörten (Buddhist stupa) built in 1472.
1Sights
Dratang MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(གྲྭ་ནང་གཞུང་, 扎塘寺, Zhātáng Sì; ¥25)
This small Sakyapa monastery of 20 monks is of interest mainly to art specialists for its rare murals, which combine Indian (Pala) and inner Asian (Western Xia) styles. Bring a torch to see the murals.
The assembly hall has central statues of Dorje Chang (Vajradhara; with crossed arms) and, to the right, the monastery’s founder, Drapa Ngonshe, who helped establish Tibet’s earliest medical canon. Look for the interesting seatlike oracle costume and mirror (left of Dorje Chang) in which the oracle would discern his visions – pilgrims receive a blessing from the ancient rope, sword and knife here. The inner sanctum holds all that remains of the murals, the best of which are on the back (western) wall.
A side protector chapel is accessed by steps outside and to the left of the main entrance. The chapel (whose central image is that of a yak’s head) has a hidden passage at the back that leads to a rooftop chapel and kora. A rooftop protector chapel features some wooden skeletons.
Jampaling KumbumBUDDHIST SHRINE
F
The 13-storey chörten, built in 1472, was one of the largest in Tibet, with an attendant monastery of 200 monks, before it was dynamited by the Chinese in 1963. Rebuilding efforts are limited to a two-storey Jampa chapel. Check out the little brass toe on the throne – all that remains of the original Jampa statue after which the complex was named. Old B&W photos show the chörten in its original glory. Hike up among the ruins for the sobering views.
The ruins of the Jampaling Kumbum are on the hillside a 2km walk or drive southeast of Dratang and can be seen from the monastery there. To get to Jampaling, head south from Dratang Monastery and after a couple of minutes turn left, following a path to the base of the ruins visible on the hillside above.
4Sleeping
There are several sleeping options in Dratang, but most people visit en route between Tsetang/Samye and Gyantse.
Gāodì Xiāngcūn JiŭdiànHOTEL$
(高地乡村酒店; %139 0893 0489, 189 8903 7333; d ¥180, tr without bath ¥150; aW)
Your best option is this hotel on the main highway by the junction to Dratang. Rooms are clean and modern, with hot showers, and you can watch the traffic from the pleasant teahouse just off the lobby.
Zhūzhōu HotelHOTEL$$
(株洲宾馆, Zhūzhōu Bīnguǎn; %158 8903 0208; Zhuzhou Lu; 株洲路; d ¥200)
A back-up option, this government-run place has doubles with attached squat toilets. It’s 100m south of the main highway, tucked inside a small courtyard.
8Getting There & Away
Dratang is halfway between Gongkar airport and Tsetang, around 50km from each. The eponymous monastery is located about 2km off the main road.
If you’re not continuing to Tsetang and points in the east of Lhoka prefecture, a new bridge connecting Dratang and Samye makes what was once a several-hour trip now less than half an hour.
Gongkar
%0891 / POP 11,000 / ELEV 3570M
Gongkar’s main claim to fame is its airport, but there are also a couple of interesting monasteries west of the town centre and one in the town itself. Note that there are three places called Gongkar: the Lhasa Gongkar Airport (ལྷ་ས་གོང་དཀར་གནམ་གྲུ་ཐང།, 拉萨贡嘎机场, Lāsà Gònggā Jīchǎng), the Gongkar Chöde Monastery 10km to the west and the county town of Gongkar Xian (སྣེ་གདོང་རྫོང་, 贡嘎县, Gònggǎ Xiàn), about 10km to the east.
SIGHTS IN GONGKAR TOWN
Built in the 14th century as a Sakya monastery with five colleges and 80 monks at its peak, this post–Cultural Revolution rebuild of Thupten Ramye Monastery (土旦热麦寺, Tǔdàn Rènmài Sì) is now home to just 20 monks. Inside the assembly hall the main statues are representations of the Past, Present, and Future Buddhas.
The town is also home to Tibet’s only public Chairman Mao statue (毛主席雕像, Máozhǔxí Diāoxiàng), erected in 2006.
1Sights
oGongkar Chöde MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(གོང་དཀར་ཆོས་སྡེ་དགོན་, 贡嘎曲德寺, Gònggǎ Qūdé Sì; admission ¥20, photography ¥10)
Surprisingly large, the Sakyapa-school Gongkar Chöde Monastery, founded in 1464, is famous for its 16th-century Kyenri-style murals. It lies 400m south of the highway, around 10km from the airport, along the road to Gyantse. The monastery has been renovated with the help of the Shalu Foundation (www.asianart.com/shalu).
The assembly hall has statues of Sakya Pandita, Drölma, Guru Rinpoche and the monastery founder, Dorje Denpa (1432–96). To the left of the hall is the gönkhang (protector chapel), whose outer rooms have black murals depicting a sky burial. The inner hall has a statue of the Sakyapa protector Gonpo Gur (Mahakala Panjaranatha) and some elaborate spirit traps (in a case to the right). The inner sanctum has fine murals of the Sakyapa founders by the entrance, and an inner kora (nangkhor). Art specialists say the Khyenri-style murals show a marked Chinese influence, most noticeable in the cloud and landscape motifs. Bring a powerful torch (flashlight).
The chapel to the right of the assembly hall has particularly fine images of the Past, Present and Future Buddhas. To the left of the main hall is a protector chapel with mandalas made of coloured string and a collection of exquisite offering cakes made of yak butter, tsampa and flour.
The upper floor has more lovely old murals, including some showing the original monastery layout. On either side of the roof is the Kyedhor Lhakhang, which has fine protector murals and statues in yabyum (Tantric sexual union) pose, and the Kangyur Lhakhang.
As you walk clockwise around the main monastery building, look for the shedra on the northern side. The monks practise debating here at around 6pm.
Shedruling MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(夏珠林寺, Xiàzhūlín Sì) F
The impressive 600-year-old Shedruling Monastery rises from the main road like a miniature Potala, and is home to 31 monks. The monastery is less impressive close up, but the views over the valley are fine in the afternoon light. Just below the monastery are the ruins of Gongkar Dzong, which was bombed by the Chinese military in 1959.
The monastery is around 13km west of Gongkar airport and 3km west of Gongkar Chöde Monastery. A road leads right up to the monastery gates.
8Information
At the time of research no hotels near the airport were allowed to accept foreigners. You might get special permission from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) office by the main crossroads, but it’s easiest to simply drive from Lhasa.
Bank of China (中国银行, Zhōngguó Yínháng; h9.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun) This bank is located 300m south of the airport; it changes cash and travellers cheques into yuán and has a 24-hour ATM. Illogically for an international airport bank, though, it cannot change yuán back into foreign currency.
8Getting There & Away
From the centre of Lhasa to Gongkar airport it’s usually one hour by car, slightly more to the monasteries or county town. Continuing along the old road through the south of the valley it’s about a one-hour drive to Dratang, 1½ hours to the turn-off for Mindroling and 2½ hours to Tsetang.
Airport buses run frequently between the office of the Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) in Lhasa and Gongkar airport (¥30). Return buses to Lhasa are timed to coincide with the arrival of flights. Taxis to Lhasa cost ¥300 when arranged through a travel agency, ¥200 if organised independently.