Eastern Tibet
The centerpiece of a large walled complex, the colourful Lamaling Temple is a rare example of the Zangtok Pelri style of building. This style, which…
Must-see attractions in Eastern Tibet
Eastern Tibet
Eastern Tibet is blessed with many beautiful lakes but this is arguably the best of the lot. Draksum-tso, and particularly its monastery island, is a…
Eastern Tibet
This quiet and picturesque glacier, under a towering 6385m peak, is reached by first driving 7km off the main highway to a car park and a cluster of shops…
Eastern Tibet
This tranquil 17th-century Nyingma-sect monastery is set on a pine-clad hill overlooking the valley, and is home to 52 monks. The main prayer hall…
Eastern Tibet
Bönri is the Bön religion’s most sacred mountain, a sprawling massif where Bön founder Tonpa Shenrab fought and defeated his arch rival Khyabpa Lagring,…
Eastern Tibet
On pretty Bakha Island in the middle of the Parlung Tsangpo sits Bakha Gompa, an 800-year-old Nyingma monastery which was previously the seat of power in…
Eastern Tibet
The monastery (Fortress on the Lake) is a small Nyingmapa chapel tucked into the forest on a tiny islet off the shore of Draksum-tso. Associated with the…
Eastern Tibet
The monastery dates back 360 years, but was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution and rebuilt in 1981. It is now home to 53 monks. The main hall has…
Eastern Tibet
Ringed by mountains all around, the two largest of the three connected Rawok lakes are joined by a stream that on the map resembles an infinity symbol…
Eastern Tibet
This small Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect monastery with a stunning hilltop location was founded in the 17th century as a branch of Drepung Monastery. It was…
Eastern Tibet
This small, golden-roofed Bön monastery was rebuilt in 2008 after being gutted in a fire. It’s home to eight monks and is famous for a 2000-year-old…
Eastern Tibet
Around 500m back to the west from the Mid-lake Island Tourist Service Centre (湖心岛旅游服务中心, Húxīndǎo Lǚyóu Fúwù Zhōngxīn), climb a small hill to a viewing…
Eastern Tibet
This small Gelugpa monastery dates from the 7th century, when it was built at the command of King Songtsen Gampo as one of the demoness-subduing temples;…
Eastern Tibet
This Gelugpa monastery, dating to 1595, is home to 40 monks and nuns and is worth a visit if you have a couple of spare hours in Pasho. There's a daily…
Eastern Tibet
Two kilometres southeast of Bayi a stand of ancient cypress trees dot a steep but inviting hillside. The most venerable cypress is a reported 2500 years…
Eastern Tibet
Today the Nyingmapa school Dola Gompa Monastery is home to 32 monks and nuns. The older lower chapel dates to the 9th century, but was undergoing a…
Eastern Tibet
As the two resident monks explain, this Nyingmapa (Red Hat) sect monastery was founded in the 14th century when local monk Chu visited Lhasa's Jokhang…
Eastern Tibet
This small forested park contains a 200m-high waterfall. It's a beautiful, fresh area for an hour-long break. Note that, while the Chinese have built…
Eastern Tibet
These reconstructed towers, known as the Shuba Ancient Fort, stand off the old highway 7km east of Bahel. They are said to date from the reign of Songtsen…
Eastern Tibet
Riwoche Tsuglhakhang was founded in 1276 by Sangye On, who relocated to Kham after the death of his master Sangye Yarjon (1203–72), the third leader of…
Eastern Tibet
At 4800m this is one of Tibet’s highest monasteries, and its location, strung out along a ridgeline below a series of natural cliffs and caves, is one of…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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).
