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Western ( Ngari) མངའ་ ས་

Why Go? Ali ...... 173 Vast, thinly populated and with an average altitude of Mt Kailash ...... 175 over 4500m, Ngari is Tibet’s wild west, a rough and ready frontier occupying one of the remotest corners of Asia. For Manasarovar . . . 178 most travellers the main attractions of what is likely to be Tirthapuri Hot Springs a three-week overland trip are the almost legendary des- & ...... 179 tinations of Mt Kailash and . Indeed, Kingdom ...... 180 many of the pilgrims on this road have been planning a Dungkar & Piyang . . .185 visit all their lives. For those less fussed by the spiritual Rutok ...... 186 signifi cance of Mt Kailash, getting to one of the most iso- lated and beautiful corners of high Asia is likely to be an attraction in itself. Until recently only the hardiest of travellers made it to Best Views western Tibet, but freshly paved roads and a new airport means that the region is on the verge of embracing mass » Humla Karnali Valley Chinese tourism. from Shepeling (Simbaling) Monastery (p188 ) » Tagyel-tso, or anywhere along the northern route (p 170 ) » Mt Kailash floating over the waters of Rakshas Tal When to Go (p 178 ) May to June and mid-September to early October are the best times to head to Ngari, though June and July see Best Places off huge convoys of Indian pilgrims booking out entire hotels the Beaten Track on their way to Mt Kailash. April to October is best for the Drölma-la pass on the Kailash kora, as it’s normally » Gossul Monastery (p179 ) blocked with snow during other months. » Ruins of Shangshung The festival of Saga Dawa in May/June is a particularly in the Khyunglung Valley popular time to visit Mt Kailash, and hundreds of pilgrims (p 181 ) and tourists descend on the mountain. Some fi nd the pil- grim atmosphere a highlight; others fi nd the large num- » Old Rutok (p186 ) bers of trekking groups off -putting. Pangong-tso Dormar 164 I N D I A RutokὈὈὈὈὈ Rutok Xian Lurulangkar Tsaphuk Rumudong ALI PREFECTURE Nganglong Jaggang Kangri ὈὈὈὈὈ(6596m) Chaktsakha Ali

Tashigang Sengge Tsangpo Peri-tso ()Gegye Tsaka Wenbu Dangsang Gar Kunsha Zouzou Drungba Sherma Airport Sher-tso Lalung-la ὄ (5330m) SPITI Namru Daman Piyang Gar River Zhungba Dungkar Zhigon Zanda 4938m Ba'er

WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) Checkpoint Yagra Manam R i Moincer Gunmidengli ve Mt Kailash Dawa r Gurugyam (6714m) Monastery Dongpo KINNAUR Kamet (7756m) Khyunglung G Barkha G Tirthapuri Rakshas Tal Checkpoint Hot Springs R Chiu Monastery Hor Qu a Mayum-la n Gurla-la (4715m) Lake (5220m) E Manasarovar g I N D I A Nanda Devi Toyo Gurla A (7817m) Purang Gung Checkpoint Mandata Gyu-tso Khojarnath (7728m) T Sher 219 Saipal UTTARANCHAL H (7050m) Simikot

Pithoragarh I M A G a L n N E P A L g Kanjiroba e s A (6883m)

R Y i v e Mahendranagar r A

Rampur R A N The external boundaries of on this map have not been authenticated and may not be correct

Western Tibet Highlights 1 Join fellow pilgrims looking 2 Hike the sandy shores 3 Camp on the shores of to erase the sins of a lifetime of holy Lake Manasarovar the spectacular otherworldly on the three-day trek around (p178 ), or just marvel at the of Tagyel-tso (p170 ), sacred Mt Kailash (p175 ) intensely turquoise waters Dawa-tso (p 171 ) and Peiku- and snowcapped-mountain tso (p168 ), as long as you are backdrop acclimatised C h a n g t a n g 165 N a t u r e P r e s e r v e ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ0 100 km 0 60 miles

Changtang ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈ(Northern Plateau)

Oma-chu Gertse Checkpoint Dung-tso N A G C H U ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈP R E F E C T U R E Northern Route Dzango 301 Tsangon Tagtse-tso Lhadrong Ngangla-

tso (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN ὈὈὈὈὈὈὈChendiloma Nor Gwa-la Dawa-tso (5250m) Ombu Darok-tso Tsochen Dangra-tso Lunggar Nor Chung-la (5090m) Ngangtse- Checkpoint Zhari tso Nam-tso

N

o

Tuoya r t

h

e r d n i Route s e Sangmo-la 6185m 206 (5570m) Paryang Southern R a n g e New PREFECTURE Tagyel-tso RouteZhongba King Tiger Zhongba Lazang Hot Springs

Raka Dargyeling Saga Ngamring Sangsang Yarlung Ngamring-tso Mustang Kaga Tsangpo Checkpoint Dhaulagiri Lulung i (8167m) k Peiku-tso a Hwy d Short Cut to an G G Zhangmu Shegar E Dzongka Gutso Annapurna Manaslu Siling (8162m) Tingri Friendship (8090m) La Lung-la To To Everest (4845m) Zhangmu (60km) Base Camp (60km)

4 Scramble through tunnels, 5 Spot herds of wild asses, caves and secret passageways antelope and gazelle in the as you explore the ancient untrammelled wilderness ruins and Kashmiri-infl uenced of the Changtang, Tibet’s art of Tsaparang (p 183 ), one Serengeti, along the northern of Asia’s unknown wonders route (p170 ) to Ali History Ironically, the evangelical zeal of the Je- 166 Most histories of Tibet begin with the kings suits led not only to their own demise but of the Yarlung Valley region and their uni- also to the demise of the kingdom they fi cation of central Tibet in the 7th century. sought to convert. , outraged by their But it is thought that the Shangshung (or king’s increasing enthusiasm for an alien ) kingdom of western Tibet creed, enlisted the support of Ladakhis in probably ruled the for sev- laying siege to Tsaparang. Within a month eral centuries before this. According to some the city fell, the king was overthrown and scholars, the Bön religion made its way into the Jesuits imprisoned. The Guge kingdom the rest of Tibet from here. The Shangshung never recovered. kingdom may also have served as a con- At this point, Ngari became so margin- duit for Tibet’s earliest contacts with Bud- alised as to almost disappear from the his- dhism. There is little material evidence of tory books – with one notable exception. In the Shangshung kingdom in modern Tibet, the late Victorian era, a handful of Western though the Khyunglung Valley, on the Sut- explorers began to take an interest in the lej River near Tirthapuri hot springs, marks legend of a holy mountain and a lake from the site of the old kingdom. which four of Asia’s mightiest rivers fl owed. The next regional power to emerge in The legend, which had percolated as far Ngari was the Guge kingdom in the 9th afi eld as Japan and Indonesia, was largely century. After the assassination of the anti- ridiculed by Western cartographers. How- WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) Buddhist king Langdharma, one of ever, in 1908 the Swedish explorer Sven the king’s sons, Namde Wosung, fl ed to the Hedin returned from a journey that proved west and established this kingdom at Tsa- there was indeed such a mountain and parang, west of Lake Manasarovar and Mt such a lake, and that the remote part of Ti- Kailash. The Guge kingdom, through its bet they occupied was in fact the source of contacts with nearby Ladakh and , the Karnali (the northernmost tributary of spearheaded a Buddhist revival on the Ti- the ), Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsang- betan plateau that at its peak fostered over po), Indus (Sengge Tsangpo) and Sutlej 100 monasteries, most of them now in ruins. (Langchen Tsangpo) Rivers. The mountain In the late 16th century, Jesuit mission- was Kailash and the lake, Manasarovar. aries based in the enclave of Goa took an interest in the remote kingdom of Guge, Permits mistaking it for the long-lost Christian Foreigners require a fi stful of permits: an civilisation of Prester John (a legendary Alien Travel Permit, military permit, Tibet Christian priest and king who was believed Tourism Bureau (TTB) permit, foreign af- to have ruled over a kingdom in the Far fairs permit… Your travel agency will or- East). The Jesuits fi nally reached Tsapa- ganise all of these for you but it will take rang over the Himalaya from India in 1624 a week minimum. You may need to stop after two failed attempts, but if their leader, in Shigatse to process your Alien Travel Father Antonio de Andrede, had expected Permit and may further need to get this to fi nd Christians waiting for him, he was endorsed in Darchen or Ali, depending on disappointed. Nevertheless, he did meet the direction of travel. This is particularly with surprising tolerance and respect for true if you wish to visit off -the-beaten-track the Christian faith. The Guge king agreed places like Gurugyam Monastery. As you to allow de Andrede to return and set up a travel through the region your guide will Jesuit mission the following year. The foun- need to register you with the Public Secu- dation stone of the fi rst Christian church in rity Bureau (PSB) in some towns (such as Tibet was laid by the king himself. Tsochen). Western Tibet is a politically sensitive area and is periodically closed to foreign- PUBLIC TRANSPORT ers, due either to political unrest on the Mt Kailash kora or military tension along At the time of research, foreigners the contested borders of , India and were not allowed to travel on public Pakistan. transport in Tibet. Basic information is included here in case the situation Itineraries changes. See p26 for an overview of itineraries from Lhasa to western Tibet. Most trips will WHAT TO BRING 167

Warm clothes are essential, even in summer. The sun is strong and days can be hot, especially in a 4WD, so do bring something light to wear. A sleeping bag is recom- mended to avoid grubby truck-stop bedding. Many of the villages, towns and hotels in western Tibet are dusty, dirty, depressing places so a tent gives you the fl exibility to camp out in some of the most glorious scenery on the planet. A tent is also useful (though not essential) if you are doing the Kailash kora. A face-mask can be useful to keep out the copious dust. Supplies are now easy to get in all the settlements of the west but consider bringing luxuries like instant porridge, muesli (with powdered milk), chocolate, cheese and de- hydrated foods from home. A snack supply gives you the fl exibility to stop for a picnic lunch somewhere beautiful (or when the car breaks down). The only places to change money in Ngari are banks in Ali and, less reliably, Purang – it’s much easier to change cash US dollars than travellers cheques. It’s best to bring as much cash as you expect to spend. There are ATMs in Ali and, less reliably, Zanda. take between two and three weeks. Add in pal to Purang on the Chinese border near a spare day for delays or breakdowns and Mt Kailash. This route is open only to tour (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN

fi gure in some time to rest and wash up or groups that trek in from Humla, which is a you’ll gradually get too tired to fully enjoy restricted region. the trip. From Lhasa there are two approaches to Ngari: a southern route and a northern. Southern Route Both follow the same road west to Lha- The entire 500km section of road from tse and beyond to Raka. About 6km past Saga to Hor Qu was under reconstruction Raka the routes split, with the southern in 2010, qualifying the route as one of the route continuing west and the northern world’s largest construction sites. Once route heading north. The southern route road upgrading has been completed, driv- is the more popular one, largely because it ing times will be slashed and you’ll be able SOUTHERN ROUTE is the fastest way to Mt Kailash. Although to drive from Lhatse to Kailash in two days. there are no stellar attractions on the lon- Until then, expect bone-crunching chaos as ger northern route, the scenery is grander, drivers divert off -road every few kilometres traffi c lighter and wildlife richer than the in a confused attempt to fi nd the next road/ southern route. detour/bridge. It’s a serious grind. The The Xīnjiāng–Tibet Hwy is one of the good news is that bridges are now in place highest, remotest and most spectacular over all the major rivers, so getting stuck in roads in Asia. The route passes through the a river is just a fond memory from the past. remote and disputed Aksai Chin region; with the unpredictability of breakdowns, it LHATSE TO SAGA (306KM) can take several days or more to travel the This is a full day’s journey of about eight 1100km from Yecheng to Ali. The very few hours’ driving. Just past the Lhatse check- hardy adventurers who make this road do so point (6km after Lhatse itself), the road mostly in a rented 4WD, and it’s not cheap leaves the paved Friendship Hwy and bears as you’ll likely have to pay for the vehicle to northwest. The kilometre marker at the travel all the way from Lhasa to Yecheng start of this route is 2141. and back. Buses run every few days between Just a couple of kilometres after leaving Ali and Yecheng but foreigners are not of- the Friendship Hwy the road crosses the fi cially allowed on them. For a rundown of and then runs for an hour the route, see p 354. or so through alternating scenery: barren If you’re coming to/from canyons (that swell in the summer rains) via the Friendship Hwy, a shortcut to/from and green meadow land with scattered Ti- Saga (via beautiful Peiku-tso) will shave a betan villages on the edges. The photogenic full day’s travel off your trip. It is also pos- Lang-tso (Ox Lake), which you pass in the sible to enter Ngari on a four-day trek from fi rst hour, has been stocked by the Chinese Simikot in the Humla region of western Ne- for sport fi shing, a sore point with local simply unimpressive Sāngsāng Bīnguǎn 168 (桑桑宾馆; per bed Y30-40) off er rooms, buck- DANGERS & ets of cold water and a few hours of elec- ANNOYANCES tricity in the evenings. If you have time, you could visit the small -school If you’ve acclimatised for a few days Oserling nunnery, which overlooks the in Lhasa, the gradual rate of gain town from the northern end and is home to along the southern route to Kailash 36 nuns. shouldn’t pose any serious prob- The route passes through a succession of lems, though the jump from Lhatse wide alleys before following a gorge into the (3950m) to Raka (4925m) or Saga ravine of the Raka Tsangpo with its dark, (4610m) involves a potentially danger- craggy peaks. Emerging from this ravine ous jump in elevation. An overnight at the road skirts a lake and then crosses a (4280m) or Rongphu Monas- plain, which is prone to fl ood damage dur- tery (4900m) en route will help your ing July and August. The route then climbs body adjust. If you’re coming from to the 4925m Jye-la, before dropping down you should be particularly care- again and passing through the tiny settle- ful as you won’t be well acclimatised; ment of Raka (4925m, kilometre marker an overnight in Nyalam (3750m) and 1912), about 6km before the junction of the either old Tingri (4250m), Baber northern and southern routes, and 115km WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (4250m) or Lhatse is an excellent from Sangsang. idea. The rooms in the misspelt Lhato Hotal Teahoese (拉妥旅馆; Lātuǒ Lǚguǎn; dm Y30) Tibetans. (Tibetans don’t catch or eat fi sh are rustic but clean and have their own yak- because of the Buddhist prohibition on tak- dung stoves for heat. The hotel is the fi rst on ing life.) the right as you drive through the one-horse Past the lake the road climbs up to the village and is one of half a dozen identical Ngamring-la (4500m). At kilometre marker guesthouses all in a line. For surprisingly 2085, 60km from Lhatse, the road passes good Sichuanese food, try the Hóngchéng 洪城饭馆 across through the very small town of Kaga (Kajia), Fànguǎn ( ; mains Y20-25) next to , which often appears the road. Electricity is by generator only. Ngamring-tso brown because of the nearby mountains re- If you’re taking the northern route, this is fl ecting off its surface. A turn-off runs round pretty much the last accommodation for the east side of the lake to the larger settle- 240km, though you could camp at Tagyel- tso. Confusingly, many maps show Raka (or ment and army base of Ngamring (Angren), visible on the northeast side of the lake and Raga) right at the crossroads; in fact the about 6km off the main route. Ngamring turn-off is 6km away. has food and accommodation if you need it. If you are heading to Saga, it’s another Within 10km of passing Kaga, 70km west 60km. of Lhatse, you’ll leave behind the last trees for many days, and soon after you’ll also ZH ĀNGMÙ TO SAGA (280KM) The scenic short cut from Zhāngmù on leave behind the last agricultural fi elds. the Nepali border to Saga on the southern About 500m beyond kilometre marker route to Ngari saves 250km (at least a day 2060, prayer fl ags mark the start of a path of travel) and is used mostly by 4WD groups to the , which over- Drapsang Monastery visiting Ngari directly from Nepal. looks the road from a steep fairy-tale-like See p157 and p160 for more details on crag. The road then makes a zigzag ascent the fi rst part of this route. Past Nyalam the past photogenic nomads’ camps and their road climbs to the 4950m Tong-la and then fl ocks to the Bang-la (4720m), then down to the 4845m La Lung-la. Not long after, the a valley that time forgot, and up again to the short cut branches west off the Friendship 4800m Gor-la, before dropping down over Hwy (kilometre marker 5265-66; 113km one hour to Sangsang. from Zhāngmù), rounding some hills at the (4590m), 113km and three Sangsang entrance of a vast stony plain. Keep your hours west of Lhatse, is a small grubby town eyes peeled for ruins to the north. From of a few hundred souls. The impressively here to Saga it’s about 170km or four hours named but overpriced Symphonium Hotel of driving. (桑福宾馆; Sāngfú Bīnguǎn; r Y80-150), and the The fi rst village you see just north of ai) is the only decent hotel for hundreds the road, 24km from the junction, is Petse, of kilometres, with English-speaking recep- 169 huddled below a gompa and ruined hilltop tion staff and clean, carpeted rooms sporting dzong (fortress). Shortly afterwards at Sil- modern bathrooms, though it’s well over- ing (Seylong) village, travellers must pay priced. If it’s full try the affi liated and simi- Y65 per person and Y40 per car for entry lar Jiling Hotel at the other end of the street. to the western section of the Qomolangma The Moon Star Restaurant (dishes Y20-40; Nature Reserve. E) attached to the Saga Hotel serves decent To the south come views of sand dunes Chinese food, but the English menu is 60% and then massive Shishapangma (8012m), pricier than the Chinese version. known to the Nepalese as Gosainthan, Ā lǐ Zhāodàisuǒ (阿里招待所; tr per bed the world’s 14th-tallest peak and the only Y40) is a modern concrete guesthouse at 8000m-plus mountain planted completely the eastern tip of Gesang Lu, opposite the inside Tibet. The road provides access to the Saga Hotel. The beds are comfortable and mountain’s north base camp before skirting the location is central but the manager is the beautiful turquoise Peiku-tso (4590m), cranky at best. about an hour’s drive from Siling. This is There are several Tibetan compound- one of Tibet’s magical spots, and there’s fi ne style guesthouses on the road heading camping by the lakeshore, with stunning north from the T-junction, best of which views of snowcapped Shishapangma and is the cosy Bo Tie The Clan Hotel (Bodo WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN the Langtang range bordering Nepal to the Dronkhang; 博扎家族旅馆; Bózhá Jiāzú Lǚguǎn; south. If you do plan to camp, bring your dm Y30), with clean rooms, decent beds and own drinking water and be well acclima- clean squat toilets. It’s a 10-minute walk tised. Also try to fi nd a sheltered camp site from the centre. as winds whip up in the afternoon. Several buses a day run between Saga The bumpy route then enters a side gorge and Shigatse. before passing the turn-off to the scenic but off -limits Kyirong Valley and the border SAGA TO ZHONGBA (145KM) crossing with Nepal at Rasuwa (closed to There are several ruined monasteries along foreigners). Some 14km after the junction this stretch, including one just 1km out of look back for fi ne views over the plain. After Saga. Dargyeling Monastery, 42km from passing small, salty Drolung-tso you climb Saga (kilometre marker 1820) on the hill- SOUTHERN ROUTE to two passes at 4825m and 4760m and side and 1.5km off the main road, is the best then drop steeply down to the bridge across preserved and worth a visit for its fi ne views the Yarlung Tsangpo. From here it’s 3km to and unusual chörtens. Saga, where you join the southern route. From here, you cross a river and then pass the ruins of a large monastery, 12km SAGA ས་དགའ་ 萨嘎 from Dargyeling Monastery. The road then %0892 / ELEV 4610M climbs to a pass marked by hundreds of The sprawling truck-stop town of Saga is miniature chörtens, before dropping 23km the last of any size on the southern route to Zhongba. and your last chance to eat a lavish meal and enjoy 24-hour electricity. Most facilities ZHONGBA འ ང་པ 仲巴 are found on the central street, Gesang Lu, ‘Old Zhongba’ (4570m) is a tiny, dusty town at the intersection of the roads to Zhāngmù, on the main road with a couple of basic Lhatse and Mt Kailash. guesthouses, restaurants and a small mon- There’s a fast and friendly internet bar astery. (‘New Zhongba’, 22km northwest, is (心语网吧; Xīnyǔ Wǎngbā; per hr Y10; h24hr) at a modern Chinese military town with good the square by the south end of Gesang Lu, restaurants but little else to recommend it.) and hot showers at a couple of bathhouses Given the choice between overnighting here (淋浴; línyù; Y15-20; h10am-midnight) on the and Paryang, take Old Zhongba. main street. Cash-strapped optimists could The Sakayapa-school Dradun Gompa try the ATM at the Agricultural Bank by is worth the short stroll, especially for the the southern square. There are well-stocked remarkable –era news- supermarkets beside the Saga and Jiling papers still defacing religious murals in a hotels. side chapel of chörtens. The severed heads Saga Hotel (萨噶宾馆; Sàgá Bīnguǎn; %820 of goats and yaks dangle from a nearby 2888; Gesang Lu; d/tr Y420/360, discounts of 10%; roadside chörten. The rustic but friendly Yak Hotel Tsangpo to that of the Sutlej, as you cross 170 (%0892-890 9863; dm Y35) has cosy yak-dung from Shigatse to Ngari prefectures. A de- fi replaces and can provide basins of warm scent leads to the long Gung Gyu-tso, which water for washing. nomads consider poisoned, even though it drains into Lake Manasarovar. Your fi rst ZHONGBA TO PARYANG (101KM) magical views of Mt Kailash come into view At New Zhongba you can enjoy a tantalis- approximately 90km after the Mayum-la, ing few kilometres of tarmac (and a petrol just before the town of Hor Qu (4620m). A station) before the road deteriorates. A ticket offi ce here collects a Y200 regional photogenic section of sand dunes, lake and ‘entry fee’, when staff ed. mountains kicks in 60km from Zhongba. Hor Qu ( ར་ ས་; 霍尔; Huò’ěr) is another About 23km before Paryang you crest a expanding village with little to recommend 4780m pass and drop past more spectacu- it but the views. Hulking 7728m Gurla Man- lar dunes to Paryang. Photos taken along data is to the southwest, as is Lake Manasa- this route can often get steppe, streams, rovar, though the lake is a long hike away. desert dunes and snowcapped mountains Some trekkers walking the Lake Manasar- in the same shot. ovar kora (p 259) spend the night here but most groups should give it a miss and con- PARYANG པར་ཡངས་ 帕羊 tinue to Darchen or Chiu Monastery at Lake ELEV 4750M Manasarovar, both less than an hour’s drive WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) Guides have said that while many groups away. spend a night in Paryang (Pàyáng) on the From Hor Qu, it’s 22km to the crossroads way to Mt Kailash, none want to spend settlement and checkpoint of Barkha (巴嘎; the night here on the return. The reason is Bāgā), from where it’s 15km south to Chiu obvious: it looks more like a refugee camp Monastery, or 22km west to Darchen. than a village, with foot-deep dust choking a central junction that consists largely of oil-soaked truck-repair shops. Northern Route If you must pass a night here, the The northern route is the longer of the two in the Shishapangma Hotel (dm/d Y40/100) routes from Lhasa to Ngari but it’s arguably far west of town has modern rooms around

the more spectacular route, passing huge a large courtyard and is popular with In- salt lakes and valleys of seminomadic herd- dian pilgrims, though bed sheets can be ers, as well as marmots, blue sheep, wild grubby. The central 扎西旅 Tashi Hotel ( asses and antelope. Although it’s no free- 馆 is a smaller, sim- ; Zhāxī Lǚguǎn; dm Y30) way, the dirt road is well maintained and pler Tibetan-style place near a charming driving conditions are good. mani lhakhang (chapel with a large prayer The fi rst part, like the southern route, wheel). There are several other hotels in follows the road from Lhatse to the turn-off town but no running water. near Raka (see p167 ). From Raka, there is In the centre of the village, the yellow- almost no accommodation before Tsochen, signed 神湖藏餐 Meiyum Perse ( ; Shénhú 240km away. If you’re travelling this route is a cosy Tibetan- Zàngcān; dishes Y10-20) by 4WD, seriously consider camping at least style teahouse and restaurant, and there once or twice, as the towns are uniformly are also several Sichuanese restaurants. dismal. You need to be well acclimatised if PARYANG TO HOR QU (223KM) you intend to tackle this route before the The route is a pleasant four-hour drive rest of western Tibet as the road from Raka along the spine of the Himalaya, passing never really drops below 4500m and is of- through yellow steppe, with craggy, snow- ten above 5000m. capped peaks looming to the south when the weather is clear. KING TIGER HOT SPRINGS & There is a tricky section of sandy road TAGYEL-TSO  ག་ ལ་ ་ཚན་ 12km west of Paryang but all the major ELEV 5070M river crossings now have bridges. There’s Only 21km north of the Raka junction a checkpoint 103km from Paryang, where are the Tagyel Chutse, or King Tiger Hot you must show your passport and permits. Springs, a collection of gushing geysers, At the Mayum-la (5220m), the road cross- bubbling hot springs, puffi ng steam out- es from the drainage basin of the Yarlung lets and smoking holes that seem to lead straight down into the bowels of the earth. From here you’ll see a second larger col- A grazing brontosaurus would not seem out lection of prayer fl ags and mani stones about 171 of place in this smouldering, primeval land- 1km away on the plateau to the north; just scape. below here is the Mendong Monastery, a From the hot springs, the road skirts small but friendly place with 36 monks. The the western side of a beautiful lake, then atmospheric inner chapel of the main prayer through a wide valley, one of many stretch- hall holds the funeral chörten of local es of open plateau in Ngari where you can Sherab , plus his stone hand and see for tens of kilometres ahead of you. footprints. The monastery belongs to the From a 5235m pass, the route descends to a Kagyud school, so there are pictures of Mil- much larger lake, Tagyel-tso , the waters of arepa, Marpa and the here (as well which are a miraculous shade of the deep- as Chairman Mao!). The monastery is head- est blue imaginable and ringed with snowy ed by an 88-year-old lama who fl ed to India peaks. With luck you can spot gazelles, wild in 1959 and returned in 1984 to rebuild the asses and even the occasional wolf, hun- ruined monastery. grily eyeing the valley’s many fat marmots. One potential excursion from Tsochen is This is a great place to camp but only if to Zhari (Tsari) Nam-tso, a huge salt lake you’re prepared for the cold and especially 50km east of town towards the town of the altitude (around 5150m). If you’ve come Tseri (Tsitri). You will need to have this visit from a night or two at Everest Base Camp pre-arranged with your driver before leav- WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN you should be OK; from Lhatse this is too ing Lhasa or arrange extra payment for the big a jump in altitude to be considered safe. half-day trip. The PSB (公安局; Gōng’ānjú) maintains NORTH TO TSOCHEN a strong presence in town and at the time It’s about 240km from Raka to Tsochen or of writing all foreign travellers had to go to six hours of driving on good but unpaved the station to register. The station is about roads. For 25km the road runs along the halfway up the road on the left from the eastern side of Tagyel-tso before climbing start of town (coming from Lhasa). They’ll past herding camps to the 5570m Sangmo- be waiting for you. la. The end-of-the-world Drolma Teahouse The town has electricity between 7pm before the pass (5195m) off ers instant noo- and 1am. dles and a simple place to crash. Friendship Feria Hotel (友谊宾馆; Yǒuyì NORTHERN ROUTE A further 45km after the pass the road Bīnguǎn; %261 2308; d/tr/q without bathroom crests a smaller pass and leads down to Y120/150/200) is at the beginning of town two conjoined lakes, past a small salt mine. on the left, before the petrol station. Rooms Eventually you pop out into the wide sandy are clean and there’s plenty of hot and cold valley of the Yutra Tsangpo, where the road water in drums, with outside pit toilets. splits Mad Max–style into a dozen paral- Lhatse Dronkhang (家庭旅馆; Jiātíng lel tracks. About 230km from the turn-off , Lǚguǎn; %261 2561; s/d per bed Y80/50) Just a small monastery and large collection of 150m past the Feria, on the right, this prayer fl ags and mani stones sit on a ledge friendly Tibetan-run place has decent, above the road. Three kilometres later is a clean rooms on the 2nd fl oor. The walls are major checkpoint where your passport and wooden and so potentially noisy but there’s permit will be checked. The town of Tso- an inside toilet and showers are under chen is just ahead, 5km across the plains. construction. The main street is lined with Chinese TSOCHEN མ ་ ན་ 措勤 restaurants but don’t expect to fi nd an Eng- %0897 / ELEV 4680M lish menu. Opposite the Lhatse Dronkhang, Tsochen (Cuòqín), 235km from the north- the ern turn-off and 173km south of the north- Lhatse Tashi Restaurant (mains Y10-30) is owned by the same people and off ers cosy ern road proper, is probably the most inter- Tibetan seating and a good range of Chi- esting town on the northern route, full of nese and Tibetan dishes. There are several wild-haired nomads in town on a shopping supermarkets in town. trip. At the east end of the 2km-long town, walk through the Tibetan quarter to reach TSOCHEN TO GERTSE (257KM) a mass of mani stones, prayer poles and yak From Tsochen to the junction of the north- skulls that local pilgrims gravitate to daily ern road (S301) is a journey of about 180km; at dusk. Gertse is another 77km, making a total drive of around fi ve hours. If you plan to Xīnqìxiàng Zhāodàisuǒ (新气象招待所; 172 stay in Gertse, take your time as the route r Y120) has spacious rooms for one to four is far more interesting and scenic than the people, all at the same price, with shared town. squatties down the hall. It’s on the yak stat- About 43km north of Tsochen, the road ue roundabout and gets quite a lot of 4WD passes the 5090m Nor Chung-la (Small traffi c. Wild Yak Pass) before descending to the The Gaize Hotel (改则宾馆; Gǎizé Bīnguǎn; dramatic turquoise waters of Dawa-tso %265 2699; d Y120, d/tr per bed without bath- (4680m), another superb camping spot. For room Y50) is opposite the hospital west of the the next 60km the route passes from one roundabout. The cheapest rooms are poorly attractive valley to another, sometimes con- maintained and favoured by truck drivers. nected by the river and gorge, at other times The deluxe doubles have clean beds and by minor passes. bathrooms, though water comes in buckets The road crosses the scenic Nor Gwa- only. The hotel is also known as the Zhèngfǔ la (Wild Yak Head Pass), another pass of Zhāodàisuǒ (Government Hotel) and Lǔrén 5250m, 94km (about two-and-a-half hours Bīnguǎn. of driving) north of Tsochen. From the pass Grain Hotel (粮食局招待所; Liángshíjú the route descends to a bridge, 109km from Zhāodàisuǒ; Wenhua Lu; s/d/tr Y80/100/120) is Tsochen, and for the next 50km the road a decent place with clean rooms, a sunny runs alongside a dramatic range of 6000m- greenhouse-style corridor and helpful fl oor WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) plus glaciated mountains. The valley nar- ladies. rows towards its northern end before the There are numerous Chinese and Tibet- road suddenly pops out onto a wide plain an restaurants (dishes Y10 to Y35) along the to meet the northern road proper (linking main road. Amdo with Ali). It’s a long 15km drive in an arrow-straight GERTSE TO GEGYE (368KM) line towards Dung-tso, with its purple It’s a seven- to eight-hour drive from Gertse mountain backdrop and salt marsh fore- to Gegye, the next town of any size. The ini- ground that looks like whitecaps on the wa- tial landscape is a dreamy blur of lake and ter from a distance. Don’t approach too close sky, cut by salt rings and brooding moun- or you’ll get stuck in the boggy shoreline. tains of rust, mustard, turmeric and green From the junction it’s 90km (two hours) barley. The isolated bunkers that look like west to Gertse through a wide valley dot- tiny greenhouses are water wells. Oma- ted with sheep and prayer fl ags. There’s a chu (kilometre marker 982), a small village checkpoint 24km before Gertse. huddled beneath a rocky splinter, is 50km west of Gertse. Keep your eyes open for the round, tomblike buildings that are actually GERTSE  ར་ ་ 改则 %0897 / ELEV 4445M tsampa (roasted barley) storage bins. Gertse (Gǎizé) is the biggest town along The road passes some impressive peaks the northern route before Ali. The main to the south and then the village of Sherma, street (Luren Lu) begins from the yak statue squeezed between the two lakes of Rali-tso roundabout and runs from east to west and Loma Gyari-tso. After more peaks the about 1.5km. Dazhong Lu is the most inter- road drops down to large and photogenic esting street, lined with Tibetan teahouses Peri-tso and the nearby village of Wenbu and pool tables. Several shops sell colourful Dangsang, two hours from Gertse. It’s an- chubas (Tibetan cloaks) with fake sheep- other 50km past a stony plain and a huge skin lining. Budget some time to visit the salt lake that looks like it’s full of icebergs long wall of chörtens, mani stones, prayer to ramshackle Tsaka (擦咔; Cākā), a small fl ags and yak horns to the south of town. salt- and sheepskin-processing community. The central Hóngyùn Wǎngbā (鸿运网 The centre of town has Mínhé Fànguǎn, a 吧; Luren Lu; per hr Y5; h9am-2am) off ers in- good Muslim noodle place, and the decent ternet access. The Yángguāng Línyù (阳光 Fúpín Zhāodàisuǒ (扶贫招待所; %263 5018; 淋浴; showers Y10; h10am-10.30pm), opposite dm/r Y45/120), a two-storey Tibetan-style the Grain Hotel, is one of a couple of places guesthouse, around the corner. off ering hot showers. Check the characters From Tsaka one route continues west carefully on the doorway, as next door is a to meet the Ali–Kashgar road just north brothel…. None of the hotels in town have of Pangong-tso. The road to Ali branches running water. south and climbs a side valley to the 4895m Gya-la, then descends past yak-hair no- GEGYE TO ALI (112KM) mads’ tents to curve around salty Sher-tso Ali is just three hours from Gegye. At fi rst 173 (Bar-tso), before crawling to another pass the road follows the infant Indus River, (4855m) that has a large cave on one side. then at kilometre marker 1260 it crosses The road then descends to the pastures of the river, swings southwest and enters a Zhungba (Shungba; 雄巴; Xióngbā) via a marshland rich in bird life, including gold- Gobi-like stony desert. Zhungba is a dismal en ducks and large black-necked cranes. wool-trading centre for the nomads of the Many maps incorrectly show the main S301 region, 96km from the turn-off and with a road continuing northwest. few simple teahouses. The road then passes through a canyon At kilometre marker 1202, near Drung- landscape painted in swirling desert hues ba, the road enters a gorge and follows of butterscotch, caramel and popcorn, then the fl edgling Indus River to Gegye, 105km passes Zouzou village and a dramatic es- (two hours) from Zhungba. The Indus has carpment. At kilometre marker 1330 a lone its source in the northern fl anks of Kailash concrete factory suddenly appears out of and is known here as the Sengge (or Sen- nowhere. Ali then gradually emerges like gye) Tsangpo, or Lion River. It’s astonishing a desert mirage, gradually revealing paved to think that this little stream continues grids of department stores, karaoke bars through Ladakh and Pakistan, crossing the and taxis that come as quite a shock in world’s highest mountain ranges to become such a remote location. It’s a surreal experi- WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN one of the great rivers of Asia. ence to glide smoothly into town after fi ve SLEEPING or six days bouncing around the northern G E G Y E ད ་ ས་ 革吉 plateau. %0897 / ELEV 4520M The mildly interesting little town of Ge- gye (Géjí), nestled below a ridge, is a logi- 阿里 狮泉河 cal overnight point, though there’s little Ali ཨ་ ་ / to actually do except drink beer and play %0897 / ELEV 4280M pool with the local nomads. The two main Ali (Ālǐ), also known as Shīquánhé (Lion streets (Hebei Lu and Yanhu Lu) join at a Spring River) in Chinese and Sengge T-junction by the Shuǐlì Bīnguǎn. Hebei Lu Khabab (Town of the Lion) in Tibetan, is the capital of the Ngari (Ali) prefecture. has several good supermarkets and internet SLEEPING ALI access at the 光纤网 There’s nothing much to see, but it is a good Guāngxiān Wǎngsù ( place to clean up, have some decent food, 速; 33 Hebei Lu; h9am-midnight; per hr Y5). The Yángguāng Zhāodàisuǒ guesthouse across top up supplies and check your email before the road off ers hot showers (Y15). heading off to the real attractions of west- This 2nd-fl oor 水利宾馆 ern Tibet. Shuǐlì Bīnguǎn ( ; Ali is thoroughly Chinese. There are %263 2146; cnr Yanhu Lu & Hebei Lu; r Y100) is easily the best choice in town. Rooms are plenty of Tibetans wandering the streets clean and comfortable with TVs and DVD but, like you, they are probably visitors from players, the shared indoor squat toilets are further afi eld. The town is expanding rap- simple but clean and there’s even some run- idly, especially to the south of the river, and ning water. there’s a big army presence. The opening of The government guesthouse the Kūnshā airport 50km from town in 2010 Géjí will only boost the city’s growth. Bīnguǎn (革吉宾馆; s/d Y100/120) is in a ter- minal state of decline. The carpeted rooms For views of the town, climb up to the are OK but the bathrooms are locked, so you -topped hill to the north of town. have to use the absolutely shocking outdoor Don’t take pictures of the army compound 八一 latrines. The hotel is unsigned inside a com- to the west (recognisable by the huge ‘ ’ pound with a white tiled arch. army symbol painted on the hillside above). Yanhu Lu boasts the excellent Kange , a very 4 Sleeping Nyima Tsangkhang (mains Y14-30) Your sleeping options are limited in Ali as pleasant Tibetan restaurant with a good many hotels are off -limits to foreigners. The range of Tibetan dishes and a recommend- better hotels fi ll up quickly. ed shemdre (meat and curried potatoes with rice). Next door is a glass-fronted Ui- Shénhú Bīnguǎn HOTEL $ ghur restaurant that off ers Xīnjiāng-style ( 神湖宾馆; %136 3897 7982; Don- noodles and kebabs. glu; s/d Y140/150, s/d without bathroom Y50/80) e# 0400m Ali 00.2miles 174 A B C D #ÿ3 1 #ÿ 1 To Rutok 1 ‚(132km) 8 Viewpoint #þ onglu #ö 4

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î# (200m) WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) Bi ‚ nheNa To Guge Dynasty r nlu 3 To Kunsha 6 Bin Hotel & Airline 3 #ú he N Airport anlu Ticket Office (500m);

(50km); Indus Rive Xiàngxióng

Mt Kailash Dàjiǔdiàn (600m) (330km) ‚ ‚ A B C D

Ali main building (avoid the back courtyard rooms) but chaotic management when we æ Top Sights visited. You access the rooms through a Viewpoint...... B1 ground-fl oor department store.

ÿ Sleeping Ali Hotel HOTEL $$ 1 Ali Hotel ...... D1 ( 狮泉河饭店; Shīquánhé Fàndiàn; %280 0004; 2 Heng Yuan Guesthouse ...... B2 17 Shiquanhe Donglu; d Y260, d/tr without bath- 3 Shénhú Bīnguǎn...... D1 room Y120/130) This charmless two-star government hotel off ers exhausted Western- ú Eating style rooms with broken fi xtures and small 4 Baiyi Supermarket...... C1 bathrooms, and very spartan rooms with- 5 Chinese Restaurants...... B2 out. There’s hot water in the evenings and 6 Effendi Ashkhana...... B3 mornings only. 7 Uighur Ashkhana...... B2 Xiàngxióng Dàjiǔdiàn HOTEL $$$ þ Shopping ( 象雄大酒店; %283 0888; www.xiangxiong 8 Fruit & Vegetable Market...... C1 hotel.com, in Chinese; Binhe Nanlu; d Y488; a) 9 Supermarket...... B2 Currently the best hotel in town, in the southeast suburbs, shortly to be eclipsed by the next-door Guge Dynasty Hotel. Owned by the Yak Hotel in Lhasa, this place is a good fi rst choice. The cheaper rooms 5 Eating have communal squat toilets but no show- Ali has numerous Chinese restaurants ers. Rooms are arranged around an inner south and west of the main junction and, atrium. given the town’s remote location, they are surprisingly good value for money. There Heng Yuan Guesthouse HOTEL $$ are also a few Tibetan places around (don’t 恒远宾馆 % ( ; Héngyuǎn Bīnguǎn; 282 8288; cnr expect English menus). For supplies try the Beijing Nanlu & Shiquanhe Donglu; s/d Y120/140, Baiyi Supermarket on Shiguanhe Donglu or A popular place tr without bathroom Y150) the supermarket next to Hengyuan Guest- with 4WD tours, it has decent rooms in the house. For fresh produce try the fruit and in Xīnjiāng and there are also daily services vegetable market on Shiquanhe Donglu. to Rutok Xian, Zanda, Darchen/Purang and 175 Gertse. Passenger 4WDs also run to Lhasa for Uighur Ashkhana UIGHUR $ Y300/500/800 for a back/middle/front row seat. (Beijing Beilu; noodles Y12) For a taste of Cen- tral Asia head to this popular Uighur res- Getting Around taurant (ashkhana in Turkic), 100m from 8 the main roundabout. Fresh nan bread, a Fleets of taxis are part of the mirage-in-the-desert bowl of suoman (fried noodle squares) and shock of arriving in Ali (We wonder how they got a couple of kebabs makes for a great meal. there…?). Within the city limits there’s a standard taxi fare of Y5, but the centre of town is actually The barbecue grill and smell of mutton is a compact enough that you can walk anywhere. sign that you’re close.

Effendi Ashkhana UIGHUR $$ (Beijing Nanlu; dishes Y15-100) For something Mt Kailash a bit fancier, this great 1001 Nights–style 冈仁波齐峰 restaurant feels lifted from Istanbul. The གངས་ ན་ ་ ་ pilov (pilau rice) and kebabs are great but Going to western Tibet and not completing the best dish is the dàpánjī (大盘鸡), a a kora around Mt Kailash (Kang Rinpoche, chicken, potato and noodles extravaganza or Precious Jewel of Snow, in Tibetan) would big enough for three people. be like visiting a great capital and stopping

short outside its most famous treasure. Mt (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN Kailash dominates the region with the sheer 8 8 Information awesomeness of its four-sided summit, just Electricity is on and off in Ali, shifting every 12 as it dominates the mythology of a billion hours between diff erent districts like a nomad. people. Agricultural Bank of China (中国农业银行; The mountain has been a lodestone to Zhōngguó Nóngyè Yínháng; Shiquanhe Xilu; pilgrims and adventurous travellers for h10am-7pm Mon-Fri) Near the army post, west centuries but until recently very few had of the roundabout. Will change cash US dol- set their eyes on it. With road conditions lars, euros and UK pounds only (no travellers improving every year, this is fast changing. cheques). There’s an ATM outside on the Visa, Large numbers of Indian pilgrims visit the MasterCard and Cirrus networks.

mountain between June and August and 8 MT KAILASH 格桑网城 Gésāng Wǎngchéng ( ; Shiquanhe you can expect visitor numbers to increase h Donglu; per hr Y10; 24hr) Reliable internet dramatically now that fl ights are operating access. to Ali, just a few hours’ drive away. 华清池 Huáqīng Chí Bathhouse ( ; Shiquanhe Any reasonably fi t and acclimatised per- h Donglu; showers Y10; 10am-11pm) Hot-water son should be able to complete the three- showers. day walk, but come prepared with warm 行政公署公安处 PSB ( ; Xíngzhèng Gōngshǔ and waterproof clothing and equipment. % Gōng’ānchù; 282 1545; 17 Wenhua Lu; For more information about the kora, in- h10am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri) Groups may cluding a map of the route, see p250 . need to get their travel permit endorsed here if they haven’t done so in Darchen. The office is HISTORY in the southeast of town. Throughout Asia, stories exist of a great mountain, the navel of the world, from 8 Getting There & Away which fl ow four great rivers that give life From Ali to Darchen, at the base of the Mt Kai- to the areas they pass through. The myth lash kora, it’s a day’s journey of around 330km. originates in the Hindu epics, which speak 昆莎 AIR Tibet’s fourth airport, at Kūnshā ( ; of Mt Meru – home of the gods – as a vast Gunsa in Tibetan; 4274m) opened in 2010, 50km column 84,000 leagues high, its summit south of Ali. There are currently twice-weekly kissing the heavens and its fl anks com- fl ights to Lhasa (Y2500) and on to Chéngdū, posed of gold, crystal, ruby and lapis lazuli. with services planned to Kashgar. Buy tickets and enquire about airport buses at the airline These Hindu accounts placed Mt Meru ticket offi ce in the new Guge Dynasty Hotel (古 somewhere in the towering Himalaya but, 格王朝大酒店; Gǔgé Wángcháo Dàjiǔdiàn; Binhe with time, Meru increasingly came to be as- Nanlu). sociated specifi cally with Mt Kailash. The BUS Sleeper buses run every couple of days confl uence of the myth and the mountain to Lhasa (50 hours) and Yèchéng (30 hours) is no coincidence. No-one has been to the 176 WARM-UP HIKES AROUND MT KAILASH

If you’ve got extra time at Darchen, or you want to spend a day acclimatising before setting out on the Mt Kailash kora, you can fi nd some interesting short walks in the area. The ridge to the north of the village obscures Mt Kailash, but an hour’s walk to the top off ers fi ne views of the mountain. To the south you will be able to see the twin lakes of Manasarovar and Rakshas Tal. A switchbacking dirt road just to the east of Darchen branches right after 1km to the Gyangdrak Monastery, largest of the Mt Kailash monasteries and 6km from Darchen. Like other monasteries, it was rebuilt (in 1986) after the depredations of the Cultural Revolution. The left branch of the road follows a stream west to Selung Mon- astery, where a short walk leads to a viewpoint popular with Indian pilgrims for its views of Kailash and peaks. The secret ‘inner kora’ of Kailash starts from here but is only open to pilgrims who have completed 13 main koras of the mountain. For an excellent warm-up and acclimatisation hike, get dropped off at Gyangdrak and then follow the obvious path over the ridge and down to Selung (45 minutes). At the pass on the ridge a side path leads up the hillside straight towards Kailash for epic views of the south face and back towards Manasarovar, Rakshas Tal and tent-shaped WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) Gurla Mandata. From Selung you can drive back or continue over the ridges to the south to eventually drop down steeply to Darchen. Views of the Barkha plain from the ridge above Darchen are awesome but it gets very windy in the afternoons. For a map of the region see Map p 252 .

summit to confi rm whether the gods reside entered . And in the ancient Bön re- there (although some have come close), but ligion of Tibet, Mt Kailash was the sacred Mt Kailash does indeed lie at the centre Yungdrung Gutseg (Nine-Stacked-Swastika of an area that is the key to the drainage Mountain) upon which the Bönpo founder system of the Tibetan plateau. Four of the Shenrab alighted from heaven. great rivers of the Indian subcontinent orig- In May 2001 Spanish climbers gained inate here: the Karnali, which feeds into the permission to climb the peak, only to aban- Ganges (south); Indus (north); Sutlej (west); don their attempt in the face of internation- and Brahmaputra (Yarlung Tsangpo, east). al protests. Reinhold Messner also gained Mt Kailash, at 6714m, is not the mightiest permission to scale the peak in the 1980s, of the mountains in the region, but with its but abandoned his expedition in deference distinctive shape – like the handle of a mill- to the peak’s sanctity when he got to the stone, according to Tibetans – and its year- mountain. round snowcapped peak, it stands apart from the pack. Its four sheer walls match DARCHEN དར་ ན། 塔钦 the cardinal points of the compass, and its %0897 / ELEV 4670M southern face is famously marked by a long Nestled in the foothills of Mt Kailash, the vertical cleft punctuated halfway down by a small town of Darchen (Tǎqīn) is the start- horizontal line of rock strata. This scarring ing point of the kora. It is a rapidly expand- resembles a swastika – a Buddhist symbol of ing settlement of hotel compounds, tourist spiritual strength – and is a feature that has restaurants and newly built blocks, much contributed to Mt Kailash’s mythical status. improved on the miserable hovel that greet- Kailash is actually not part of the Himalaya ed travellers to Kailash a few years ago. but rather the Kangri Tise (Gangdise) range. Most travellers make use of the town’s hot Mt Kailash has long been an object of showers, restaurants and supermarkets, ei- worship. For , it is the domain of Shi- ther before or after their kora, though it’s va, the Destroyer and Transformer, and his perfectly feasible to sleep instead at Lake consort . To the Buddhist faithful, Mt Manasarovar just over an hour’s drive away. Kailash is the abode of Demchok (: If you need medical attention, there’s a Samvara) and Dorje Phagmo. The Jains of Swiss-funded traditional Tibetan clinic in India also revere the mountain as the site the northwest of Darchen. where the fi rst of their (saints) If you haven’t already bought your ‘ticket’ friendly new place has modern rooms, a for the Kailash–Manasarovar–Purang area cosy Tibetan-style teahouse and, for better 177 (Y200) you will have to get one on the ap- or worse, the local PSB offi ce. It is currently proach road to Darchen. adding 150 beds.

z Festivals & Events Sun & Moon Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE $ (Ninda Dronkhang; 日月宾馆; Rìyuè Bīnguǎn; The festival of Saga Dawa marks the en- lightenment of Sakyamuni, and occurs on %260 7102; q per bed Y60) This easily over- the full-moon day of the fourth Tibetan looked place in the far top (northwest) end month (in May or June). Saga Dawa is a par- of town off ers the nicest accommodation, ticularly popular time to visit Mt Kailash, with cosy rooms and clean communal toi- though you will have to share the Tarboche lets, though it’s a bit out of the way. It’s part camping area with several hundred other of the Tibet Medical and Astrological Insti- foreigners, most of them on group tours. tute (Menkhang). You can also expect that all the hotels in Other good and almost identical places Darchen will be booked solid throughout include the Fresh Peacock Hotel and the this time. The presence of so many tourists Darchen Local Aid the Poor Programme and their ever-present camera lenses can Hotel (Poverty Alleviation Hotel), both on spoil the occasion. Other times off er a less the main street and with four-bed rooms colourful but more personally spiritual time for Y60 per bed. Bigger places like the Gan- WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN to make your kora. disi Hotel are often fully booked with huge & EVENTS FESTIVALS The highlight of the festival is the raising groups of Indian pilgrims. of the Tarboche prayer pole on the morn- Darchen Local Aid the Poor Programme ing of Saga Dawa. Monks circumambulate Hotel Restaurant TIBETAN $ the pole in elaborate costumes, with horns ( 塔尔青利民扶贫宾馆; Tǎ’ěrqīng Lìmín Fúpín blowing. There are plenty of stalls, a fair- Bīnguǎn; mains Y10-25) Good breakfasts, the like atmosphere and a nonstop tidal fl ow best-value shemdre and other dishes in of pilgrims around the pole. After the pole town and a cosy Tibet-style decor make this is raised at about 1pm everyone sets off on our favourite restaurant in town, and the their kora. hotel is pretty good also. How the fl agpole stands when it is re- erected is of enormous importance. If the & EVENTS FESTIVALS MT KAILASH pole stands absolutely vertical all is well, 8 Information but if it leans towards Mt Kailash things are A couple of places are trying to start internet not good; if it leans away towards Lhasa, service without much success, though it’s surely things are even worse. only a question of time. Particularly large numbers of pilgrims God Water Bathing (圣水淋浴; Shèngshuǐ assemble at Mt Kailash every 12 years, in Línyù; showers Y20; h9.30am-midnight) the Tibetan Year of the Horse. The next Lobsang Blind Massage House (%136 3899 gathering is in 2014. 9712; Chinese/Japanese/Tibetan massage Y100/120/150) The perfect end to a kora is a 4 Sleeping & Eating relaxing massage from blind English-speaking There’s not a great deal to choose between Lobsang, a graduate of Braille Without Borders Darchen’s hotels. Almost all off er foam beds (see p345 ) who has set up shop in the Poverty in clean rooms with an outdoor pit toilet in Alleviation Hotel. the corner of a large courtyard. Just pick PSB (公安局; Gōng’ānjú) Travellers need to one that doesn’t have a large convoy of register and have their travel permit endorsed 4WDs parked outside. at the PSB office in the Lhasa Holyland Guesthouse. Pilgrim Hotel GUESTHOUSE $ 朝圣宾馆 % ( ; Cháoshèng Bīnguǎn; 298 0833; dm 8 Getting There & Away Y60; i) Turn right at the T-junction for this good place that has a cosy dining room, Darchen is 3km north of the main Ali–Saga patchy internet access and donates part of road, about 12km from Barkha, 107km north its profi ts to local monasteries. of Purang, 330km southeast of Ali and a lonely 1200km from Lhasa. Lhasa Holyland Guesthouse GUESTHOUSE $ Buses pass through town daily to Ali (Y150) ( 拉萨圣地康桑旅馆; Lāsà Shèngdì Kāngsāng and Purang (Y100) but currently not to Saga. Lǚguǎn; %139 8907 0818; dm Y60-70) This 178 KAILASH & MANASAROVAR BOOKS

The following books about Mt Kailash, Lake Manasarovar and the surrounding area are guaranteed to whet your appetite for adventure. Charles Allen’s A Mountain in Ti- bet chronicles the hunt for the sources of the region’s four great rivers and is perhaps the best introduction to the region. Allen’s follow up, The Search for Shangri-La, focus- es on the region’s pre-Buddhist heritage and is also a great read. The Sacred Mountain by John Snelling reports on early Western explorers, including those who turned up in the early 1980s when the door to China and Tibet fi rst creaked narrowly open. The Kailash chapters in German-born Lama ’s The Way of the White Clouds (1966) includes a classic account of the during a trip to Tibet in 1948. ’s three-volume Transhimalaya: Discoveries & Adventures in Tibet (1909–13) will keep you company for many a long night on the Changtang plateau. Hedin was the fi rst Westerner to complete the Kailash kora. Books such as Kailas: On Pilgrimage to the Sacred Mountain of Tibet by Kerry Moran (with photos by Russell Johnson) and Walking to the Mountain by Wendy Teasdill may make you jealous that you didn’t get to the mountain just a decade or two earlier. Both highlight the much greater diffi culties (and, in their eyes, rewards) that one would experience on a pilgrimage as recently as the late 1980s.

WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) The more scientifi cally inclined can turn to Swami Pranavananda’s Kailas Manasa- rovar, an account of the author’s fi ndings over numerous stays in the region between 1928 and 1947. The book was reprinted in India in 1983 and you should be able to fi nd a copy in a Kathmandu bookshop or online. Most recent is Manosi Lahiri’s Here be Yaks, an unpretentious travelogue that de- tails a more recent Indian pilgrimage to the region, with a special focus on defi ning the source of the Sutlej.

said that some of Mahatma Gandhi’s ashes Lake Manasarovar were sprinkled into the lake.

The Hindi poet Kalidasa once wrote that མ ་ ་ཕམ་ 玛旁雄错 the waters of Lake Manasarovar are ‘like ELEV 4560M pearls’ and that to drink them erases the Lake Manasarovar, or Mapham Yum-tso ‘sins of a hundred lifetimes’. Be warned, (Victorious Lake) in Tibetan, is the most however, that the sins of a hundred life- venerated of Tibet’s many lakes and one of times tend to make their hasty exit by way its most beautiful. With its sapphire-blue of the nearest toilet. Make sure that you waters, sandy shoreline and snowcapped- thoroughly purify Manasarovar’s sacred mountain backdrop, Manasarovar is imme- waters before you drink them, however sac- diately appealing, and a welcome change of rilegious that may sound. venue from the often-forbidding terrain of Manasarovar is linked to a smaller Mt Kailash. lake, Rakshas Tal (known to Tibetans as Manasarovar has been circumambulated Lhanag-tso), by the channel called Ganga- by Indian pilgrims since at least 1700 years chu. Most Tibetans consider Rakshas Tal to ago when it was extolled in the sacred San- be evil, home in Hindu minds to the demon skrit literature the Puranas. A Hindu in- king Ravanna, though to the secular eye it’s terpretation has it that manas refers to the every bit as beautiful as Manasarovar. The mind of the supreme god Brahma, the lake two bodies of water are associated with the being its outward manifestation. Accord- conjoined sun and moon, a powerful sym- ingly, Indian pilgrims bathe in the waters of bol of Tantric . On rare occasions, the lake and circumambulate its shoreline. water fl ows through this channel from Lake Tibetans, who are not so keen on the bath- Manasarovar to Rakshas Tal; this is said to ing bit, generally just walk around it. Leg- augur well for the and most end has it that the mother of the Buddha, are pleased that water has indeed been Queen Maya, was bathed at Manasarovar by fl owing between the two lakes in recent the gods before giving birth to her son. It is years. Most groups and individuals base them- of the Gurla-la (around kilometre marker selves at the picturesque Chiu village, site 36), crosses a pass and then swings left to 179 of the Chiu Monastery, on the northwestern follow the lakeshore for 10km. From Gossul shore of the lake. Dirt roads encircle most it’s 7km north to the paved main road and of the shoreline now and some tour groups then a further 6km to Chiu Monastery. have already started doing a circuit of the lake by 4WD. For an overview of the kora and a map of the lake, see p259 . Tirthapuri Hot Springs & 芝达布日寺 1 Sights & Activities Kora  ་ཏ་ ་ ་ ་ཚན་ Chiu Monastery MONASTERY On the banks of the Sutlej, only a few hours’ (admission free) Thirty-three kilometres drive northwest of Darchen, the hot springs south of Darchen, Chiu (Sparrow) Monas- at Tirthapuri (admission Y15) is the place tery enjoys a fabulous location atop a craggy where pilgrims traditionally bathe after hill overlooking Lake Manasarovar. The completing their circuit of Mt Kailash. The main chapel here contains the meditation one-hour kora route around the site is inter- cave of Guru Rinpoche, who is said to have esting, though most people can safely give passed away here, but most people focus on this place a miss if time is tight. Thirteen the lake views, the winding stone staircases Tirthapuri koras are considered to bring and old wooden doorframes of this fairy- equal merit as one Kailash kora. WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN tale-like structure. A short kora path leads Starting from the hot springs the kora SIGHTS & ACTIVITIES to a second chapel. On a clear day Mt Kai- trail climbs to a cremation point, an oval of lash looms dramatically to the north. rocks covered in old clothes and rags. From For a hike , walk along the ridge to the this point, an alternative longer kora climbs southeast of the monastery or make a half- to the very top of the ridge, rejoining the day trek along part of the lake kora to the trail near the long mani wall (a wall made ruined chörten and prayer wall at Cherkip, of mani stones). The regular kora trail con- returning via the shoreline cave retreats. tinues past a hole where pilgrims dig ‘sour’ There are fi ne views and lots of nesting earth for medicinal purposes. Further birds along this route, but bring repellent along, there’s a ‘sweet’ earth hole. The trail against the annoying shoreline fl ies. reaches a miniature version of Mt Kailash’s If you fancy a long post-hike soak, the Drölma-la, marked with mani stones and a HOT & SPRINGS KORA SIGHTSTIRTHAPURI & ACTIVITIES small but overpriced hot springs (bath Y50; large collection of yak horns and skulls. h10am-8pm) beside the village pipes water Where the trail doubles back to enter the into private wooden tubs. Guru Rinpoche (Tirthapuri) Monastery, There are over a dozen simple, friendly there is a rock with a hole in it right below guesthouses between the monastery and the the solitary prayer wheel, which is a handy lake, all charging an identical Y50 per bed in karma-testing station. Reach into the hole a four- or fi ve-bed room, with an outdoor pit and pull out two stones. If both are white toilet. There’s little to choose between them your karma is excellent; one white and one except perhaps the availability of food and black means that it’s OK; and if both are where the big groups are staying. black you have serious karma problems. Per- haps another Mt Kailash kora would help? Gossul Monastery MONASTERY The monastery dukhang (assembly hall) Further south along the shore of Manasa- has stone footprints of Guru Rinpoche and rovar, this charming monastery is part of his consort Yeshe Tsogyel to the right of the the Manasarovar kora (see p 259) but can altar. Outside the monastery a large circle of now be reached by road. The three resident mani stones marks the spot where the gods monks can show you the meditation cave of danced in joy when Guru Rinpoche was en- Götsangpa (the ascetic who opened up the shrined at Tirthapuri. Beside it is a 200m- Kailash kora in the 13th century) and a sa- long mani wall, the result of a demon fi ring cred stone conch shell, and you can buy am- an arrow at the guru. (The guru stopped the ulets or packets of holy Manasarovar sand, arrow’s fl ight and transformed it into this incense and salt. The views of the lake are wall.) Finally, the kora drops back down breathtaking. to the river, passing several small shrines The best way to reach the road is if you and a series of rocky pinnacles revered as are driving from Purang; an unsigned dirt rangjung, or self-manifesting chörtens. road branches off the main road 10km north Tirthapuri Hot Springs & Kora e# 0400m

180 00.2miles ‚ ‚ Alternative Longer Kora Longer Kora Rejoins Main Route Cremation #æ Point Sour To Moincer Karma #æ Earth Sweet Testing (9km)‚ Monastery Hole Earth Hole Guest Hole #æ House #æ #ÿ Dorje #Ú Phagmo Guru Rinpoche Demon's Arrow Mani Wall # Y Shrine Monastery Tirthapuri #æ Rock 44 #æ #æ Hot Springs Rangjung Circular #Ú Chörtens Mani Wall #æ Zenkhang Mani Walls #S44Shrine Su

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Accommodation is limited. The mon- Tsaparang is 18km west of Zanda, while WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) astery guesthouse (d Y40) has a couple of Thöling Monastery is now merely an ad- very simple rooms, as does a crummy nearby junct to the town. To visit both you need ‘resort’ trying to attract people with water to budget at least three days (two merely siphoned off from the springs. There’s nice for getting there and back from Darchen). riverside camping (Y15) just below the kora. Both sites are in the valley of the Langchen Tirthapuri is 9km south of Moincer Tsangpo (Sutlej River), the ‘elephant river’, (Mensi), which in turn is 65km west of which rises west of Manasarovar and con- Darchen along the main paved road to tinues over the border with India into La- Ali. There’s better choice of food and ac- dakh and fi nally Pakistan. commodation at Moincer, including at the friendly 美满招 HISTORY

Dekyi Neylingkhang ( 待所; Měimǎn Zhāodàisuǒ; dm Y50), a simple By the 10th century the Guge kingdom but cosy guesthouse just by the Tirthapu- was already a wealthy trade centre sup- ri turn-off . The excellent Chuānyuè porting several thousand people when the Xiǎochǎo (川粤小炒; dishes Y20-30) in the great Guge king Yeshe Ö began to nurture centre of town off ers great food and is a an exchange of ideas between India and favourite with the local People’s Liberation Tibet. The young monk Army (PLA) offi cers. (958–1055) was sent to study in India and returned 17 years later to become one of Ti- bet’s greatest translators of Sanskrit texts Guge Kingdom and a key fi gure in the revival of Buddhism across the Tibetan plateau. Rinchen Zang-  ་ ་ ལ་རབ་ 古格王国 po built 108 monasteries throughout west- The barren, eroded landscape around ern Tibet, Ladakh and Spiti, including the modern Zanda is unlike any you will have great monasteries of Tabo (Spiti) and encountered so far, and seems an improb- (Ladakh). Two of the most important were able location for a major civilisation to have those at Tsaparang and Thöling. He also in- developed. Yet the ancient Guge kingdom vited Kashmiri artists to paint the unique (Gǔgé wángguó) thrived here as an impor- murals still visible today. It was partly at tant stop on the trade route between India Rinchen Zangpo’s behest that Atisha, a and Tibet. Today, the remains of Thöling renowned Bengali scholar and another piv- Monastery, once a major centre of Tibetan otal character in the revival of Tibetan Bud- Buddhism, and neighbouring Tsaparang, dhism, was invited to Tibet. Atisha spent a 9th-century fortress etched into the very three years in Thöling before travelling on stone of a towering ridge, are two of western to central Tibet. Tibet’s highlights, though few Western tour- The kingdom fell into ruin just 50 years ists manage to make it this far. after the fi rst Europeans arrived in Tibet in 181 EXPLORING THE GARUDA VALLEY

Adventurers with a day up their sleeve could explore the Khyunglung (Garuda) region of the upper Sutlej Valley, southwest from Moincer. Around 16km from Moincer (8km from Tirthapuri), the Bönpo-school Gurugyam Monastery ( ་ ་འཇམ་ད ན་པ།; 故如甲木寺; Gùrújiǎmù Sì) is worth a visit, primarily for the dramatic cliff side retreat of 10th- century Bön master Drenpa Namka. A further 14km down the Sutlej Valley, 2km past Khyunglung (曲龙; Qūlóng) vil- lage, is the extensive ruined cave city that archaeologists believe belonged to the early kingdom of Shangshung . The 20-minute trail to the site leads from a roadside chörten and drops past hot-spring terraces to cross the Sutlej over a bridge hung with severed animal heads. Nearby is a riverside hot-springs pool. You could easily spend a fantastic couple of hours exploring the troglodyte caves and buildings but it’s danger- ous to continue to the upper citadel. On the way back stop off at Khyunglung Mon- astery just above the village, which also has a couple of simple teahouses. There are no checkpoints on route to Khyunglung though it would be prudent to have the valley added to your travel permit, either in Ali or Darchen. From Khyunglung the dirt road continues southwest to seriously remote monasteries at Dongpo, Dawa WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN (Danba) and Manam (Malang) en route to Zanda, but also passes near several military 8 bases so you need to bring watertight permissions and to be prepared for some seri- ous exploration.

1624, after a siege by the Ladakhi army (see road climbs huge switchbacks up to the 5330m p175 ). The centre of Tibet soon became the Lalung-la (Laling Gutsa), then the 5390m middle of nowhere. Laochi-la before descending into a valley. About 65km from the turn-off you have to buy a ticket 8 Getting There & Away to the area (Y200, including Thöling and Guge). The road branches left onto a plateau from From Ali there are buses (Y260) every couple where there are stunning 180-degree views of 8 GUGE KINGDOM of days to Zanda. There are two main roads to the Indian Himalaya, stretching from Nanda Devi Zanda from the Darchen–Ali road. Both are in the south to the in the north. rough and go over some very high passes. In a Around 90km from the turn-off (36km from 4WD it’s possible to make it to Zanda from either Zanda) look for a village surrounded by eroded Ali or Mt Kailash in a single day. cliff s with hundreds of tombs carved into the To/From Darchen soft rock. The turn-off for Dungkar and Piyang (see p 185 ) is just before the village. It’s about an eight-hour drive from Darchen to Zanda, though the distance is only about 243km. The route then drops down into deep, fan- It’s 65km along a paved road from Darchen to tastically eroded wadi-like gullies before fi nally Moincer, which is the turn-off to Tirthapuri, and reaching the Sutlej Valley. The layers of the for- then another 50km from there to the army base mer sea bed are clearly visible and the scenery at Ba’er, where the road branches south. The is a wonderland of eroded cliff faces that have 122km from Ba’er to Zanda takes four hours taken on the most astonishing shapes. You’ll of winding up and down fantastically eroded swear over and over again that you’re seeing gorges and gullies. Road improvements should the melted ruins of an ancient monastery, or a speed things up by 2012. castle, or the high pillars that once held the roof of a mighty palace. To/From Ali Just before reaching Zanda, 130km from the Coming from Ali, the road is equally scenic and turn-off , you cross the Sutlej River on a long will take around fi ve hours of driving to cover the bridge before pulling into town. 200km. The fi rst hour on a paved road climbs ZANDA 札达 to the 4720m Pe-la and then drops down past a  ་མདའ་ %0897 / ELEV 3760M great scenic viewpoint to the Gar Valley, home to Zanda (Zhada), or Tsamda, is the bland, one- Ali’s new airport at Kūnshā at kilometre marker 1109. About 64km from Ali the route crosses a street town that has been built up alongside bridge to the western side of the valley. A further Thöling Monastery. The town consists of a 10km and the road branches right off the main few hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, two road towards Zanda. The recently upgraded army bases and some brothels. Budget a couple of hours to visit Thöling Internet Bar (金鑫网吧; jīnxīn wāngbā; per hr 182 Monastery and an hour to wander the cliff - Y8; h9am-midnight) Next door to the Masses side chörtens at dusk. If you have more time Bath. the two sets of ruins south and particularly Jiāotōng Yùshì (交通浴室; showers Y10; southwest of town off er amateur archaeolo- h10am-11pm) A second shower, attached to gists plenty of scope to explore crumbling the Transportation Hotel. monastery walls, ruined chörtens and elab- Masses Bath (大众浴室; Dàzhòng Yùshì; show- orate cave complexes. ers Y15; h9am-10pm) For a hot shower head to beside the Chóngqìng Hotel. On the 1st floor 4 Sleeping & Eating you can get your laundry done for Y6 per piece. Héběi Bīnguǎn HOTEL $$ THÖLING MONASTERY 托林寺 ( 河北宾馆; %262 2475; old block d Y180, new མ ་ ང་ block from Y350, discounts 10%-20%) Condi- Founded by Rinchen Zangpo in the 10th tions here appear grim at fi rst – the rooms century, Thöling Monastery (Tuōlín Sì; joint have bathrooms but no shower or sinks admission ticket with Tsaparang Y200) was once and the toilets don’t fl ush – but friendly Ngari’s most important monastic complex. staff makes this quiet place surprisingly It was still functioning in 1966 when the ok. There’s lots of hot water in thermoses Red Guards shut down operations and took for washing and a bucket by the toilet for a sledgehammer to the chapel’s magnifi cent fl ushing. The brand-new next-door annex interiors. Three main buildings survive WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) has luxury, carpeted rooms that boast the within the monastery walls. If you have lit- town’s only en suite hot showers. tle interest in Buddhist statues and murals, stick to the chörtens, mani walls and open Chóngqìng Hotel HOTEL $$ views across the Sutlej Valley just north of 重庆宾馆 ( ; Chóngqìng Bīnguǎn; %290 2650; d the monastery. Y180, tr without bathroom Y210) This large, qui- et compound is a favourite with overlanders Main Assembly Hall (Dukhang) but the rooms with TV and en suite squat The dimly lit chamber of the dukhang has toilet are well overpriced. Triples without especially fi ne wall murals, showing strong bathroom are a decent deal if you bargain Kashmiri and Nepali infl uences; bring a hard. powerful torch (fl ashlight) to enjoy the rich detail. The Kashmiri infl uences are notice-

Transportation Hotel HOTEL $$ able in the shading on the hands and feet, 交通宾馆 ( ; Jiāotōng Bīnguǎn; %262 2686; s/d/ the ornate jewellery and dress, the tight tr Y130/140/180, 5-bed r without bathroom Y200) stomach lines and non-Tibetan images of The spacious tiled rooms here come with at- palm trees and dhotis (Indian-style loin- tached squat toilet and sink. There’s no hot cloths). Scholarly opinion varies on whether water but guests can get a free hot shower the murals date from the 13th and 14th, or next door in the attached public shower. 15th and 16th centuries. The down side is that it always seems full. The main statues here are of the past, Sìchuān Eats Mill SICHUANESE $$ present and future buddhas (all of recent or- ( 四川食坊; Sìchuān Shífáng; dishes Y20-40) igin), and there’s also a footprint of Rinchen Gets the thumbs up from many travellers and has pleasant outdoor tables. It’s oppo- site the Transportation Hotel. The main street has at least half-a-dozen AN AFTERNOON STROLL other places to eat, mostly generic Chinese restaurants, though also a couple of Tibet- A few steps east of the monastery an options, one Muslim eatery, and an Ui- compound is the recently restored ghur restaurant that does excellent suoman Serkhang chörten. A similar chörten (Y10 to Y12) and kebabs (no nan bread). stands in total isolation just to the west of the town. To the north, be- 8 Information tween the monastic compound and the cliff -face that falls away to the A couple of ‘telephone supermarkets’ off er stan- Sutlej River below are two long lines dard international phone rates. of miniature chörtens. The area is 中国农业银 Agricultural Bank of China ( superbly photogenic at dusk, when 行 h ; Zhōngguó Nóngyè Yínháng; 10am-1pm, locals do a kora of the complex. 4-7pm Mon-Fri) Has a 24-hour ATM. Zangpo. The lower walls of the inner area Tsaparang e# 0100m have murals depicting the life of the Buddha ‚ 00.06miles183 and the founders of the monastery. Murals To Zanda Mummy#æ Cave of the protectors Dorje Jigje (Yamantaka) (18km) Lotsang Lhakhang and Namse () decorate the main #æ entry. Ticket Office# #ô Entrance #æ #. White Chapel (Lhakhang Karpo) Caves The entry to this side chapel is marked by Lhakhang Karpo Chapel of a fi nely carved deodar (cedar) doorframe the Prefect Lhakhang Marpo that originated in India. Inside are detailed Dorje Jigje 15th- and 16th-century murals, somewhat Lhakhang aff ected by water damage and recently restored by Swiss assistance. The central Monastic statue is an old Sakyamuni Buddha; only Quarters his hands are of recent origin. Lining the sides are the eight medicine buddhas in various states of destruction. Male deities Tu n n e l Summer line the left wall; female are Stairs Down Palace to Winter on the right. The far-right-corner murals Palace f f f f i

l li

depict a gruesome sky burial. (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN

C C 8 p p e e e t (Demchok) e Yeshe Ö’s Mandala Chapel S t

S y Lhakhang (Nampar Nang Lhakhang) r y e r V e

Once the main building in the Thöling V complex, Yeshe Ö’s Mandala Chapel was also known as the Golden Chapel. Before its destruction in the Cultural Revolution, the square main hall had four secondary surreal landscape that resembles a giant chapels at the centre of each wall. Figures termites’ nest. of the deities were arrayed around the The site’s early Tantric-inspired murals wall facing towards a central image atop a are of particular interest to experts on early 8 GUGE KINGDOM lotus pedestal, in the form of a huge three- Buddhist art. Even without the magnifi cent dimensional Tibetan mandala (a represen- art, it’s worth the trip for the views over the tation of the world of a meditational deity). Sutlej Valley and to explore the twisting All the images have been destroyed but the paths and secret tunnels that worm their four chörtens remain along with a few re- way through the fortress. maining torsos, disembodied heads and The ruins climb up the ridge through limbs, scattered around the chapel like the three distinct areas. At the bottom of the leftovers from a sky burial. The mood creat- hill is the monastic area with the four ed by the senseless loss of such magnifi cent best-preserved buildings and their mu- art hangs heavy in the air. rals. From there the trail to the top climbs You enter the Mandala Chapel through through former residential quarters, where the Gyatsa Lhakhang and fi nish off a visit monks’ cells were tunnelled into the clay by walking around an interior kora of cha- hillside. Finally, the route burrows straight pels. Most are closed and devoid of statues into the hillside through a tunnel before but a few open to reveal broken legs and emerging in the ruins of the palace citadel empty plinths. at the very top of the hill. The vast, rough- TSAPARANG 古格古城 hewn landscape of the Sutlej Valley that  ་ ང་ spreads out before you is both terrifying The citadel of Tsaparang (Gǔgé Gǔchéng; and sublime: you can’t take your eyes off joint admission ticket with Thöling Y200, optional its beauty, but you know you wouldn’t last a , 18km west of Zanda, guide per person Y10) day alone in it. has been gracefully falling into ruin ever Early morning and evening (particu- since its slide from prominence in the 17th larly around 8pm) off ers the best light. No century. The ruins seem to grow organically photography is allowed inside the chapels out of the hills in tiers and are crowned by and guardians will watch you like a hawk. a red Summer Palace atop a yellow cocks- Bring a strong torch, snacks and water, and comb-like outcrop. It’s a photogenically expect to spend at least half a day exploring pani). Even armless they hint at the lost 184 the ruins. marvels of the chapel. The huge fi gure of Sakyamuni that once 1 Sights stood in the recess, the Jowo Khang, at Chapel of the Prefect CHAPEL the back of the hall has been replaced by Just inside the entrance to the complex is one of the caretaker’s statues. On the side a small building that was a private shrine walls at the back were once row after row for Tsaparang’s prefect or regent. The care- of smaller deities, each perched on its own taker has named it the ‘Drölma Lhakhang’ small shelf. after his own sculpture of Drölma () displayed here. The wall murals date from Lhakhang Marpo CHAPEL Above the Lhakhang Karpo is the equally the 16th century, by which time the style large , or Red Chapel, evinced in other Tsaparang murals was in Lhakhang Marpo which was built around 1470, perhaps 30 decline. The exuberant murals include fan- years earlier than the Lhakhang Karpo. tastic multicoloured images of elephants, The murals in this chapel were repainted Garuda-people (beside the Buddha’s arms), around 1630, shortly before the fall of the hermits and dog-like snow lions, among Guge kingdom, so they are actually younger others. The main mural on the back wall than those in the Lhakhang Karpo. shows Sakyamuni fl anked by Tsongkhapa The beautiful original chapel door, with and Atisha (Jowe-je). Small fi gures of the

WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) its concentric frames and carvings of bod- Buddha’s disciples stand beside his throne. hisattvas, elephants and the syllables of the Lhakhang Karpo CHAPEL mani padme hum (‘hail to the jewel in Slightly above the entrance, the large Lha- the lotus’) in six panels, has sur- khang Karpo, or White Chapel, holds the vived and is worth close inspection. Inside, oldest paintings at Tsaparang and is prob- many thin columns support the chapel ably the most important chapel in Ngari. roof, similar to those of the neighbouring The murals of the chapel date back to the Lhakhang Karpo. By the main door are im- 15th or 16th century but their infl uences ages of Chenresig (Avalokiteshvara), Green extend back to 10th-century Kashmiri Tara and an angry eight-armed White Tara, Buddhist art, and for this reason are of with Drölma and Jampelyang ()

particular interest to scholars of Buddhist to the right. art. Apart from Tsaparang, very little mate- The statues that once stood in the chapel rial evidence of early Kashmiri art remains were placed towards the centre of the hall, (notably at Alchi Monastery in Ladakh). not around the edges, and although only Laypeople can spot the Kashmiri infl uence the bases and damaged fragments remain, in the slender torsos, thin waists and long the crowded feel to the space, the intense fi ngers of the Hindu-inspired deities. colours and the eerie silence combine to The ceiling is beautifully painted, as are create a powerful atmosphere. You almost the many thin supporting columns, made expect Indiana Jones to come striding out from composite pieces of wood (trees are from behind the wreckage. scarcer than hen’s teeth in Ngari). The Although the wall murals have been carvings and paintings of Sakyamuni that damaged by vandalism and water leak- top each column are particularly notewor- age, they remain so remarkably brilliant thy. At one time, 22 life-size statues lined that it’s easy to forget they are actually the walls; today only 10 remain and these over 350 years old. On the left wall are are severely damaged. In the far left corner the famous murals chronicling the con- are the legs of Jampa; to the right is Yeshe struction of the temple: animals haul the Ö. Originally each statue would have been building’s huge timber beams into place as framed by a torana (halo-like garland) and musicians with long trumpets and danc- a Kashmiri-style plinth. Only partial sec- ing snow lions celebrate the completion of tions of these remain (look in the far left the temple. Offi cials stand in attendance corner and back recess), but you can still (a Kashmir delegation wears turbans), fol- see the holes where these structures were lowed by members of the royal family, the once anchored to the walls. king and queen (under a parasol), Öpagme The doors are fl anked by two damaged (Amitabha) and, fi nally, a line of chanting 5m-high guardian fi gures, red Tamdrin monks. The royal gifts frame the bottom of () and blue Chana Dorje (Vajra- the scene. Murals on the far right (northern) wall place), the Winter Palace is an amazing depict the life of the Buddha, showing him ants’ nest of rooms tunnelled into the clay 185 tempted by demons and protected by a below the Summer Palace. The rooms were naga serpent, among others. On the eastern built 12m underground in order to con- wall are eight stylised chörtens, represent- serve warmth, and the eastern rooms have ing the eight events in Buddha’s life. windows that open out onto the cliff -face. The main deities in the chapel have very There are seven dusty chambers, all empty, ornate toranas, decorated with birds and linked by a cramped corridor. Branching off crocodiles, and topped with fl ying apsaras from the stairs you will see a dim passage (angels). At the back of the hall, statues of that provided vital access to water during the 35 confessional buddhas once sat on sieges and served as an emergency escape individual shelves; a handful of them still route for the royal family. have bodies but all the heads have gone. The easily missed stairs to the Winter Palace lead down from between the Sum- Dorje Jigje (Jikji) Lhakhang CHAPEL mer Palace and the Mandala (Demchok) The murals in the smaller a few chapel Lhakhang. Don’t go down if you’re prone to steps above the Lhakhang Marpo are also vertigo or claustrophobia. painted red and gold, and are almost solely devoted to wrathful deities such as Dem- OTHER SIGHTS chok (Chakrasamvara), Hevajra and the North of the main entrance to Tsaparang a trail follows a green river valley down about

buff alo-headed Dorje Jigje (Yamantaka), to (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN whom the chapel is dedicated. On the left 700m to a cave on the left that holds the SIGHTS as you look back at the door is Namtöse mummifi ed remains of several bodies. On (Vaishravana), the God of Wealth, who is the way back, visit the chörten and ruined depicted riding a snow lion and surrounded chapel of the Lotsang Lhakhang. Only the by square bands of Tibetan warriors. Beside feet of the main statue remain. Also worth him is a strange dog-faced protector riding a quick visit are the caves and chörtens to a panther. the west of the main site, near the public Like the Chapel of the Prefect, the paint- toilet behind the caretaker’s compound. ings here are of later origin, central Tibetan in style (rather than Kashmiri-infl uenced) and of lower quality; the golden years had Dungkar & Piyang  ང་དཀར་ & PIYANG SIGHTS DUNGKAR passed by this point. All the statues that Caves with extensive wall paintings were once stood here were destroyed, including discovered at remote Dungkar (4250m; N the central Dorje Jigje. 31°40.638’, E 079°49.471’) approximately Summer Palace CHAPEL 40km northeast of Zanda, during the early From the four chapels at the base of the hill, 1990s. At around 1100 years old, the cave the path to the top climbs up through the paintings are possibly the oldest in Ngari monastic quarters and then ascends to the and have much in common stylistically with palace complex atop the hill via a tunnel. the Silk Road cave murals of Dunhuang in The Summer Palace, at the northern end China (particularly in their almost cartoon of the hilltop, is empty, with a balcony of- style, and the fl ying apsaras, painted on fering wonderful views. The Sutlej Valley a blue background). There are three main is just to the north. Across the smaller val- caves in a side valley before the main village, ley to the northeast is the ruined Lotsang of which the best preserved is the mandala Lhakhang. cave. You need to have an interest in early The small but quite well-preserved, red- Tibetan and Silk Road art for the trip to be painted Mandala (Demchok) Lhakhang worthwhile. Lovely nearby Dungkar village in the centre of the hilltop ridge once also has a ruined monastery above the housed a wonderful three-dimensional town. mandala with Tantric murals, only the A couple of kilometres west, the village of base of which survived the desecrations of Piyang (4180m; N 31°40.962’, E 079°47.784’) the Cultural Revolution. It is often closed is also worth the small detour. It lies at the to visitors. foot of a large ridge honeycombed with thousands of caves and topped with a ru- Winter Palace RUINS ined monastery and two caves with fi ne Accessed by a steep and treacherous erod- murals. ed staircase (now with an iron railing in Entry to both Dungkar and Piyang are are kilometre markers every 5km along 186 technically included in the Y200 entry fee this road. Travelling north from Ali, start for Thöling and Tsaparang, though the Pi- looking on the east side of the road at ki- yang caretaker charges an extra Y30 to en- lometre marker 970 (though the kilometre ter the caves there since no money from the markers may change with the upgraded ticket makes it to the village. road); the petroglyphs are at around 967. Getting to Dungkar and Piyang is not There are two distinct groups on the rock easy. Most 4WD drivers don’t know the face right beside the road, just before it area and the dirt roads are poorly signpost- crosses a bridge to travel along a causeway ed. If you come from the Ali–Zanda road, over the marshy valley fl oor of the Maga look for the turning east, just north of a Zangbu-chu. village with caves behind it, 36km from The fi rst, and more extensive, group also Zanda. From here it’s 9km past a stunning features a number of more recent Buddhist Himalayan viewpoint to Piyang and then carvings, some of them carved right over another 5km to Dungkar. From Dung- their ancient predecessors. The most im- kar you can continue 8km to a junction, pressive of the rock carvings features four then turn right for 16km to join the main extravagantly antlered deer racing across Zanda–Moincer road. From here it’s 86km the rock and looking back at three leopards to the main Ali–Darchen road. This way in hot pursuit. Also depicted are eagles, you can get an early start and visit Piyang yaks, camels, goats, tigers, wild boars and WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) and Dungkar en route between Zanda and human fi gures. Darchen. Less visited are the Lurulangkar paint- ings, about 12km southwest of Rutok. The relatively primitive carvings are right be- Rutok 日土县 side the road, up to a height of 4m above  ་ ག་ the ground, and show a variety of pre- The new Chinese town of Rutok Xian (Rìtǔ Buddhist symbols and animals, including Xiàn), 132km from Ali, is a modern army dogs, yaks, eagles, deer and goats. Human post, but there are a couple of great sights fi gures are shown standing in isolation or nearby that warrant a day trip, especially riding on horses. There are a number of now that the upgraded road between Rutok hunting scenes showing dogs chasing deer and Ali has cut travel time down to just two and hunters shooting at them with bows hours. and arrows. Most people visit Rutok Xian as a day trip from Ali, though there are a couple Old Rutok VILLAGE of hotels in town and many restaurants. The old Tibetan village of Rutok lies about There’s no accommodation or any other fa- 10km off the main road from a turn-off cilities at old Rutok. about 5km south of Rutok Xian. The drive About 8km north of Rutok Xian, the passes the pretty chörtens of Bankor village road hits the east end of lovely turquoise en route. Lovely white-painted traditional Pangong-tso (4241m). The long lake extends Rutok huddles at the base of a splinter of 110km into Ladakh in India. It’s worth con- rock, atop which is Rutok Monastery, tinuing here for views of the lake but beware fl anked at both ends of the hill by the crum- the tour boats; several Chinese tourists died bling, but still impressive, ruins of Rutok here in 2010 when theirs capsized. Dzong. From here, you can see the reservoir below and Pangong-tso in the distance. The 1 Sights surrounding villages are largely deserted Ancient Petroglyphs ROCK CARVINGS in summer, as herders move to higher pas- In 1985 prehistoric rock carvings, or petro- tures. glyphs, were found at several sites in Rutok The intensely atmospheric main cha- County. This was the fi rst time such fi nds pel of the monastery has a large statue of had been made in Tibet, although similar Jampa (Maitreya) and a bronze Garuda to fi nds have since been made at numerous the left. Clearly, at one time the whole east- other sites. ern face of the hill was covered in monastic The extensive collection of rock carv- buildings. The monastery was destroyed ings at Rumudong is right beside the during the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt road, about 36km south of the old Rutok in 1983–84; it now has just six monks. turn-off , or about 96km north of Ali. There 8 Getting There & Away side do a fi nal kora around the compound From Ali there are daily buses (Y50) to Ru- to see the unusual om mani padme hum 187 tok Xian, but there’s no public transport to mantra painted on the back wall. old Rutok and very little traffi c on the road. Khojarnath is 130km from Darchen or about 107km from Chiu Village on Lake Ma- nasarovar and is a worthy detour. The drive Western Nepal to south from Lake Manasarovar is one of the most scenic in western Tibet and it’s easy to Mt Kailash visit as a day trip. Fully organised trekking groups can trek to the Nepal–China border from Humla, a P U R A N G  ་ ང་ 普兰 restricted region in the far west of Nepal. %0897 / ELEV 3800M You will need a Nepali liaison offi cer, a spe- Purang (Pǔlán to the Chinese; Taklakot to cially endorsed Chinese visa and a full trek the Nepalis) is a large trading centre com- crew. See Lonely Planet’s Trekking in the prising a number of distinct settlements Nepal Himalaya for details of the fi ve-day separated by the Humla Karnali River, approach from Humla and the optional re- known in Tibetan as Mabja Tsangpo (Pea- turn via the Limi Valley. cock River). Nepali traders come up from From the Nepali border at Sher, the road the Humla and Darchula regions in the makes a long descent to a stream and then extreme west of Nepal to trade a variety of WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) (NGARI) TIBET WESTERN follows the Humla Karnali to the village of goods, including rice, carried up from Ne- 8 Khojarnath, 10km north. pal in huge trains of goods-carrying goats. Indian consumer goods and Nepali rice KHOJARNATH འ ར་ཇ་ན་ are traded for Tibetan salt and wool in the ELEV 3790M , a 15-minute walk south For those travelling north from Nepal, Kho- Darchula Bazaar of Purang. jarnath, 21km south of Purang, is the fi rst Purang is also the arrival point for the large village over the border in Tibet. It annual infl ux of Hindu pilgrims from In- boasts the wonderful Korjak Monastery dia, intent on making a parikrama (the , an important monastery of (admission Y30) Hindu equivalent of a kora) of Mt Kailash, the Sakya order. The blood-red compound,

which dates back to 996, escaped the worst KAILASH TO MT NEPAL 8 WESTERN excesses of the Cultural Revolution and the e 0300m Purang # 00.1miles damage sustained has been repaired with A B fi nancial assistance from German and Ital- Shepeling li Rv ian sponsors. gpo) Monastery The eight-pillared Rinchen Zangpo #ä an 1 1 Lhakhang adjoining the main hall is domi- ja Ts Gokung (Tsegu) mla Karna nated by the trinity of Chenresig (Avalok- u

Monastery H (Mab iteshvara), Jampelyang (Manjushri) and &Caves ‚ #æ To Darchen Chana Dorje (Vajrapani). To the right of (107km) these statues is a small rangjung speak- ing Tara. The revered 2ft-high statue once #ÚMani #- # warned the monastery’s abbot how to pre- Wall vent fl ooding of the local area. During the #î Cultural Revolution the statue was buried 2 Checkpoint 2 lu for safekeeping. a gg The atmospheric main hall is entered via n Gǎngcuò o

Showers G Army an ancient wooden door with particularly Camp # fi ne carvings. The hall itself is presided over To Shepeling #ú Peacock by a fi gure of Jampa (Maitreya). To the far Monastery; # Indian Border #ÿ Restaurant left is a small chamber with paintings from (closed Peacock Hotel the earliest days of the monastery. Hanging ‚to foreigners) #ó from the ceiling to the right of the entrance 3 ð# To Darchula 3 Deji Lu ð# are the stuff ed carcasses of a yak, Indian Bazaar (1.5km); #ò Khojarnath (21km); tiger, snow leopard, bear, wolverine and a #ì Sher & Nepali Border (28km) wolf. The inner kora gives access to a hid- ‚ den protector chapel. When you fi nish in- A B ©Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd which devout Hindus consider the abode of 188 . The hill northwest of town is the site of a DANGERS & huge army base said to extend far into the ANNOYANCES mountain in a series of caves. It’s even ru- Be careful not to photograph – even moured there are missiles here. inadvertently – the Chinese military base to the east or any of the small 1 Sights compounds in town. This is unlawful In the hills above the Humla Bazaar are and you or your local guide could get many retreat formed around the cliff - caves in serious trouble for it. side Gokung (Tsegu) Monastery. Here, a ladder leads up to a couple of upper-fl oor cave chapels decorated with prayer fl ags proximity to Nepal, there’s little fl avour of and impressive murals. the subcontinent in Purang’s restaurants. The ruined Shepeling (Simbaling) Mon- This place has the normal range of good astery towers over the town from its dra- Chinese dishes in pleasant surroundings. matic hilltop position. In 1949 the Swami Pranavananda described this Kagyud mon- 8 Information astery, which housed 170 monks, as the big- Agricultural Bank of China (中国农业银 gest in the region. The monastery’s treasures 行; Zhōngguó Nóngyè Yínháng; Gongga Lu; WESTERN TIBET (NGARI) allegedly included one testicle of Indian h10am-1pm & 4-7pm Mon-Fri) Changes cash invader Zowar Singh, displayed every four and has a 24-hour ATM. years during a festival! The Chinese army Bǎixīng Wǎngbā (百兴网吧; Gongga Lu; per hr shelled the monastery during the Cultural Y6-8; h24hr) Internet cafe next to the Bǎixīng Revolution and today only the assembly hall Supermarket, on the upper floor. is partially restored. The views south over Gǎngcuò Showers (岗措淋浴; Gǎngcuò Línyù; the valley and north towards a cave complex Gongga Lu; showers Y10; h10am-11pm) Out- are superb but be surreptitious in taking side the gate of the Peacock Hotel. photos. Slogans marked in stones above the Lóngténg Internet Bar (龙腾网吧; Lóngténg military base praise Chairman Mao and the Wǎngbā; Deji Lu; per hr Y6-8; h24hr) Chinese Communist Party. 8 Getting There & Away 4 Sleeping & Eating There are several hotels in town, but the Western trekkers arriving from Nepal usually arrange to be met at the border town of Sher for PSB only allows foreigners to stay in the the 28km drive via Khojarnath to Purang. Peacock Hotel. Daily buses (Y230) run every two days from Ali Peacock Hotel HOTEL $ to Purang via Darchen. From Purang it’s 74km ( 孔雀宾馆; Kǒngquè Bīnguǎn; %290 0139; north to Chiu Monastery on the shores of Lake Gongga Lu; old block s/d Y120/1600, new block Manasarovar and another 33km from there to Darchen, the starting point for the Mt Kailash d Y280) This government hotel is actually divided into two hotels: a rundown old kora. block with back-breaking beds, no run- The road north from Purang passes the pic- ning water and disinterested staff , and a turesque villages of Toyo and Deraling, with its unusual red chörtens on a ledge above town, en % new block (Xī’ān Yíng Bīnguǎn; 260 3266) route to the Gurla-la (4715m). Though still part with clean bathrooms with hot water and of western Tibet, the lush terraced fi elds and dis- good spacious triples without bathrooms tinct architecture feels connected to Himalayan (Y200). communities of Nepal and India. Just beyond the pass, Rakshas Tal and (on a clear day) Mt Kailash Peacock Restaurant CHINESE $$ come into view. Keep looking back south for 孔雀饭庄 % ( ; Kǒngquè Fànzhuāng; 290 0139; dramatic views of the . Gongga Lu; dishes Y20-50; E) Despite the © Lonely Planet Publications Pty Ltd. To make it easier for you to use, access to this chapter is not digitally restricted. In return, we think it’s fair to ask you to use it for personal, non-commercial purposes only. In other words, please don’t upload this chapter to a peer-to-peer site, mass email it to everyone you know, or resell it. See the terms and conditions on our site for a longer way of saying the above - ‘Do the right thing with our content.’