TIBET HIGHLIGHTS

 Lhasa      Nagqu      Shannan      Gyangtse      Ngari      Shigatse      Chamdo     Nyingchi

Lhasa Area (3,658 m)
Potala Palace:
This architectural wonder is Lhasa's cardinal landmark it can be seen from all directions for miles around. Potala was set up in the seventh century AD during the reign of King Songtsen Gampo. It's located on the Red Hill, covers an area of 41 hectares.
Potala consists of the White and Red palaces with more than 1000 rooms. The white place was for secular use containing living quarters, offices, the seminary and the printing house. The red Palace's function was religious containing gold stupas, which were the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas, the monks' assembly hall, numerous chapels and shrines, and libraries for Buddhist Scriptures.

Jokhang Temple:
Jokhang is the spiritual center of Tibet, the Holy of Holies, the destination of millions of Tibetan pilgrims. Unlike the lofty Potala, the Jokhang has intimate, human proportions, bustling with worshippers and redolent with mystery. The outer courtyard and porch of the temple are usually filled with pilgrims making full-length prostration towards the holy sanctum. Its innermost shrine contains the oldest, most precious object in Tibet, the original gold stature of Sakyamuni, the historical Buddha, which Princess Wen Cheng brought from Changan 1300 years ago.

Barkhor Area:
Barkhor refers to Lhasa's pilgrimage circuit, a quadrangle of streets that surrounds the Jokhang and some of the old buildings adjoining it. It is an area unrivalled in Tibet for its fascinating combination of deep religiosity and push-and-shove market economics. Barkhor is both the spiritual heart of the holy city and the main commercial district for Tibetans.

Drepung Monastery:
Drepung lies 8 km west of Lhasa on a main road, then 3km north on a steep, unpaved road. Its name means Rice Heap after its jumble of white monastic, buildings piled up on the hillside. It used to be world's largest monastery with more than 10,000 monks, and now still Tibet's largest monastery. Every year in early August, Tibetans celebrate their major festival, Shoton, the Yogurt Festival. The most important event of this festival, Giant Buddha Show is held in Drepung Monastery.

Sera Monastery :
Sera, around 5km north of central Lhasa, is along with Drepung one of Lhasa's two great Gelugpa monasteries. Sera is famous for its "Buddhism Scriptures Debating", monks can be seen preparing for monastic exam by staging mock debates in the ritual way. Some sit cross-legged under the trees, while others run from group to group giving vigorous hand-claps to end a statement or make a point. Master and dignitaries sit on the raised tiers when a real exam takes place.

Norbulingka:
Norbulingka, meaning Jewel Park, was Dalai Lama's summer palace since the Seventh. Its light-hearted air makes it less demanding than most sights in Lhasa, the Norbulinka is well worth a visit at festival times and public holidays. On Shoton Festival, the park is crowded with picnickers, and traditional Tibetan opera performances are also held there.

Ganden Monastery:
The ruins of this great monastery lie about 45km east of Lhasa. Situated at 4500m in a bowl like an amphitheater, Ganden was the first Gelugpa monastery and has remained the main seat of this major Buddhist order ever since. It was founded by Tsongkhapa, the revered reformer of the Gelugpa order. Ganden would probably be the best choice for one monastery excursion outside of Lhasa, with its stupendous views of the surrounding Kyi Chu Valley.
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Naggu Area (4,500 m)
Mt. Kailash:
Mt. Kailash lies at the center of an area that is the key to the drainage system of the Tibetan plateau, and from which issues four of the great rivers of the Indian subcontinent, the Karnali, which feeds into the Ganges (south), the Indus (north), the Sutlej (west) and the Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo, east).
Mt Kailash, at 6714m, is not the mightiest of the mountains in the region but, with its hulking shape, like the handle of a millstone, according to Tibetans, and its year-long snow-capped peak, it stands apart from the pack. The mountain is known in Tibetan as Kang Rinpoche or "Precious Jewel of Snow". Kailash has long been an object of worship for four major religions. For Hindu, it is the domain of Shiva, the Destroyer and Transformer. To the Buddhist faithful, Kailash is the abode of Demchok, a wrathful manifestation of Sakyamuni thought to be an equivalent of Hinduism's Shiva. The Jains of India also revere the mountain as the site at which the first of their saints was emancipated. And in the ancient Bon religion of Tibet, Kailash was the sacred nine storeys Swastika Mountain, upon which the Bonpo founder Shenrab alighted from heaven.

Lake Manasarovar:
About 30km to the south of Mt. Kailash, Lake Manasarovar (4560m) or Maphamyumtso (Victorious Lake) in tibetan, is the most venerated of Tibet's many lakes, and one of the most beautiful. It was said that the waters of Manasarovar are "like pearls" and that to drink of them erases the "sins of a hundred lifetimes".

 Zanda And Tholing Monastery:
Tholing and neighboring Tsaparang are the ruined former capitals of the ancient Guge Kingdom of Western Tibet. Apart from the monasteries, chortens and palaces at Tholing and Tsaparang, the whole area is remarkable for its amazing eroded scenery, cut through by the Sutlej River on its way to the subcontinent. The monastic complex at Tholing was founded in early 11 century, was once Western Tibet's most important monastic complex.

Ruins Of The Guge Kingdom:
Guge Kingdom was established in 842, used to be very prosperous But it was suddenly destroyed in 1650, left almost no traces. Its mystical disappearance has long been a puzzle until today. The ruins are highly valued for Tibetan history, culture, arts and religion study.
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Shannan Area (3,500 m)
Samye:
Samye was Tibet's very first monastery and has a history that spans over 1,200 years. It is designed to represent the Buddhist universe and many of the buildings in the courtyard are cosmological symbols. The central building of Samye, its foremost feature, comprises a synthesis of architectural styles, the ground and first floors were originally Tibetan in style, the second floor was Chinese and the third floor Indian.

Yongbulakhang:
The castle of Yongbulakhang sprouting from a craggy ridge overlooking the patchwork fields of the Yarlung valley is reputed to be the oldest building in Tibet. The prominent tower is its most impressive feature. The best part of a visit is the walk up along the ridge above the building. There are fabulous views of Yongbulakhang and the Yarlung Valley, from a promontory topped with prayer flags.

Chim-puk Hermitage:
Chim-puk Hermitage is a warren of caves that was once a retreat for Guru Rinpoche and other high ranking lamas. Chim-puk Hermitage is to the north-east of Samye.

Trandruk Monastery:
Trandruk Monastery is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, a significant stop for Tibetan pilgrims. Dating back to the 7th century reign of Songtsen Gampo, it is one of the "Demoness Subduing" temples of Tibet. Trandruk Monastery is also famous for its "Pearl Tangka" which is the image of Compassion Buddha made up of almost 30,000 pearls, and many other jewelries.
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Gyangtse Area
Yamdroktso:
On the old road between Gyantse (4040m) and Lhasa, the dazzling Yamdroktso (4441m) can be seen from the summit of the Kamba-la pass (5030m). In clear weather, the lake is a fabulous shade of deep turquoise. Leaving Yamdroktso is as spectacular as arriving, since you have to cross the 5045m Karola, with its awesome roadside views of the Nojin Kangtsang Glacier.

The Kumbum & Palkhor Chode Monastery:
Kumbum is a spectacular stupa temple, whose name means "Place of 100 Thousand Images", was the centerpiece of Palkhor Chode Monastery, and the pride of Gyantse. The great pagoda is consisted of 9 tiers, over 32m, has more than 77 chapels, shrines and chortens, is the most stunning architectural wonder in Tibet. The Palkhor Chode Monastery occupies an important place in Tibetan Buddhism history because different Buddism sects, like Gelugpa, Sakyapa, were compatible in this monastery.
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Shigatse Area (3,836 m)
Tashilhunpo Monastery:
Tashilhunpo Monastery has long been Panchen Lama's seat, it's Shigatse's foremost attraction. This gorgeous monastery can be detected miles away with its gold tops reflecting the sunshine. Tashilhunpo holds the giant Future Buddha statue, biggest Buddha statue in the world. The statue is 26.2m high, 11.5m shoulder width, with numerous jewelry inlaid in the body, unbelievably imposing.

Sakya Monastery:
Sakya reached its heyday in the second half of the 13th century, when it was showered with gifts and privileges and given control over all Tibet by Kublai Khan, the Mongolia emperor of China. A separate sect of Tibetan Buddhism, named Sakyapa, also took from here. Sakye is reputed as the "Tibetan Dunhuang", for its great amount of Mongolian fineries, porcelain, statues, fresco, precious Tangkas and original Buddhism Scriptures.

 Mt. Everest:
The Tibetan name for Mt. Everest is "Mt. Quomolangma" which literally means "The Third Goddess". Towering 8848m in the middle section of the Himalayas in Tingri County, Shigatse, and Mt. Quomolangma teems with snow-capped peaks and glaciers. It has four peaks above 8,000 meters and 38 peaks above 7000 meter, thus is reputed as the Third Pole on the Earth. Glaciers of modern era are located at the foot of the mountains, deep caves and snaking ice rivers present a magnificent view around the Quomolangma.

Rongpuk Monastery:
Being the highest monasteries in the world, Rongpuk is know as the starting point for climbing expeditions up Mt. Everest. From Rongpuk Monastery, the true grandeur of Everest's sheer north face becomes apparent.
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Chamdo Area (3,240 m)
Qiangbalin Monastery:
Qiangbalin Monastery is similar with other major Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries, with the well-reserved statues, frescos and Tangkas. The monastery is famous for its religious dance named Guqing which is performed in every Tibetan New Year. Dancers perform in splendid costumes with gruesome masks, all movements in harmony. Such religious dance has high reputation on the whole Tibetan plateau.

Ranwu Lake:
Ranwu Lake is just by the Sichuan-Tibet road, surrounded by glaciers and snow mountains. Thawed snow makes the body, the water appears different colors in different seasons, from aquamarine to turquoise. By the lake are the verdant grassland and plants.
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 Nyingchi Area (3,000 m)
Basumco:
Basumco (4000m) means Water of Aquamarine, and it exactly is! Embraced by the snow-capped mountains and the primitive forest, decorated by a fine little island, Basumco is a fairyland of dream. This lake, together with the delicate temple on the island, is regarded sacred by the Red Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, attracts many pilgrims every year.
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            Information provided by Tibet Tourism Bureau Shanghai Office.