Shigatse
One of the few monasteries in Tibet to weather the stormy seas of the Cultural Revolution, Tashilhunpo remains relatively unscathed. It is a pleasure to…
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Shigatse
Tibet’s second-largest city and the traditional capital of Tsang province, Shigatse (གཞི་ཀ་རྩེ་; 日喀则; Rìkāzé) is a modern, sprawling city, with wide boulevards humming with traffic. As you drive in across the plains, the sight of the Potala-lookalike Shigatse Dzong, high on a hilltop overlooking the town, will probably fire your imagination, but the fort is empty and most of what you see dates from a 2007 reconstruction. It is Tashilhunpo Monastery that is the real draw here. Since the Mongol sponsorship of the Gelugpa order in the 17th century, Tashilhunpo has been the seat of the Panchen Lama, the second most important spiritual figure in Tibetan Buddhism after the Dalai Lama.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Shigatse
It’s a treat for the traveller when a sight is both a pleasure to explore and of great artistic importance. Such is Shalu Monastery, which dates back to…
Summer Palace of the Panchen Lamas
Shigatse
Though it ranks far below Tashilhunpo, if you have extra time in Shigatse, pay a visit to this walled palace complex at the southwestern end of town. The…
Shigatse
Just a few kilometres outside of Shigatse, this 12th-century Kadampa monastery is famed for wood-block printing the Nartang canon in the 18th century…
Shigatse
Once the residence of the kings of Tsang and later the governor of Tsang, very little remained of this dzong (fort) after it was destroyed in the popular…
Shigatse
Locals make merry at this park on the eastern side of Shigatse. Grab a bottle of Lhasa Beer and join them. There are a couple of dozen tents where people…
Shigatse
This tiny, ancient chapel in Shigatse's Tibetan old town houses a building-sized prayer wheel and is home to two monks.
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