Shigatse – A Granary of Tibet

Shigatse is a famous cultural city with a history of more than 500 years. Some 3,800 meters above sea level, it has been a place in which Bainqen Erdini Lamas of various historical stages were authenticated. Later it has become a political and religious center in rear Tibet. To its south stands the world-known Mt. Everest peak. Around the city, there are the Sakya, Palkora, and Shalu Monasteries.

Tashilhunpo Monastery

At the foot of the Nyima Mountain on the outskirts oddha is kind, Shigatse, the monastery was built in 1447 under the supervision of the First Dalai Lama Gedun Xhuiba, one of the disciples of Zonggaba. It was expanded by the fourth, fifth, and Sixth Bainqen Lamas and has become the place of the reincarnation of the Bainqen Lamas. The monastery houses the 22.4 meter-high gilded bronze statue of Qiangba Buddha, the image of the Buddha is kind, generous, and vivid.

Transport: Tourists may go to the monastery from the city proper by tricycle (two Yuan/person)or on foot.
Admission: 45 Yuan/person [one who wants to take pictures in the hall will be charged an additional 80 Yuan].

Phalkor Monastery

Located at the western end of the Changge Range in Gyantse county. IT was built in 1414. Its 17 Drastang (colleges) belong to three sects of Sagya, Kadam, and Gelug and gather all religious sects. A salient feature of the monastery. Its main building is the Hall Coqen. By the monastery stands the resplendent Palkor Pagoda. The nine-story pagoda is 32.5 meters high and has 108 doors.

 

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Zhangmu

A small mountain town bordering Nepal is 2300 meters above sea level. Its houses are built along the mountain slope. Many Nepalese businessmen come here for business. The tourists to Nepal will have a short stay here. Some of them just join the one-day tours to Nepal. Now, this border has been closed since the April earthquake in 2015.

Shalu Monastery

Some 30 kilometers to the southeast of Xigaze, the monastery was built in 1000. It demonstrates a combination of the Tibet and Han architectural styles. It is famous for its sandalwood slips carved with Buddhist scripture and a jar for filling sacred water. It is said that for years the water does not decrease or deteriorate. The murals in the monastery are rich in contents and excellent in workmanship and are one of the rare fine arts in Tibet.

Transport: Tourists may go to the Shalu monastery by minibus, and a round trip costs about 100 yuan. Or tourists can take the minibus to Gyangze, get off the minibus by the roadside and walk three km to the monastery; and the one-way trip takes about 40 minutes. For the return trip, tourists should wait for a ride on the roadside to Xigaze.
Admission (for reference): 40 yuan/ person
Opening hours: 09:00- 16:00

Mt. Everest (Qomolangma) Nature Reserve

Located in bordering areas with Nepal in Tingri Country, it is 8,844 meters high, the highest mountain in the world. In the area of 5,000 square kilometers around the mountain, there are four peaks being more than 8,000 meters high and 38 peaks being more than 7,000 meters high. At the foot of Mt. Everest (Qomolangma) or 40 kilometers, away stands the Rongpu Monastery has become a camp of mountaineers from the northern slope to Mt. Qomolangma. On the northern slope of the peak, there are 217 glaciers with the Rongpu Glacier being the largest.

Transport: Tourists may get on a bus in Lhasa, and go along the China-Nepal Highway to the northern foot of Mt.Qomolangma, via Xigaze City, Gyangze, Lhasa, and Tingri Counties.

Admission (for reference): 180 yuan/person. Every automobile will pay 400 yuan the environmental pollution fee after entering the Mt. Qomolangma Scenic Zone, plus five yuan for a spare wheel.

 Travel tips

• The period from April to June is the golden season for mountaineering with the best weather.
• Before entering Mt. Qomolangma, tourists may apply for the frontier certificates in Lhasa or Lhaze county.
• Before climbing the high mountains, tourists, especially middle-aged and elderly people with chronic diseases, should take an overall physical examination, so as to avoid accidents.
• Everest (Qomolangma) has a high elevation. Before departure, tourists need to prepare enough oxygen bottles and warm clothes.

 

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Sakya Monastery

Being 160 kilometers west of Shigatse, the Sakya Monastery is composed of Southern and Northern Monasteries. The Northern monastery was built in 1079 and was damaged now while the southern Monastery in 1268. The southern monastery houses great amounts of cultural relics including the titles, seals, crowns, garments, and ornaments awarded by the Yuan imperial court to the local officials, the statues of  Buddha, ritual instruments, and porcelains from the song, Yuan and other later dynasties, and the precious mural of historical themes. Also, the monastery preserves great numbers of books such as the “Bakgyur,” “Bstanggyur”, Pattra-leaf scripture, and other Tibetan classics on astronomy, geography, history, medicines, and literature.

Transport: A bus goes from the Xigaze Bus Station to the Sakya Monastery every day. The bus leaves at about 08:oo for the monastery, 30 Yuan a person, and a five-hour drive. A bus goes from the Sakya Monastery to Xigaze every other day, 27 yuan a person for a one-way trip.
Admission (for reference): 45 Yuan/ person
Opening hours: 09:00, 12:00, 15:00-16:00

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