Ü 143 Yumbulagang © Lonely Planet Publications Planet Lonely © Monastery Nam-tso Drak Yangdzong Mindroling Monastery ), or Tsurphu to Yangpachen to Yangpachen ), or Tsurphu Monastery

) ), ), Reting ( p147 ( Yumbu- ( p166 Mindrol- Dorje Dorje Nam-tso ) ), ’s first monastery ), Tibet’s Drak Yangdzong Drak Yangdzong ( p176 ( ( p168 (

Samye ) – the first building in Tibet – and the – and the ) – the first building in Tibet

), beneath the juniper-clad hills of ), beneath the juniper-clad ) Rechung-puk ( p175 ( ) or at the vibrant monastic centre of ) or at the vibrant monastic centre ( p165

( p167  ). With most of the sights in this chapter not requiring those pesky travel permits, this those pesky travel not requiring ). With most of the sights in this chapter an adventurous overnight pilgrim destination pilgrim destination overnight an adventurous sacred cave complexes of complexes cave sacred asteries – either beside the sand dunes of asteries Drak tents of stunning high-altitude lake tents lar complex of ruins of lagang ing ( p151

yourself silly through the drag and giggle Squeeze, peaceful mon- Overnight at one of central Tibet’s the iconic including Valley, Hike the Yarlung of the northern snowy peaks and nomads’ Get a taste Changtang at the turquoise waters, Soak up the fabulous location and spectacular circu-

„ „ „ „ „ HIGHLIGHTS

For those wanting to explore Tibet by themselves, there’s fantastic scope for independent fantastic scope there’s by themselves, Tibet For those wanting to explore It’s not all ancient history. With a gorgeous turquoise hue, Nam-tso, an immense salt- turquoise With a gorgeous It’s not all ancient history.

( p292 is the place to get out of the Land Cruiser, stick your thumb out and go exploring. is the place to get out of the Land Cruiser, stick or on the classic multiday treks from Ganden to Samye ( p288 from Ganden to Samye ( or on the classic multiday treks at nearby Tidrum. Ü is best experienced on foot, whether on day hikes to side monasteries Ü is best experienced on foot, whether on day hikes to side monasteries at nearby Tidrum. time have discovered a gem of a destination in Drigung Til Monastery and the hot springs Monastery a gem of a destination in Drigung Til discovered time have a foreigner. Reting Monastery remains one of the most serene in Tibet. Travellers with limited with limited Travellers in Tibet. one of the most serene remains Reting Monastery a foreigner. exploration. The valleys of the shelter a wealth of monasteries that rarely see that rarely a wealth of monasteries shelter Tsangpo valleys of the Yarlung exploration. The where access remains a real challenge. a real access remains where Mysterious Lhamo La-tso, a hard-to-reach lake is the only place southeast of the capital, La-tso, a hard-to-reach Lhamo Mysterious landscapes of the Yarlung Tsangpo, Tibet’s most important river, are a surreal highlight. highlight. a surreal most important are river, Tibet’s Tsangpo, landscapes of the Yarlung water lake, is far and away the region’s most popular natural attraction. The dramatic desert most popular natural attraction. The lake, away the region’s is far and water the nearby Chongye Valley that they lie buried. that they the nearby Chongye Valley the earliest Tibetan kings and it is in unification of the plateau launched their 6th-century the earliest Tibetan before founding Tibet’s first monastery at nearby Samye. It was from the that Valley was from the Yarlung It at nearby Samye. first monastery founding Tibet’s before in Sheldak and Chimphu and battled demons on the bank of the nearby Yarlung Tsangpo, Tsangpo, Yarlung and battled demons on the bank of the nearby in Sheldak and Chimphu Palace is claimed as Tibet’s oldest building. Centuries later Guru meditated at caves at caves Guru Rinpoche meditated later Centuries oldest building. is claimed as Tibet’s Palace (Brahmaputra), in particular the Monkey Cave above . The nearby Yumbulagang nearby Yumbulagang The (Brahmaputra), Tsetang. in particular above the Monkey Cave ans trace the very birth of their nation to the valleys of the Yarlung and Yarlung Tsangpo Tsangpo and Yarlung birthans trace the very Yarlung of their nation to the valleys of the Tibet and, along with Tsang to the west, forms the power centre of central Tibet. The Tibet- The of central Tibet. west, forms the power centre to the and, along with Tsang Tibet The traditional province of Ü is very much the historical, cultural and modern heartland cultural and modern much the historical, Ü is very of of traditional province The Ü Ü explore the surroundings. fromwhich to itasabase so youcoulduse notrequireairport atGongkardoes permits, Valley aroundTsetang. Thearea aroundthe be asked foroneisatSamyeandtheYarlung but theonlyplacewhere actually youmight required inthissection. forthe sights (1110–93), whoinstigated theconcept of re- erful itis). hand tostopitflying away(that’showpow- wearingthehat,holding it withhis images ofSikkim, . You’llsee the16th gold, isnowkept atRumtek Monastery in in Tibetan), theblack hat,embellished with dakini Lo in1407.Saidtobemadefromthe hairof fifth Karmapa emperorYong bytheChinese cal crown,acopyof which wasgiven tothe the BlackHats, atitlereferring toamythi- . TheKarmapa are alsoknownas mapa branch of theKagyupa orderof Tibetan , tery of west 65km Around elev 4480m  MONASTERY TSURPHU with hitchhiking, see p344 ing. (Forinformationontherisksassociated a persistent combinationof hitching andhik- through to get inthissection toallthesights with foodandhave sometime,it’spossible gung Til/Tidrum. or asix-daytriptoNam-tso,RetingandDri- Valley,Reting Monastery andtheLhundrub triptoNam-tso, Cruiser for afive-day Land gung Til). Youcanalsocombinedestinations Talung andReting)east(Tidrum and Dri- (Tsurphu andNam-tso),north(Lhundrub, visited trips:tothenorthwest onseparate The featured are inthissection often sights prefecture) require does permits(see p323 the Yarlung Tsangpo Valley (formallyShannan Til, andNyemo. Lhundrub Intheorymostof places asTsurphu, Nam-tso,Reting, Drigung require atravel permit.Thisincludessuch fecture not (centralandnorthernÜ)does pre-The goodnewsisthattravel inLhasa 144 NRHR Ü NORTHERN Permits 楚布寺 It wasthe first Karmapa, DusumKhyenpa tobeself-sufficient you’llneed Although

(Chubu Si;admissionY45) OTEN • TupuMnsey NORTHERN Ü •• s (celestialbeings,knownas is the seat of theKar- istheseat .)Permits are not   Tsurphu Monas- khandroma

),

Tsang, alegacythatproved aliability when strong tieswiththekingsandmonasteries of the headmonastery fortheorder. after the deathof thefirst Karmapa, itbecame the thirdKarmapa monastery tobebuiltand, Karmapa hisbirthplace. orderinKham, Itwas enpa, some40years after the heestablished Tsurphu wasfoundedin1187byDusumKhy- History river fromthemonastery. of agreat thangkaontheplatformacross the well asritual of free-flowing month(aroundMay).betan There isplenty ninth, 10thand11thdaysof thefourthTi- the timeof theSagaDawafestival, onthe napurna region. Tibet andtheAn- intoIndiaviaMustang Karmapa undertook adramaticescapefrom tion thatyear. InDecember1999,the17th to Tsurphu towatch theKarmapa’s corona- in 1992(see p146 andotherreligious leadersby theDalaiLama wasannouncedamidgreatKham, controversy aneight-year-oldDorje, Tibetan boyfrom in 1981andhisreincarnation, OgyenTrinley and foundedanewcentre atRumtek. He died in 1959after thepopularuprisinginLhasa since. thiswayever maintained incarnation andtheKarmapa hasbeen mapas. Upstairs are theprivate quarters of the and 16thKar-Thukpa), andtheeighth Sakyamuni (SakyaÖpagme (Amitabha), of the16thKarmapa, of aswellstatues achörten relicshouses ()containing The large about 300monks. 1000 monkswere inresidence. Nowthere are forcesinvadedin1950, around When Chinese institutions stillfunctioninginthe Ü region. spiritual centre andisoneof thefew Kagyud bounced backasanimportant nevertheless end. Shorn of itspoliticalinfluence, Tsurphu mapa’s politicalclouteffectively cametoan Tsurphu wassacked (in1642)andtheKar- todoawaywithhisopponentsinTsang,Khan invited theMongolianarmyofLama Gushri order.and theGelugpa WhenthefifthDalai conflict broke the kingsof outbetween Tsang Veig h Monastery the Viewing Tsurphu hasanannualfestival around The respected 16thKarmapa fledtoSikkim The Karmapa ordertraditionally enjoyed assembly hall cham chang ). Over 20,000Tibetans came ).Over dancingandtheunfurling (Tibetan as barleybeer), inthemaincourtyard lonelyplanet.com

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Lasuo

Yamdrok-tso

Monastery (120km) Dingboche Monastery Dingboche Chusom

Xian

(4950m)

Mindroling To Gyantse To

Gyatsa

Tsokpa

Chongye 318

Batang-la (280km)

Valley Monastery 145 (90km)

Monastery

P R E F E C T U R E R U T C E F E R P

Gyeling

To Bayi To

Drachi Yumbulagang Dzong (4794m)

Chukhor To To Chöde Monastery

Kumbum

S H I G A T S E S T A G I H S

Gongkar Manor Dongpu Khamba-la Gongkar Chakar Chöde Chakar

Ri Jampaling

Namseling

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Dorje Drak Dorje

Nyemo

Monastery

Tunnel Monastery

On Valley On

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Dranang

Shugsheb

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Olkar

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Gyeba

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Dakpa Monastery Dakpa Monastery Monastery Lo Monastery Lo

Langtang

Nalendra

Bayi (174km) Bayi

Gongkar (5013m) Katsel Monastery Katsel

-

Tolung-chu

(7048m) chu Draksum-tso (135km); Draksum-tso Map (p289) Map Medro Pa-la Mangra-chu

Lhundrub Valley Lhundrub (5440m) (45km); Gyamda Lhundrub Chomo Gangtse Chomo

See Ganden to Samye to Ganden See

Songduo

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Shar Nunnery Shar Sha Monastery Sha

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Yangpachen Gyashing

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Dzongsar

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Drigung Phongdo

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