Tibet

DREPUNG MONASTERY :- Situated to the west of Lhasa city it was founded in 1416 by one of the disciples of Tsong Khapa. It was the largest and richest of the three major yellow sect Monasteries in Lhasa.

GUTSUO :- (14,200 ft.) is a military base camp situated at the start of the plateau. After passing through the Thongla Pass (16,400 ft.) a most panoramic view of the northern face of the Himalayan range unfolds. The best view of Mt. Everest and its neighbouring peaks can be seen from the road at Gutsuo. Accommodation here would be in tented camps or at the barracks itself.

GYANTSE :- (13,050 ft.) is a small agricultural town famous for its wool carpets and the Palkhor Choide Chorten. Amongst the Lamasery and the fort, this unique structure buit in 1414 consists of five storeys representing the five steps to enlightnments, topped by thirteen rings which symbolise the stages of advancement toward Buddhahood. There are 108 halls inside, each with frescoes and Buddha Shrines, the frecoes showing a strong Indian influence. Beforee 1959 traders coming from Kalimpong and Gangtok (India) used to entre Tibet through Yadong and then to Gyantse, enroute to Lhasa.

JOKHANG TEMPLE :- Jokhant temple built in 647 A.D is the spiritual centre of Tibet and the holiest destination, Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims. It houses the sitting statue of Sakyamuni when he was 12 years old.Barkhor Bazzar is the oldest street of ancient Lhasa city, circling the Jokhang Temple.

LHASA :- (11,850 ft.) was, and still is the religious, cultural and economic centre of Tibet. Places of interest include the Potala, the 13 storey, 1000 room palace of the Dalai Lama; the monasteries of Drepung and sera, the summer palace of the Dalai Lama, Norbulingka; and the jokhang, the holiest shrine of tibet. the circular Barkhor Street with innumerale shops and wayside peddlers interminglewih the devotes.

LHAZE :- (13,100 ft.) is situated at the crossroads from where the roads turns westwards towards Mt. Kailash and Mansarovar Lake. During the short summer season, the whole valley is covered with green barley fields and bright-yellow mustard, and is a welcome change after the barren lands of the Tibetan Plateau. There is also a small, hot spring located a few kilometers away.

NAGARJE :- (14,300 ft.) is a settlement by the shores of Yamdrok Lake. This freshwater lake, unlike other Tibetan lakes, is sweet and non-saline, extending lakes, extending for 624 sq km, in the shape of the two pincers of a large scorpion. During summer, it is turquoise green in colour, but during winter it has a thick crust of ice over it. It is abundant in fish and migratory birds can be seen in its vicinity. At a mountain pass at of 16,000 ft, enroute Nagarje one can see, even in summer, the holy pin-pointed glacier.

NYALAMO :- (12,200 ft.) known as `Kuti' to Nepalese traders, used to be an important trade post tucked into a fertile valley. Now a days, barrack style Chinese communes surround the typical old flat roofed mud-brick houses. Although vegetation is sparse, one can see an abundance of alpine fauna on the hillside during the summer months.

POTALA PALACE :- Potala palace, located on the Red Hill, was built in 640 AD during the reign of Songtan Gampo. The original potala was destroyed in the 9th century but was rebuilt in the 17th century, during the regin of the 5th Dalai Lama.

SERA MONASTERY :- Sera means Hailstone in Tibetan. set on the foot of the Wudu hill to the north of Lhasa city, Sera comprises of a great sutra chanting hall a college and 32 sections.

XEGAR :- (13,800 ft.) is a new Chinese commune bilt ata the foot of the ruins of Xegar Dzong, and is 7 kms from the main road. With a population of 3000, its importance lies in the fact that it is the centre of this large and remote country and also a base from where expeditions to Mt. everest and other peaks are launched. Presently accommdation is very spartan in rooms with mud-floors and dry latrines. However, there are plans to build a modest lodge in its vicinity within a year's time.

XIGATSE :- (12,600 ft.) is most famous for its Tashilhunpo Monastery - the seat of the Panchen Lama, who is regarded as the deincarnation of the Buddha of Endless Englightnment. Items of interest inside this monastery built in 1447 by the First DAlai Lama are: the relics of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Maitreya, and a mind-boggling collection of thanks, frescoes and statues. There is a bustling `free' market at the foot of the ruins of the Xigatse Fortress where one can buy local handicraft embedded with coral and turquoise, Tibetan Daggers, Chinese porcelain and yak butter.

ZHANGMU :- Zhangmu (7,000 ft.) better known by its Tibetan name, khasa, is a small settlement clinging to a hillside 10 km inland from the Friendship Bridge across the Bhotekosi. After the closure of the China/India border from Gangtok, Zhangmu has become the major trading post between Tibet and Nepal. The Climate is quite different from the hinterland. The hills around Zhangmu are heavily wooded with frozen "iciles" during the winter. It has a bank, a post office, a government store, and is presently undergoing a construction boom to meet the demands of trade and tourism.