OUTSIDE LHASA CITY : OUTSIDE LHASA CITY :
Ganden Monastery:
Located in Taktse County 70 Kms east of Lhasa City at an altitude of 4,300m, was founded
in 1409 by Tsongkapa, the founder of the Gelugpa Sect, it is the earliest of the Three
Great Monasteries of Tibet.
Shigatse - the Estate that fulfills one's wishes:
It is situated in the south-west of Tibet where Nyangchu River joins the Yarlunch Tsangpo
River. Shigatse is the second largest town in Tibet and it is the center of transportation
and the distributing center of agriculture and husbandry products of south eastern part of
Tibet. "Shigatse" in Tibetan means "the Estate that Fulfills one's
Wishes". Monasteries such as Tashilhunpo and Salu are its major historic attractions.
The Himalayas:
The mighty Himalayas, like a silver screen zigzags along Tibet's southern horizon. It
possesses eleven peaks over 8,000m above sea-level, among which five lie along the Sino -
Nepalese boundary line, namely, Mt. Qomolangma (Mt. Everest - 8,848m), the world's highest
peak, Mt. Lhotse (8,516m), the world's fourth highest peak, Mt. Makalu (8,463m), the fifth
highest, Mt. Cho Oyu (8,201m), the sixth highest and Mt. Shisha Pangma (8,012m), the 14th
highest. Some thirty peaks over 7,000m and many more are above 6,000m also in this same
Shigatse region.
The landscape at the northern side of the Himalayas is as attractive as it is in the
south. World's highest glaciers are found at the northern slope of the Himalayas which are
mysteriously in wait for man's exploration. A trip to the Himalayas would bring one a lots
of unforgettable memories!
Yamddok Yumtso - The Sacred Lake:
Yakddok Yumtso, one of the three largest lakes of Tibet, lies about a 100 km's distance to
the southwest of Lhasa. The surface of the lake, with its fathomless depth, covers some
600 sq. kms. To the interior of the lake ten or so hilly islands stand independently one
from the other which gives homes to flocks of wild ducks. Fish in the lake is plentiful
and tasty for diet.
Terrestrial Heat in Tibet:
Northern grassland called "Changthang" in Tibetan bear an extremely cold
climate. Eight or nine months a year, here , are freezing seasons, but boiling springs
with their cloudy vapors rising into the air are found here and there. Whatmore, hot
springs lying in pools and then flowing in rivulets produce more beauty to the land. The
terrestrial heat in Yangpachen, 87 kms to the northwest of Lhasa, covers some 40 kms in
area where one can see underground streams shooting up a hundred meters into the air and
can be seen from ten kms' distance.
Samye Monastery:
It is the first monastery ever built in Tibet. It was founded by the Tibetan King Trisiong
Detsen and belongs to the Nyingmapa and Sakyapa sects. The construction consists of three
styles, namely, the Han, the Tibetan and the Indian. It is said that the monastery was
destroyed by fire and was rebuilt three hundred years as the residence of the 6th Dalai
Lama.. Finally it was completed by Rating Rimpoche.
Sakya Monastery:
Located in Sakya County, the monastery stood in two parts on either side of Dongchu River.
This monastery is the center of the Sakyapa Sect (White Earth Order). The northern part of
the monastery was built in the year 1079 and the southern part founded in 1268 by a famous
abbot of Sakya named Pagpa who once had ruled the whole of Tibet under the Yuan Dynasty's
supervision. The monastery has great influence over the Tibetan history and cultural
development. The State Council of PRC has classified it the national level protected
monument. Owing to its valuable and voluminous amount of Buddhist sutras and cultural
remains, the monastery is often considered as the "Tunhuang the second".
The Karo Ruins:
Located at 12 kms' distance to the south of Chamdo town, with an altitude of 3,200m above
sea level, Karo ruins dating back to 4 or 5 thousand years in the history are discovered.
According to archaeology those ruins belong to the Neolithic Age. There are not only ruins
of house architecture, stone paved roads, stone built walls and cave dwellings, but also
many different kinds of chipped stone implements have been discovered. The discovery of
the Karo ruins provides new threads for study migration and exchange between peoples of
north-west and south-west in Neolithic Age.
Ruins of Guge Kingdom:
Situated in Tsada county of Ngari Prefecture, Guge Kingdom was originally built in the
10th century. According to historical records some 16th hereditary kings had dominated
this kingdom.
The extensive Guge Kingdom ruins are found on a hillside about 300m in height. The ruins
cover an area of 180,000 sq. m., and includes more than 300 chapels, 300 caves, 3 stupas
each about 10 m. in height and five magnificent temples and palaces. In the temples many
lively murals and clay sculptures can be still seen.
Tradduk Temple:
It is located in Nedobng County, established by King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century and
belongs to the Gelugpa Sect (Order of Excellence). The main building of this temple is the
Assembly Hall. The images enshrined here are all bronze and the corridors are of full of
murals.