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TIBET
ATTRACTIONS
The Tibetan plateau is one of the
most isolated regions in the world, bound to the south by the 2500
km long Himalaya, to the west by the Karakoram and to the north by
the Kunlun and Altyn Tagh ranges. Four of the world's 10 highest
mountains straddle its southern border. The north-west in particular
is bounded by the most remote and least explored wilderness left on
earth, outside of the polar regions. With an average altitude of
4000 m and large swathes of the country well above 5000m, the
Tibetan plateau (nearly the size of western Europe) deserves the
title "the Roof of the World".
Shangri-la, the Land of Snows, the
Roof of the World - for centuries, the mysterious Buddhist
kingdom of Tibet, locked away in its mountain fastness of the
Himalaya, has exercised a unique hold on the imagination of the
west. The Jesuits, hearing rumors of Tibet in far away Goa, believed
it to harbor a long-lost community of Christians, the Land of
Prester John. For adventurers and traders it was a land of treasure
and riches. Those on a spiritual quest whispered of a lost land
steeped in magic and mystery.
But as Tibetans woke to the sound of foreign travelers prying at the
closed doors of their kingdom, they slipped the lock and threw away
the keys. Lhasa, the ultimate prize for countless proselytizers,
adventurers and dreamers, became the:" Forbidden City". When
the doors finally were flung open in the mid-1980s, Tibet was no
longer the hidden hermit kingdom that had so intoxicated early
western travelers. Tibet is without doubt one of the most remarkable
places to visit in Asia. It offers fabulous monastery sights,
breathtaking high-altitude treks, stunning views of the world's
highest mountains and one of the most likable peoples you will ever
meet.
Lhasa, the heart and
soul of Tibet, is a city of wonders, despite the large-scale
encroachments of Chinese influence. As you enter the Kyi Chu valley,
your first hint that Lhasa is close at hand is the sight of the
Potala. It is a sight that has heralded the marvels of the holy city
to travelers for close to four centuries.
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Jokhang Temple
It is the most revered religious
structure in Tibet. Although little remains of its 7th century
origins and most of the sculptures that adorn its interior postdate
the Cultural Revolution, the Jokhang bustling with worshippers and
redolent with mystery, is an unrivalled Tibetan experience. Princess
Wencheng is said to have chosen the site of the Jokhang, and just to
be difficult she chose Lake Wothang. Over the centuries, the Jokhang
has undergone many renovations, but the basic layout is ancient and
differs from many other Tibetan religious structures-one crucial
difference is the east-west orientation of the building, said to
face towards Nepal to honor Queen Bhrikuti |
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Norbulingka
- The Summer Palace
The Summer
Palace of the Dalai Lamas. This place is well worth a visit and the
park is a great place to be at festival times and public holidays.
During the 7th lunar month of every year the Norbulingka is crowded
with picnickers for the Shotun festival.Traditional Tibetan opera
performances are also held at this time. |
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Potala
The Potala is
Lhasa's cardinal landmark and a structure that deserves a place as
one of the wonders of eastern architecture. It looks best from a
distance and it can be viewed and photographed from various places
around town. The Potala is a structure of massive proportions, an
awe-inspiring place to explore. Unlike the Jokhang, which hums with
activity, the Potala lies dormant like a huge museum. Your first
sight of the Potala will be a magical moment that you will remember
for a long time. It's hard to take your eyes off the place. |
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Samye Monastery
Samye, in the
middle of the sandy Samye valley and approached via a beautiful
river crossing, is deservedly the most popular destination for
tourists and has a magic about it that makes many travellers stay
longer than they had intended. The monastery is Tibet's very first
monastery and has a history that spans over 1200 years. It was
founded in the reign of 83km King Trisong Detsen, though the exactr
date is unknown and subject to some debate-probably between 765 and
780. Whatever the case, Samye represents the Tibetan state's first
efforts efforts to allow the Buddhist faith to set down roots in the
country.
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Gyantse Dzong
The 14th century Gyantse Dzong is
worth the stiff 20 minute climb to its upper limits, though more for
the amazing views of Gyantse, the monastery compound at the end of
town and the surrounding Nyang Chu valley, than for what is left of
the dzong itself.
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Tashilhunpo
Monastery
Tashilhunpo is
associated with the Gelugpa order and is one of the six great
Gelugpa institutions along with Drepung, Sera and Ganden in Lhasa
and Kumbum and Labrang in Amdo. It is probably the largest
functioning monastic institution in contemporary Tibet and is an
impressive place to explore. The monastery was founded in 1447 by a
disciple of Tsongkhapa, Genden Drup. Genden Drup was retroactively
named the first Dalai Lama and he is enshrined in Tashilhunpo.
Despite its association with the first Dalai Lama, Tashilhunpo was
initially isolated from the mainstream of Gelugpa affairs, which
were centered in the Lhasa region. The monastery's standing
rocketed, however, when the fifth Dalai Lama declared his
teacher-then abbot of Tashilhunpo-to be a manifeststion of Amitabha.
Thus Tashilhunpo became the seat of an important lineage line: the
Panchen Lamas. The title Panchen means "great scholar" and was the
title traditionally bestowed on abbots of Tashihunpo. But with the
establishment of the Panchen Lama lineage of spiritual and temporal
leaders-second only to the Dalai Lamas themselves- the specter of
possible rivalry was introduced into the Gelugpa order. Naturally it
did not take long to emerge. The next Panchen Lama was declared
ruler of Tsang and Western Tibet by the Qing Dynasty in China.
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Nam Co Lake
Held scared
by the Tibetan people, Lake Nam Co is located in Nagqu, 70 by 30
kilometers in area, and 4,718 meters above sea level. The lake is
the second largest salt lake in China. In the lake there are 3
islands, which is an ideal habitat for all kinds of aquatic life.
One of the islands is made of calcareous sandstone. It is
characterized by the stone pillars, natural stone bridges and the
stalactite caves. The beaches of the lake are a beautiful natural
pasture. The natural pastureland around the lake offers ideal
wildlife sanctuary. Wild animals, such as yaks and bharals, can
often be found in this area. Lake Namco is like a crystal gem inlaid
on the vast Qiangtang Plain. The beautiful scenery and mysterious
tales draw countless visitors and pilgrimages. |
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Diqing
a wonderful place depicted in
Hilton’s novel “The Lost Horizon”, was discovered to be the original
“Shangri-La”recently. Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is
situated in the northwest of Yunnan Province, with Tibet to its west
and Sichuan to its east. With an area of 23,870 square kilometers,
this highest land in Yunnan takes pride in the following tourist
attractions: Meili Snow-capped Mountain, Beimang Snow-capped
Mountain , Tiger Leaping Gorge, Napa Lake, Baishui Terrace,
Songzanlin Monastery, Dongzhulin Monastery, etc. |
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Song Zanling
Monastery
his Large Yellow Hat (Gelupa)
Tibetan monastery has returned from the ashes and destruction that
swept southeastern Tibet in the late 1950s and 1960s . Song Zanling
was founded in the 17th century during the reign of the Great Fifth
Dalai Lama , when the yellow Hat school came to full ascendancy in
Tibet . it lies a few kilometers beyond the north end of town and
welcomes visitors who behave respectfully. The monastery once had as
many as 1200 monks before , and now claims many hundreds , though
most of these stay at home and work with their families , only
coming together as a single body on area festival occasions . In
1980 the second delegation sent by the Dalai Lama to investigate
conditions in Tibet stayed in Zhongdian , and since then there has
been steady reconstruction at this sacred site.
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Meili Snow Mountain
The Meili Snow Mountain in the east
suburb of Diqing County is known for its main peak, the Kagebo,
which at an elevation of 6,470 metres above sea level is the tallest
in Yunnan. It is extolled as the “most beautiful mountain in the
world”. The Kagebo Peak is surrounded 13 lesser peaks, and at its
foot lies a modern monsoon maritime glacier, a geographical rarity,
given its low latitude and high altitude and high altitude. On the
southern side of the main peak, a waterfall-known as “a deluge of
rain and god-mandated cascade” among the local people-tumbles down
from a breath-taking height of 1,000 metres. Despite the fact that
man has long conquered Mount Qomolangma, the top of the Kagebo Peak,
protected by perpendicular cliffs and foul climate, is yet to be
visited by a human soul. |
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Tsetang
Tsetang is the
capital of the Shannan Prefrecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Shannan is located between 9014'E-9422'E and 2708"N-2947"N, at the
lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River south of the Kangdese
Mountains-called the Nyainqentanglha Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet
Plateau. It is bounded by the capital city Lhasa to the north,
Xigaze to the west, Nyingchi to the east and India and Bhutan to the
south. With an area of 73,500 square kilometers, Shannan occupies
one-fifteenth of the total area of the Tibet Autonomous Region. With
a boundary line of more than 600 kilometers, it has great strategic
importance and serves as China's southwestern border area. |
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Grand Canyon at the
Yarlung Tsangpo River
Yarlung Tsangpo River,
originating from a glacier on the north Himalayas, is the highest
river on the earth with an average altitude of more than 4,000
meters. Tibetan called it be "Heaven River". The river is the
largest river in Tibet and the sixth longest in China running
through India and into Bangladesh. It makes a very sharp turn when
it meets snow capped Mt. Namcha Barwa, which soars 7,782 meters
(25,525 feet) up to the sky and stays in clouds. The turn is so
sharp that a great canyon larger and more spectacular than the Grand
Canyon of Colorado River forms. This newly discovered world's
largest canyon lies at the junction area of Himalayas, Hengduan
Range and Mt. Nyainqentanglha.
Unlike other dry regions of the Tibet Plateau, the Great Canyon is
the major path of wet wind which flows from India plain through the
Himalayas enter the Tibet Plateau. Nature built a fantastic "Garden
of Eden" on the World's Roof here. It's wet, green, it's a heaven of
plants and animals, with a perfect undisturbed ecosystem.
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Information Provided by
China International
Travel Service Sichuan
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