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Lhasa, the Tibetan Haven is a Must-See Destination

Tuesday, March 27th, 2012

The Beautiful Lhasa is a Traveler’s Delight

When one travels to China, one has the opportunity to visit some of its oldest cities, including Beijing and Shanghai, which effectively have cradled and nurtured the Chinese civilization. But there is another important city in the country which has nurtured the religion, the followers of which are spread across the globe. Lhasa City is the administrative capital of Tibet and it is taking shape as one of the most modern cities today. Despite its height and recent development, Lhasa has been a popular destination for tourists and Buddhist followers alike.

Important Places to Visit in Lhasa

Tibet is undoubtedly a crowning jewel in the crown of China. Almost all study abroad programs and summer programs for high school students try to incorporate Tibet in the travel itinerary. The reason lies in its cultural importance. Not only is Tibet the hub of Buddhism, but it is also a popular destination for all those who are interested in Buddhist studies. If not either of the above, students who are in the country to learn Chinese or on gap year programs can visit the province just to see its natural beauty.

Lhasa is a prefecture level Tibetan City that is also the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People’s Republic of China. The city is one of the highest cities in the world. Despite the location, it has almost all the amenities required by a visitor. Now Lhasa is easily accessible either by trains and flights.

Potala Palace

Among the important places to visit is the fortress of Potala. But what attracts the tourists and the devotees more is Mount Potala which is a mystical mountain. It is said that this is the residing place of Chenresigor or Avalokitesvara who is one of the Bodhisatvas. The site is serene and instills peace and hence is considered to be symbolic of the compassion of Buddhism. It is said that the place has the power to convert the strictest of non-believers, and there are stories about those who adopted Buddhism as their faith after visiting Mount Potala.

A good shot of the Potala Palace from its south square

Shooting Potala Palace from the Medicine King Hill

A Tibetan English speaking tour guide is introducing the history of Potala Palace.

Jokhang Temple

Another site to visit is Jokhang Temple which lies to the east of Lhasa City. It is one of the most revered temples in Tibet and a must-see place for every traveler.

Inside Jokhang Temple

Pray before Jokhang Temple

Sera Monastery

Sera Temple is not to missed. Located 3km north of downtown Lhasa, Sera Monastery is one of the three Gelukpa college monasteries in Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The Sera Monastery is mainly composed of the Great Assembly Hall and three colleges (Tratsang). Sera Monastery has three colleges (Tratsang), inluding Sera Me College (Tratsang), Sera Je College and Ngkapa Tratsang. The Sera Je College is the largest among three.

The exterior of Je College in Sera Monastery

Sitting there and chanting

Each monk has a bowl of barley congee

After eating congee, all the monks put on yellow hats

Drak Yerpa Monastery

Drak Yerpa Monastery should be also included on your Lhasa trip. Drak Yerpa Monastery is located about 40km northeast to the city center of Lhasa. There are two popular Tibetan verses in relation to Drak Yerpa. One verse says that “While Tibet’s holy place is in Lhasa, Lhasa’s holy place in Drak Yerpa”. Another verse goes like that “Visiting Lhasa without going to Drak Yerpa is just like making a new clothe without adding the collar”. These two verses pinpoint the importance of Drak Yerpa in the hearts of the common Tibetan pilgrims.

Drak Yerpa Monastery is a hermitage built on a hillside of the mountain at the altitude of 4885 meters. The hermitage is composed of many meditation caves. Some say there are now still 80 meditation left on the hillside. Some houses were built to accommodate the caves, hence cave temples. So actually Drak Yerpa is a cave monastery. Many buddhist statues in the house or the temple were caved from natural rocks.

A mountain of five coloured prayer flags at Drak Yerpa Monastery

A mountain of five coloured prayer flags

The mountain is teemed with hillside temples

Have a chat with a monk in one of the hillside temples

However, Tibet is changing. If one is interested in the cultural aspect of Tibet, an immediate China tour should be planned. Even though the old Tibetan town of Lhasa is quite different now, the “neo” Lhasa City has a small separate oriental part which is a stark reminder of the predevelopment era. As a tourist, one can stay in the finest guest houses and shop in the supermarkets there. When on China travel one must ensure that Lhasa is a part of the itinerary.

Tags: must see attractions in Lhasa, must see in Lhasa, must see places in Lhasa
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Nyalam, Nyalam Town, Nyalam County Shigatse

Wednesday, September 14th, 2011

Nyalam refers both to Nyalam Town （聂拉木镇） and Nyalam County （聂拉木县）. Nyalam Town is the seat of Nyalam County in Shigatse of Tibet. Nyalam County administrates two towns – Nyalam Town and Zhangmu Town as well as five Townships including Yalai (亚来), Suozuo (琐作), Nailong (乃龙), Menbu (门布) and Borong (波绒).

Nyalam County occupies an area of 8684．39 square km with a population of over 12,000. Among them, there are 5,000 Sherpa people. Nyalam County is located between the Himalayan Mountains and Laguigangri Mountains. Nyalam County is within the Qomalangma Natural Preseve Zone with two core zones – Xixiabangma Peak 8012 and Xuebugang core area. Nyalam County has one peak over 8,000 meters - Xixiabangma Peak 8012 and 8 peaks over 7,000 meters with stunning views. So Nyalam county is a wholesaler of high snow mountains.

Tingri – Nyalam Town 160km

We started for Zhangmu Fort from our Qomolamgma Hotel at Baiba Township of Tingri County at 5:00am. Today we had to reach Zhangmu Fort and see off my group which would enter Nepal through the Zhangmu Fort. I had learned that the 250km from Tingri to Zhangmu port would take us about 5 hours due to the national highway no.318 high mountains and deep gorge of the Matsang Tsangpo or Sun Kosi as it is known in Nepal.

The road between Tingri to Zhangmu Fort was one of the most magnificent sightseeing drive in our 7 day trip in Tibet, high snow mountains, deep valleys, blue sky and white clouds…

We passed by the Xixiabangma Peak 8012 bathing in the sunrise, the 14th higheast peak in the world.

We drove through Zhongla Pass at 5000m and entered the heartland of Nyalam County.

We drove through Zhongla Pass at 5000m and entered the heartland of Nyalam County

The spectacular view on the way to the Nyalam Town

Driving by a Tibetan village

Driving in an open valley under the white clouds

We stopped at the checkpoint at Nyalam Town. So please get ready for your Alien Travel Permit.

Nyalam Town – Zhangmu Town 30km

Nyalam Towm is situated in the valley at the altitude of 3500m. It is the seat of Nyalam County. We found some tourist group from India coming from Zhangmu and stayed overnight here in the town.

Nyalam Town

We drove from Nyalam Town at the sea level of 3500m down to Zhangmu town at 2300m. So in the short distance of 30km, we had to drive down over 1000m at the sea level. The 30km National Highway 318 driving took us one hour. The road was very steep and zigzag. The views of the mountains on both sides of the road are amazing, tall and ancient trees, water falls downpouring from the high mountains. It is a mesmerising road trip in our Tibet tour.

Driving from Nyalam Town to Zhangmu Fort

Zhangmu Town – Zhangmu Fort 10km

Actually the town of Zhangmu is built on the single zigzag street winding along a single mountain road. Viewed from a distance, the town looks like a fairly big mountain town.

The long, narrow and zigzag street is very busy and packed with street front houses, apartments, restaurants, stores, inns, hotels and trucks loading and downloading.

Zhangmu Fort

: Zhangmu Fort

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Zhangmu, Zhangmu Fort, Zhangmu Town – Zhangmu Town Tibet

Tuesday, September 13th, 2011

Plan your Tibet tour? If you want to visit Tibet from Nepal or visit Nepal from Tibet, Zhangmu Town, the Chinese border town between Tibet and Nepal, is the fort you must pass through. Zhangmu Town is under the administration of Nyalam County of Shigatse in Tibet. Zhangmu Town is situated along a single narrow zigzag mountain road at the sea level of 2300m. It is about 120km from Kathmandu Nepal, 736km from Lhasa and 30km from Nyalam Town.

Nyalam Town – Zhangmu Town 30km

We drove from Nyalam Towm at the altitude of 3500m down to Zhangmu town at 2300m. So in the short distance of 30km, we had to descend over 1000m at the sea level. The 30km National Highway 318 driving took us one hour. The road was very steep and zigzag. The views of the mountains on both sides of the road are amazing, tall and ancient trees, campher trees, water falls downpouring from the high mountains. It is an unforgetable road trip in our Tibet tour.

The zigzag road from Nyalam Town to Zhangmu Town

The road is very steep

Plentiful waterfalls on the mountains along the road

Zhangmu Town

Actually the town of Zhangmu is built on the single zigzag street winding along a single mountain road. Viewed from a distance, the town looks like a fairly big mountain town.

The long, narrow and zigzag street is very busy and packed with street front houses, apartments, restaurants, stores, inns, hotels and trucks loading and downloading.

We were all shocked by the crowded trucks, mainly from Nepal for transportation service loading and downloading, and waiting for the checkpoint or customs. The long queue makes the narrow street even much narrower.

We had a little worry about the traffic since our tour group would have to pass throug the port and enter Nepal before 6:00pm. Not soon our worry seemed unnecessary. All the drivers, taxis, trucks, tourist buses, vans, and cars have the tacit understanding on how to give way for the traffic at the highest efficiency without a traffic policeman!

The street is packed with trucks loading and downloading.

The street is packed with trucks loading and downloading

The downtown of Zhangmu Town

Zhangmu Town is built on a single street along a zigzga road.

Some local people are waiting in fornt of Zhangmu Hotel for money exchange business.

This is a mountain town like Zhangmu seen from a distance.

This is a mountain town like Zhangmu seen from a distance

Zhangmu Town – Zhangmu Fort 10km

Now we left the downtown of Zhangmu Town and continued to drive from Zhangmu Town to Zhangmu Fort. The 10km road was a drive test for our driver who also came here for fist time. The Nepalese trucks lined up by the side the road, making the narrow road a single way! Again most of the drivers here had the skill and patience to move the traffic.

Zhangmu Fort was very busy and teemed with all kinds of people, tourists, businessmen, vendors and Currency exchange scalpers. Nepal is just a bridge away across the friendship bridge. We could clearly see the houses on the mountain side oppsoite us.

We drove on the “single way” road down to the Zhangmu Fort.