Eastern Tibet
This 700-year-old monastery, 30km east of Jomda, contains Tibet’s largest Sakyapa monastic school with more than 200 monks studying here at any time. The…
Must-see attractions in China
Nagchu Prefecture
This impressive monastery perched on an outcrop in the southern suburbs. Built in 1667 by the Mongol leader Gushri Khan, this Gelugpa monastery, home to…
Eastern Tibet
On a hillside about three kilometres west of town, this interesting Bön monastery is home to more than 200 monks, and is made up of two separate…
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To visit the separate Dzong Kumbum cave complex you really need to spend the night in the valley. Make your way back to Ngadrak village and drive 6km to a…
Eastern Tibet
Around 10km past an old caravan-trail turn-off, and 6km before the Chamdo airport, is a turnoff that heads 7km to the remote and welcoming Yushig…
Shangri-la
Some 7km northwest of Shangri-la you’ll find the seasonal Napa Sea, surrounded by a large grassy meadow that pushes right up to the mountains. Between…
Nagchu Prefecture
On the western outskirts of the town is the surprisingly large monastery (founded 1814), a branch of Lhasa’s Sera Monastery, with more than 90 monks. The…
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A rewarding 90-minute hike, gaining 400m, leads from Chode Ön village just north of Keru Lhakhang to the impressive, sprawling ruins of 12th-century…
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This small pond marks the birthplace and spirit lake of Guru Rinpoche’s consort Yeshe Tsogyal. The golden-roofed chapel at the north end of the lake has a…
Eastern Tibet
Overlooking Chugu Gompa is this rarely visited Nyingmapa monastery, which was built in 1872 and is home to 30 monks. The hilltop grassland setting here is…
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Tashi Dhoka is famed as a meditation retreat of Tsongkhapa. You can visit the meditation caves of Tsongkhapa and his student Genden Drup (who later became…
Suzhou
An academic garden directly opposite Blue Wave, Kě Yuán is where Suzhou Library was established in 1914 before the garden spent much of the 20th century…
Nagchu Prefecture
Making up the southern part of a half-open courtyard in the monastery, this wall looks like any other Tibetan mani wall from a distance. But as you…
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Hidden in a cleft in the rock a couple of kilometres south of Rechung-puk is the Bhairo-puk. The tiny cave is home to a nun who spends her days and nights…
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Ngadrak is the main Karma Kagyu monastery in the valley. Look for the stone footprint of Yeshe Tsogyal beside one of the assembly hall pillars. Pilgrims…
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The large Gongtang Bumpa chörten was allegedly commissioned by Vairocana as a way to resolve a border dispute between rival kings. It's just off the main…
Qingdao
This cable car transports visitors up the length of Taiping Hill to Qingdao TV Tower, with excellent views along the way.
Eastern Tibet
This Kagyupa-sect gompa is home to more than 100 monks and nuns, it has an enormous courtyard and a lovely grassland setting. It dates back to 1670,…
Nagchu Prefecture
This 800-year-old monastery was undergoing extensive renovation at the time of writing, including construction work for a guesthouse just outside the main…
Ngari
This scenic monastery is worth a visit for its fine views and unusual chörtens. It's 42km from Saga (Km1759), on a hillside about 1.5km off the main road
Nagchu Prefecture
A short walk up the valley brings you to this small nunnery. The main hall here contains 1000 silver statues of the female bodhisattva Drölma (Tara).
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A small chapel commemorates the birthplace of Nubchen Sangye Yeshe, a 9th-century Tantric master who was one of the 25 disciples of Guru Rinpoche.
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This 17th-century nunnery was largely left in ruins after the Cultural Revolution but has since been rebuilt and is now home to about 14 nuns.
