North of the main entrance to Tsaparang a trail follows a green river valley down about 700m to a cave on the left that holds the mummified remains of several bodies.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.15 MILES
This large building was constructed around 1470. The beautiful murals were repainted around 1630, shortly before the fall of the Guge kingdom. The…
0.13 MILES
The large Lhakhang Karpo holds the oldest paintings at Tsaparang and is probably the most important chapel in all of Ngari. The murals date back to the…
0.14 MILES
This small building was a private shrine for Tsaparang’s prefect or regent. The caretaker has named it the ‘Drölma Lhakhang’ after his own sculpture of…
7.52 MILES
Once the main building in the Thöling complex, Yeshe Ö’s Mandala Chapel was also known as the Golden Chapel. All the images have been destroyed but the…
7.59 MILES
The entry to this side chapel is marked by a finely carved deodar (cedar) door frame that originated in India. Inside are vibrant 15th- and 16th-century…
7.58 MILES
The dimly lit chamber of the dukhang has especially fine wall murals, showing strong Kashmiri and Nepali influences; bring a powerful torch (flashlight)…
0.16 MILES
The murals in this small chapel are painted red and gold, and are almost solely devoted to wrathful deities in ecstatic yab-yum pose, such as Demchok …
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Accessed by a steep and easily missed eroded staircase (now with an iron railing in place), the palace is an amazing ant nest of rooms tunnelled into the…
Nearby attractions
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This ruined chapel is flanked by an ancient-looking chörten. Only the feet of the main statue remain inside but there are some lovely old thangkas on…
0.09 MILES
The citadel of Tsaparang, 18km west of Zanda, is one of Western Tibet's great hidden gems. Dozens of ruined residences and chapels dot a naturally…
0.13 MILES
The large Lhakhang Karpo holds the oldest paintings at Tsaparang and is probably the most important chapel in all of Ngari. The murals date back to the…
0.14 MILES
This small building was a private shrine for Tsaparang’s prefect or regent. The caretaker has named it the ‘Drölma Lhakhang’ after his own sculpture of…
0.15 MILES
Worth a quick visit are the photogenic caves and chörtens to the west of the main Tsaparang site, near the public toilet.
0.15 MILES
This large building was constructed around 1470. The beautiful murals were repainted around 1630, shortly before the fall of the Guge kingdom. The…
0.16 MILES
The murals in this small chapel are painted red and gold, and are almost solely devoted to wrathful deities in ecstatic yab-yum pose, such as Demchok …
0.37 MILES
From the four chapels at the base of Tsaparang, the path to the top climbs up through the monastic quarters and then ascends to the palace complex atop…