Life on the Tibetan Plateau

Golok Holy Mountain Tour

Golok Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located in southeastern Qinghai province, in the Amdo region of Tibet. Over 90% of the 125,000 people who live in Golok are Tibetan. Most of the people in Golok are nomadic with many of them living in traditional style Tibetan tents. Most of Golok is well above 4000m / 13,120 feet so summers are short and winters are long and cold. Golok is famous across the Tibetan Plateau as being the home of Amnye Machen, one of the 4  main holy mountains of Tibet. Each year, thousands of pilgrims make their way to Amnye Machen (pictured above) to make a pilgrimage around the mountain. The trek around the mountain takes about 5 or 6 days. Amnye Machen rises 6282m / 20,605 feet and is the highest mountain in Amdo.

Another famous holy mountain in Golok is Nyenbo Yurtse. Nyenbo Yurtse is located in the remote far eastern corner of Golok prefecture and stand 5369m / 17,611 feet high. This mountain sees very few foreign travelers, but is possibly the most beautiful place in all of the northern Tibetan Plateau. A deep fresh water lake sits at the base of the mountain. Several rivers run into the lake. The area around Nyenbo Yurtse (pictured above) is excellent for hiking.

A tour to these 2 holy mountains takes between 9 and 11 days leaving from Xining. Here is a sample itinerary for this trip.

Day 1: Drive 110kms from Xining to Kumbum monastery and then to Guide (pictured above). Kumbum is one of the most famous monasteries in the Amdo region. Guide sits along the banks of the Yellow River and is surrounded by red earth mountains which are excellent for hiking.

Day 2: Drive 250kms from Guide to the monastery town of Rabgya (pictured below). Rabgya is a large Gelukpa sect monastery along the Yellow River. The monastery has around 500 monks and sits at the bottom of a mountain.

Day 3: Drive 75kms from Rabgya to the town of Machen (Dawu in Chinese). Machen is the capital town of Golok prefecture and is the starting point in going to Amnye Machen.

Day 4: Drive 90kms from Machen to the base camp of Amnye Machen at the small town of Xueshan (pictured below). This is the starting point for the pilgrimage around the holy mountain. You can camp for a night or two here if you want.

Day 5: Drive 250kms from Xueshan to Darlag. Darlag is a small town along the Yellow River. Along the way from Xueshan to Darlag, you pass through large grasslands full of nomads and yaks.

Day 6: Drive 220kms from Darlag to Nyenbo Yurtse base camp. Along the way you will pass several monasteries including Tarthang Monastery (pictured above). Camp at base camp.

Day 7: Spend the day hiking around Nyenbo Yurtse. Camp at base camp.

Day 8: Drive 480kms from Nyenbo Yurtse to Huashixia in western Golok prefecture. You will cross over several sections of the Yellow River (pictured below) as well as several nomad camps.

Day 9: Drive 330kms from Huashixia to Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China.

Day 10: Drive from Qinghai Lake back to Xining.

This is just an example itinerary for this route. It can be modified in any way.

If you have any questions about this or any other tour in Tibet, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com. Look here for more pictures from this trip.

Tibet Travel Update

Lhasa and the rest of the Tibet Autonomous Region along with the Tibetan regions found in Sichuan and Gansu provinces remain closed at this time. No date has been set for these areas to reopen. There are a lot of rumors out there on when things will open up, but nothing official has been said by the government.

The only Tibetan areas that are open are those found in Qinghai (except in and around Repkong) and Yunnan provinces. These areas, especially Yushu and Golog prefectures in Qinghai, are great places to see traditional Tibetan culture. No permits are needed to travel in these provinces. There are a lot of police checkpoints in Qinghai, but all Tibetan areas are open.

One thing I recently found out is that foreign travelers can take the bus from Shangri-La in Yunnan (formerly known as Zhongdian) to Kangding in Sichuan and then on to Chengdu. This route can only be done starting in Shangri-La...NOT starting from Chengdu. From the reports that I have heard, you have to stay on the bus all the way to Chengdu so you don't really have a chance to really visit the areas in between. But, this is good news for those people who are wanting to go overland from Yunnan to Sichuan through Tibetan areas. If you have any questions about travel on the Tibetan Plateau, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com

Spring Snow on the Northern Plateau

Spring snow on the northern Tibetan Plateau is very common. Much of the northern plateau is over 4000m / 13,120 feet, with many areas over 4500m / 14,760 feet, so snow in late spring and even early summer happens. Most of the Tibetan Plateau remains closed at this time to foreign travelers, but the regions in Qinghai and Yunnan are open. Once you leave the area around Xining, the population of Qinghai is predominantly Tibetan. That is especially true of the prefectures of Yushu (southern Qinghai) and Golog (southeastern Qinghai). These 2 prefectures have a total population of around 400,000 and Tibetans make up over 93% of the population. I spent the first 2 weeks of May traveling through these two prefectures. We ran into a severe snow storm about 3 hours south of Xining which caused us to stop and stay the night at a hotel. The snow provided opportunities for some great pictures. The top picture is taken about 75kms / 47 miles north of Mado at a small monastery.

This next picture is taken of the grasslands in Mado county in Golog prefecture. It was around -12C  / 10F that morning, but the bright sun made it feel a little warmer. The nomad Tibetans in the area were just about ready to untie their yaks to have them graze in this area.

This third picture is of a nomad woman herding her yaks through the snow. Nomads on the northern Tibetan Plateau lead difficult lives as the weather is cold and snowy for up to 10 months out of the year. Many of the nomads in this area live in traditional style Tibetan tents.

If you have any questions about traveling through the open regions of the Tibetan Plateau, please send us an email at info@tibetanconnections.com

Some Tibetan Regions Now Open

While the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and the Tibetan prefectures in Sichuan and Gansu remain closed, all 6 Tibetan prefectures in Qinghai province are officially open. I made phone calls all across the province yesterday and everyone said that foreign travelers are permitted to travel in Yushu, Golog, Huangnan, Haibei, Hainan and Haixi prefectures in Qinghai. There are still many checkpoints in these areas, but you shouldn't have any problems traveling. The only area in Qinghai that may cause some problems is in and around Rebkong (Tongren) in Huangnan prefecture. I have heard mixed reports of some people being able to go there without any problems and some stories of people being questioned by the police. The main bus station in Xining will sell you tickets to go to any of the Tibetan prefectures in Qinghai.

The Tibetan prefecture of Dechen (Diqing) in northwest Yunnan is also open, but can only be reached coming from the south (ie. Lijiang, Dali, Kunming) and not from the north (ie. Sichuan). It is possible to fly from Kunming to Zhongdian (Shangrila), but you cannot continue on into Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan.

Even though a large portion of the Tibetan world of western China is still closed, there are now some places that are open, which is good news! The Tibetan regions in Qinghai, especially Golog and Yushu, are some of the best places on the Tibetan Plateau to see authentic Tibetan culture. If you are interested in visiting these areas, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com.

Tibet Not Reopening May 1st

It appears that there is another setback on the reopening of Tibet. This is really no surprise. With the events that are happening around the globe regarding the Olympic Torch Relay, this comes as no surprise.

Yahoo News ran this article regarding the reopening of Tibet. Tibet will not be reopening on May 1st as many of us had hoped. Right now there is no date on when it will reopen. Right now, it doesn't look like Lhasa will open until at least late May, but even that may not happen. There are some rumors that say Lhasa may not open again until after the Olympics (just a rumor though).

If you have any questions regarding travel in Tibet, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com. We try to stay current on all the travel regulations for the Tibetan areas of western China.

Tibet To Reopen To Travelers??

UPDATE April 18: The Tibetan regions in Qinghai ARE OPEN. The Tibetan regions in Sichuan, Gansu and in the Tibet Autonomous Region are NOT open. The Tibetan regions in northwest Yunnan are also open.

A few weeks ago the Shanghai Daily reported that Tibet will open again beginning on May 1st. The China Daily reported the same story saying that both foreign and domestic tourists would be allowed back into Lhasa starting on May 1st. However, THIS HAS CHANGED. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) WILL NOT BE OPENING on May 1st. Right now there is no date set for the reopening of Lhasa, the TAR or the Tibetan regions found in Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

The only Tibetan regions of western China that are open to foreign travelers are those in Qinghai province and in Yunnan province. If you have any questions about travel in these areas or anywhere on the Tibetan Plateau, please email us at
lhasapermits@tibetanconnections.com or at info@tibetanconnections.com

We try to have all the current travel news concerning all Tibetan regions of western China.

Travel Update in Tibet

Friday morning I spent a couple of hours talking to PSB offices, hotels and other businesses in the Tibetan regions of Kham and Amdo (Qinghai, Western Sichuan and southwest Gansu provinces). Here is the current information as of March 28:

Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (Amdo) in Gansu remains very difficult/impossible to get to. There are numerous checkpoints along the way from Lanzhou and Xining to Labrang (Xiahe). From Lanzhou you probably will only make it as far as Linxia before you will be forced to turn around. I talked to several travelers who tried to take the bus from Lanzhou to Labrang and they were kindly asked to step off the bus at a checkpoint in Linxia.The situation in Labrang, Luchu (Luqu) and Machu (Maqu) remains tense. Going from Xining, there are checkpoints in Adai, which is only about 40kms south east of the Xining heading towards Rebkong (Tongren). If you somehow manage to make it past this checkpoint, there are still several others along the way. The biggest checkpoint is when you come down from the grasslands of Gangya (Ganjia) in to the Xiahe valley. There is a huge checkpoint there and it is not possible to get past it unless you have a valid foreign resident visa that was issued from the Xiahe county PSB.

Ngawa (Aba) Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (Amdo) in northern Sichuan still has several areas where unrest is being reported. I wasn't able to find out any "official" information, but all the businesses say that it is "not advised" to travel through this area.

Huangnan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (Amdo) in eastern Qinghai remains difficult to get to. There was a lot of unrest at the monasteries in and around Rebkong (Tongren). The bus station in Xining will sell you tickets to go to Rebkong, but the chances of you getting there are slim.

Golok (Guoluo) Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (Amdo) in southeastern Qinghai is closed. This area is closed not only because of protests, but also because of heavy snow in the area. The roads through this prefecture are extremely dangerous. Our travel agency partners with an NGO that is delivering relief aid (blankets, food, clothing) to the area and a volunteer was killed earlier this month in a car accident because of the heavy snow.

Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (Kham) appears to be open. All of the hotels in the area report being able to let foreigners stay. Though there are checkpoints along the way from Xining down to Jyekundo, it seems that foreigners are being permitted to enter the area. There have been no violent uprisings in Yushu. There have been several silent protests, but nothing violent. If you do go tho this area, there is still a fair chance that you could be turned around by a checkpoint along the way, but officially it is open.

Ganze (Ganzi) Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (Kham) officially is open, but unofficially seems to be closed if trying to go there from Chengdu. I have talked to many people who have been turned around to Chengdu while enroute to western Sichuan. I talked to police and hotels in Derge, Litang, Dartsedo (Kangding) and Batang and they all said that foreigners were permitted to stay in these areas, but also said that police along the way might turn foreigners around and make them return to Chengdu. The PSB in Dartsedo said that foreigners were allowed to be in the town and go to Minya Gonka (Gongga Shan). My advice for those who are trying to get to western Sichuan is to start from Xining. Take the bus from Xining to Jyekundo and then continue on into western Sichuan. The bus station across from the San Jiang Yuan Hotel in Jyekundo has bus services to most major towns in western Sichuan (Shiqu, Ganze, Dartsedo and even all the way to Chengdu). This is much longer than going from Chengdu, but your chances of traveling in the area are much higher.

The Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Dechen (Diqing) in northwest Yunnan province (Kham) is open to foreign tourists.

The situation is most of the areas in Kham and Amdo remains tense. Every Tibetan town in this area has many soldiers patrolling the streets. Even though many of these areas report being open, you may or may not be able to enter them. The main PSB offices in Xining, Chengdu and Lanzhou will have up-to-date travel information, but even they cannot say if the police in the Tibetan town you are trying to get to will let you enter or not. If you try and enter these Tibetan areas and they are closed, you will not be fined or detained. You will simply be told to turn around and return to the city.

Travel in the Tibet Autonomous Region (Central Tibet) remains completely closed. The government is not issuing any travel permits at this time meaning it is not possible to fly or take the train to Lhasa. There is no time table on when the government will begin issuing permits again to go to Lhasa. I am hoping that things will be back to normal within the next few weeks, but it could take much longer. Check back here for further updates.

Rivers of Tibet

Tibet is the starting point for many of Asia's most important rivers. The Mekong River (pictured above) has its headwaters in Dzado county in the Kham region of Tibet. In Tibet, the Mekong River is known as the Dza Chu. From Tibet, the Mekong flows south through Yunnan province in China and then forms the border area of northern Thailand, northwest Laos and eastern Myanmar (the Golden Triangle area). From there it flows south through Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam before dumping into the South China Sea. The Mekong is the 11th longest river in the world with a total distance of 4880kms / 3032 miles (estimate).

The Salween (Nu) River begins in central Tibet and flows south through Myanmar and Thailand before ending in the Andaman Sea. Its total length is 2815kms / 1760 miles. The Yellow River (pictured above) begins in the northern Kham. It is known as the Ma Chu in Tibetan. From the Tibetan Plateau, the Yellow River flows through China. It is considered the "cradle" of Chinese civilization. The Yellow River is the 6th longest river in the world with a length of 5464 kilometers / 3398 miles. Along the headwaters, the Yellow River is very clean, but by the time it works its way through the central and eastern regions of China, the river is quite polluted.

The Yangtze River (pictured above) is known as the Dri Chu in Tibet. It is the longest river in Asia and the third longest in the world after the Nile and Amazon Rivers. The Yangtze River extends 6300kms / 3938 miles across Tibet and China before ending in the Pacific Ocean near Shanghai. During the winter, the Yangtze is frozen along the headwater regions in Tibet. The picture above was taken in early December with large ice pieces having already formed.

The Tsangpo River is the most important river found in central Tibet. The Tsangpo flows through the fertile Yarlung Valley. The river originates near the holy mountain of Kailash in west Tibet. As it flows east, it passes through many deep canyons. It is a very popular river for whitewater rafting and kayaking. After passing through Tibet, the Tsangpo turns south and flows through India, where is is known as the Brahmaputra River.

Rivers in Tibet originate high up in the world's highest mountains and flow down through the numerous valleys of China, India and Southeast Asia. Downstream many of these rivers are quite polluted, but at their sources in Tibet they remain clean, pure and beautiful. This last picture is of the Tongtian River near Jyekundo, which is a segment of the Yangtze River.

Tibetan Sky Burial

Sky burial is a unique part of Tibetan culture. It is specifically found among Buddhist peoples' of the Himalaya region. I have wanted to write an article about it for quite some time, but have put it off until now.

Sky burial is a very private matter. Unfortunately, over the past 6 years of living in the greater Tibet area I have heard stories of foreigners showing up while a sky burial is being performed and taking pictures. Why they would want to take pictures at a funeral, particularly a sky burial funeral, is beyond me. I have delayed in writing about sky burials because I have not wanted to have more foreigners interfere with them. But, I feel now is an appropriate time to write a little about it.

This top picture is of a sky burial in Batang near the city of Jyekundo in the Kham region of Tibet.

I have a good Tibetan friend of mine who recently wrote an in depth report about sky burial. Though I have read several books concerning the matter, much of this article will be based on information from this friend of mine. I personally have never been to a sky burial while it is taking place. I would NEVER go unless it was for a Tibetan friend of mine and I was personally invited by the family. If I were invited to a sky burial, under no circumstance would I take pictures of it. It is much to personal to be captured on film. All the pictures on this article are from sky burial sites, but NOT when one was in progress.

There are 4 main types of burial in Tibetan culture, with sky burial being the most common. The other 3 types are water burial, ground burial and fire burial. Sky burial sites are found all over Tibet. Nearly every town will have a sky burial site in the mountains outside of town. The most famous places for sky burials are the monasteries of Drigung and Ganden in central Tibet. When a Tibetan person dies, usually monks come to the home and pray for the deceased for 3 days. During this time the body is left untouched. Most Tibetans I have talked to  say it is not appropriate to show sadness or grief during this time. After the body has been prayed for, it is wrapped in white cloth and then moved to the sky burial site. Many sky burial sites will have a small temple nearby. The monks who perform sky burials often live in the small temple. These monks are trained specifically to perform the tasks involving sky burial. Tools that are used for sky burial include large knives, small axes and a sledgehammer.

Once the body reaches the sky burial site, it is unwrapped. The monks put on white aprons and take out their razor sharp knives.  Members of the family, usually the men, will stand off to the side while the monks begin cutting the body into small pieces. The body is cut on a large stone (pictured above). Once the cutting of the body begins, it does not take long for the vultures to come. They begin circling above the body and then fly down to the ground in anticipation of being fed. Vultures are considered to be holy to Tibetans. Many Tibetans have told me that the vultures that consume the bodies during sky burial eat nothing else. They only eat dead bodies. 

Once the body is finished being cut up, the vultures (pictured above feeding on a dead horse) are given the body. It does not take long for the body to be consumed. Usually, the body is gone within a half an hour. The bones that are left over are crushed with a sledgehammer and mixed with tsamba (barley flour) and then fed to the birds again. by the time it is all over, nothing is left of the body except for maybe small bone fragments, some hair and a few small pieces of skin.

Sky burial is one of the most interesting aspects of Tibetan culture. The process varies slightly in the different regions of Tibet. If you happen to be invited to one, it is definitely not something that needs to be captured on film. The greatest of respect needs to be shown during a sky burial. The pictures I have posted are pictures of sky burial sites when a funeral was not in progress. Try to avoid going to sky burials uninvited. I have heard of several stories of Tibetans becoming quite angry and even violent when people show up uninvited.

Traditional Tibetan Stoves

Traditional Tibetan stoves are made from mud and bricks. They sit in the middle of the tent. Flaps in the tent above the stove can be opened for ventilation. These type of stoves are becoming more difficult to find as more nomads are choosing to use stoves made from metal. Mud-brick stoves are not difficult to make. They generally take less than a day to build. Besides making minor repairs, the stoves should last for 5 to 7 years before having to be rebuilt. Since most of Tibet is treeless, especially the interior of Tibet, dried yak dung is the only fuel that is used. Collecting yak dung is a very important chore.

Stoves are kept burning nearly all day. Water, along with milk tea or butter tea, are always on the stove. All meals are cooked on these stoves. Winters are extremely cold in most of Tibet so the stoves serve as the only means of heating the tent. Traditional mud-brick stoves are not portable. So when a nomad family prepares to move to a new pasture, the stove is left behind. Nomads usually rotate between 2 and 4 pastures each year and each pasture will have a mud-brick stove. During the morning and evenings  families will gather around the stove to talk about the days coming or passing events (pictures above).

Traditional mud-brick stoves are not easy to find anymore. Modern metal stoves can be easily packed on the back of yaks and moved. Metal stoves are also reasonably priced. This last picture is of a small modern stove inside a nomad tent.

Lakes of Tibet

There are thousands of lakes across the Tibetan Plateau. Most geologists believe that the plateau was covered by the ocean in the past. When the ocean retreated, it left innumerable lakes behind. Many of the lakes are salt water lakes. Most of the lakes, especially on the northern Tibetan Plateau, are frozen for many months of the year. Qinghai Lake (known also as Tso Ngonpo in Tibetan and as Kokonor in Mongolian) is the largest lake in China. There are numerous lakes that are considered to be holy to Tibetan people such as Yamdrok Lake, Yilhun Lha Lake and Lake Manasarovar (Mapham Yum Tso). It is common to see pilgrims walking around these holy lakes prostrating every 6 steps.

This first picture is of Ngoring Tso (lake) in remote western Amdo. It is one of the main sources of the Ma Chu (Yellow River) which extends across China. Ngoring sits at 4350m / 14,270 feet above sea level.

Nam Tso is one of the most popular lakes that travelers to Tibet visit. It is located 3.5 hours north of Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. Nam Tso sits at 4718m / 15,479 feet above sea level. A sign near the lake entrance states that the lake is the "highest in the world", but that is untrue. There are many lakes in Tibet that are higher than Nam Tso. The snow-capped mountains surrounding Nam Tso make it one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet.

This picture of Nam Tso was taken in early May with most of the ice being melted.

Ku Tso is a small lake in northern Amdo, Tibet. It lies off of Highway 214 which goes through eastern Tibet. There are no towns near Ku Tso and only a handful of nomad Tibetans in the area. The lake is 4000m / 13,120 feet above sea level. The mountains around the lake are usually snow-capped.

This picture was taken in early October just after the mountains received fresh snow.

Yilhun Lha Lake is one of the most famous and beautiful lakes in the Kham region. It sits just west of the small town of Manigango. The lake sits next to the Chola mountains which rise to over 6100m / 20,000 feet. The lake itself sits at about 4100m / 13,450 feet. Yilhun Lha Tso is an excellent place to go hiking and camping. Unlike most lakes on the plateau, there are actually a few trees around Yilhun Lha Tso.

This picture was taken in early September.

Qinghai Lake (Tso Ngonpo in Tibetan and Kokonor in Mongolian) is the largest lake on the Tibetan Plateau and the largest in China. It is in the far northeast corner of the Amdo region of Tibet. It sits at 3200m / 10,500 feet. Numerous nomads live around the lake. Qinghai Lake is a salt lake and is covered in thick ice during the brutally cold winters. This lake is one of the largest tourist attractions in all of the greater Tibet area. Large groups of tourists can be found here during the summer months.

Yamdrok Lake lies at 4450m / 14,600 feet above sea level. The lake is in southern Tibet between the cities of Lhasa and Gyantse. Mt. Nojin Kangtsang at 7191m / 23,600 feet lies near Yamdrok Lake. Yamdrok is a large lake that is shaped somewhat like a scorpion. Most people visit Yamdrok enroute to Mt. Everest or Nepal, but it is possible to stay the night in the town of Nangartse, the closest town to the lake.
 

Kyaring Lake is found less than 10kms from Ngoring Lake (pictured at the top) in western Amdo. These two lakes supply most of the water to the Yellow River. Kyaring Lake, 4350m / 14,270 feet above sea level, is difficult to get to since there are only dirt paths leading to it. It is frozen for the entire winter and even into the spring. This picture was taken in early May and there are large portions covered in ice.

Tibetan Women

Tibetan women usually lead a more difficult life than Tibetan men. Tibetan women are in charge of most of the household chores. Nomad women wake up early in the morning to collect yak dung to be dried. Since most of Tibet is treeless, yak dung is dried and used as fuel for fires. Women milk the yaks before the men or children take them up the mountains to graze. Women are also in charge of cooking the meals and taking care of the children.

This first picture is of an old pilgrim in front of Jokhang Temple in Lhasa.

Tibetan women can often be found holding a prayer wheel in one hand and a set of prayer beads in the other. The older Tibetan women get, the more time they spend holding these items.

Tibetans are very hospitable. I have entered over a hundred Tibetans homes over the years and each one I was greeted by a woman giving me a cup of milk or butter tea. Along with tea, the women also offer fresh bread, momo's or dried yak meat to their guests.

This second picture is of a nomad woman and her daughter near Chumarleb (Qumalai) in Kham.

Tibetan women who live in remote rural areas still  wear traditional clothes. Tibetan coats (called chuba) are long and are lined with sheep furs on the outside. In some areas of Tibet, women will wear sheep fur lined hats as well. In many cultures women are responsible for making clothes, but in most of the Tibetan homes I have visited men have been the ones who make clothes.

This third picture is taken near Ngoring Lake in Amdo.

It is still common for Tibetan women who come from nomad families to get married at age 16 or 17. Tibetans who live in larger towns and are able to go to high school or even college usually wait until they are 22 to 25 before getting married.

Though Han (Chinese) people are only able to have one child, Tibetans and other minority groups in China are allowed to have two and sometimes three children. In remote areas of Tibet, it is common to see Tibetan families with up to 6 children.

This fourth picture is taken near Jyekundo in Kham.

This last picture is of a woman sitting along the steps of Drepung Monastery in Lhasa.

Friendship Highway Tour: Lhasa to Everest or Kathmandu

The route from Lhasa to the Nepal border or to Everest Base Camp is the most popular route travelers take in Tibet. This route is along the Friendship Highway which connects Lhasa with the Nepal capital city of Kathmandu. Though this route has become very popular with foreign tourists from China and the rest of the world, it is still an excellent route to take with many interesting things to see. The best way to do this journey is to fly to one of the large cities on the east coast of China such as Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou and then make your way to Xining. There are daily flights as well as trains that connect these 3 cities with Xining. Xining (known as Silang in Tibetan) is on the far northeast corner of the Tibetan Plateau in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. The 14th Dalai Lama's birthplace is located just east of Xining. From Xining, you can take the train to Lhasa in about 24 hours. In Xining it is usually easier to get train tickets to Lhasa then in the larger cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai or Guangzhou. All together, a a trip going by train from Xining to Lhasa and then a 4WD trip down the Friendship Highway takes between 8 and 10 days. Here is what that trip looks like:

Day 1: Take the train from Xining (elevation 2300m) to Lhasa (ele. 3600m). The train takes just over 24 hours and goes through the Tibetan areas of Amdo (northeast Qinghai province) before heading south through Golmud, Nagchu and arriving in Lhasa. The scenery along this route is stunning. There are 3 classes of tickets for the train: Soft sleeper, hard sleeper and seat. Both sleeper classes are comfortable. Only take the seat if there are no sleeper tickets available. The picture below is of Jokhang Temple.

Day 2: Arrive in Lhasa from Xining. Most of the trains from Xining and the rest of China arrive in Lhasa between 6:30pm and 10:30pm.

Day 3: Stay in Lhasa. You can go to the famous sights in Lhasa such as The Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera Monastery, The Norbulinka, Drepung Monastery and Barkhor Square. It is wise to spend at least a few nights in Lhasa to acclimatize before heading to higher elevation places along the Friendship Highway.

Day 4: Stay in Lhasa.

Day 5: Go from Lhasa to Gyantse (ele. 3900m) via Yam Drok Lake. Yam Drok Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes in Tibet. The lakes sits at 4450m and has an excellent view of Mt. Nojin Kangtsang which rises to 7191m. From the lake, you will descend down to the city of Gyantse, which is home to the Gyantse Kumbum, the largest stupa (chorten) in Tibet. In Gyantse, you can also visit the the historic hilltop military fort. There are several good hotel options in Gyantse. The picture below is of Yamdrok Lake.

Day 6: Go from Gyantse to Shigatse (ele. 3900m). Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet and is home of Tashilhunpo Monastery. There is excellent hiking around the monastery and several good markets in town to purchase souvenirs. There are many hotels to choose from from budget to 4 star.

Day 7: Go from Shigatse to the small town of Shegar (also known as New Tingri). Shegar (ele. 4200m) is a small town with not a lot to do, but it serves as a good point to spend the night at before making the final approach to Mt Everest Base Camp. On the drive from Shigatse to Shegar, there are good views of the Himalaya Mountains. Accommodations in Shegar are limited to basic guesthouses. The picture below is at the Kumbum chorten in Gyantse.

Day 8: Drive from Shegar to Mt. Everest Base Camp (ele. 5200m). The drive to Base Camp crosses over a high mountain pass which gives an excellent sweeping view of the Himalaya's. Rongbhu Monastery, the highest monastery in the world at 5000m, is 8km before base camp. There is a small guesthouse at the monastery as well as another one across from the monastery. During the summer months there are tents available at Base Camp which you can rent. The picture below is taken at Rongbhu Monastery with Mt. Everest in the background.

Day 9a: With Day 9 there are two options to choose from. The first option is to go from Mt. Everest Base Camp to the Nepal border at the small town of Dram (known as Zhangmu in Chinese). The border is not open 24 hours so you may have to spend the night here and then cross the border the next morning. You can cross the foot bridge over the border into Nepal and then take a bus or taxi into Kathmandu. Our 4WD vehicles will not be able to cross the border into Nepal. From the border to Kathmandu will take around 4 hours. There are several decent guesthouses to choose from in Zhangmu with places to exchange money into Nepali rupees.

Day 9b: The other option is to return to Lhasa from Mt. Everest Base Camp. Day 9 you would begin to go back to Lhasa. You would go from Mt. Everest to the small town of Lhatse or Shigatse.

Day 10: Return to Lhasa. The picture below is of the Yarlung Valley found just outside of Lhasa.

This itinerary is just a suggestion and can be modified in any way. You can choose to stay longer or shorter in any place along the Friendship Highway. The types of vehicles used for this journey are usually 4WD Toyota Land Cruisers, but larger vehicles such as vans or mini buses can also be arranged for larger groups. For more information about this journey through the Himalaya region of Tibet, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com.

Go here for more pictures of this trip.

Tibetan Grandma with Grandson

This was one of my favorite pictures I took in 2007. This was taken in late October in northern Kham near the Bayan Kala Mountain Pass which divides Kham province from Amdo province. Like most nomads in this area, they live in their yak hair tent (seen in the back) year round. Though it was only early winter, the temperature was -7C/20F during the day. This Tibetan woman was in her late 50's and her grandson was 6. It is difficult to get an exact age for older Tibetans since most of them do not know their birthdays. This family was poor. They had only around 10 head of yak, which is quite small in Tibet. They had no electricity, no running water and lived several hours from any town.

Tibetan Men

Tibetan men typically lead simple lives. For nomads, much of life consists of taking the yaks up and down the mountain to graze. Men are in charge of periodically going to the nearest town to buy supplies such as medicine, vegetables or clothes. They also are the spiritual leaders of the family. They are in charge of educating the family about Buddhism and leading the family in Buddhist scripture reading, praying and pilgrimages to holy places. Traditionally men are also responsible for making homemade clothes such as coats (chuba) and boots. This first picture is of a yak herder from Drido (Zhiduo) county in Kham.

Tibetan men can come across as looking ferocious or violent, but in reality most of them are very kind and fun loving. You can tell which region of Tibet men come from by the types of clothing or accessories they are wearing. Men from Kham often wear a red or black sash woven in their long hair. Amdo men have a cross design along the bottom of their chuba's (long Tibetan coat). Tibetan men from all regions carry a set of prayer beads on them either around their neck, around their wrist or in their hand. Knives (more like swords in some regions of Tibet) are found their sides. An amulet or picture of the Dalai Lama is worn around the necks of more fervent followers of Buddhism. In remote regions of Tibet, men wear boots made of yak skin. In other regions of Tibet they wear Chinese made shoes or boots. Men, especially in Shigatse and other towns in Tsang, like to drink homemade alcohol called  "chang" (pronounced as "chong" in some dialects). Alcoholism is a major problem among many men. With the relocation of many nomads into towns, gambling and fighting are becoming bigger problems as well. Over the past 5+ years, I have had the privilege of meeting many men from all across Tibet. Almost always I have found them to be very hospitable, generous and having a good sense of humor. This second picture was taken in Chamdo (Changdu) county in Kham.

In the northern regions of Tibet above 4000m, winters are brutally cold with temperatures dropping to -30C or colder. Men wear full length chuba's lined with sheep fur. The sleeves on these coats are overly long usually extending down to the knee. Men in these regions wear hats lined with fox fur. Even their boots are lined with fur. When it becomes "warm" (warm could be -10C / 14F to a nomad!), men will take their right arm out of their coat and let the coat sleeve hang down. In the summer time, they will take both arms out of their coat and wrap the sleeves around their waist (such as in the 2nd picture). This third picture is of a man from Mado (Maduo) county in Amdo.

Even with all the change that has occurred in Tibet over the past 50 years, there are still a lot of monks living in monasteries. Tibetan monks live in one of the more than 2000 monasteries found across the Tibetan regions of the TAR, Qinghai, western Sichuan, southwest Gansu and northwest Yunnan. Monks often begin living at a monastery as young as age 6 and spend the rest of their lives there. This picture is at Sera monastery in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa during a monk debate (monk debates take place at many monasteries across Tibet, but most foreigners are only familiar with the debates at Sera). Monks are easily identifiable in Tibet by the maroon colored robes that they wear.

This last picture is of a Kham man on a pilgrimage to the Derge (Dege) Barkhang Printing Press which makes most of the hand made Tibetan scriptures found in monasteries across Tibet. He is holding a huge prayer wheel in one hand and a set of prayer beads in the other. It is very common to see men (and women) holding both of these while walking around a holy place. This man is wearing a black sash woven in his long hair with his chuba wrapped around his waist (the picture was taken in the summer).

Shigatse

Shigatse is the second largest city in Tibet. It is located 265kms / 166 miles southwest of the capital city of Lhasa in the traditional Tibetan province of Tsang. It has a population of around 80,000. Shigatse is the name of a city, county and prefecture. Shigatse prefecture has 18 counties and borders Nepal on the south. Mt. Everest, the highest mountain on earth, is found in Shigatse prefecture. Shigatse sits at 3900m / 12,795 feet. Shigatse, like many regions of Tibet, has under went major modernization over the past few decades. Though the train line in Tibet does not extend to Shigatse currently, it will in the future. The Chinese government has plans to extend the Tibetan Plateau railway to Shigatse within the next few years. The only way to reach Shigatse is by road. In 2004 it took nearly 7 hours to drive from Lhasa to Shigatse. Now it can be done in less than 3 hours. The road between the two main cities in Tibet is  one of the best in the country.

The main attraction in Shigatse is Tashilhunpo Monastery. This is one of the most important Gelug sect monasteries in Tibet and is home of the Panchen Rinpoche (Lama). Even though there is really only one attraction to see in Shigatse, it is worth going to. The kora (circular path) around the monastery is great to take and offers some excellent views of the city. There are a lot of hiking options in the mountains surrounding Shigatse. There are several good hotels to stay at in Shigatse and plenty of decent restaurants to choose from. Because of the strict travel rules within the Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (TAR), the only way to legally go to Shigatse is through a travel agency. Traveling by public bus from Lhasa to Shigatse is not allowed for foreigners, though some people are able to purchase tickets.

Shigatse is a city full of history and culture. Most people who go to Shigatse only stay for a day or two as part of a week long trip to Mt. Everest or the Nepal border. If you like hiking, there is enough to keep you busy for several days, otherwise two full days is enough to see everything.

For more information about going to Shigatse or Tsang province, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com.

Different Seasons in Tibet

Winters in many areas of Tibet are extremely cold with low temperatures plunging to -30C (-22F) or colder. Winters are dry and what little flora is found turns brown. Summers, though short, are very pleasant. Rains come in late spring (and can last through the summer) and give the grasslands of Tibet a bright green color. In this post I am going to show pictures of a few places in the summer and what they look like in the winter. This first set of pictures are taken in Nangchen county about 25kms / 16 miles south of Sharda heading towards Riwoche county . The top picture is in the summer while the bottom one is taken in late fall. The color contrast is quite remarkable.

Most of the Kham region of Tibet receives a lot of rain in the late spring and summer. This area is often referred to as "the bread basket of Tibet" because of the many farms and fertile, irrigated soil. Kham is one of the only regions of Tibet which has forests. The second set of pictures are taken at the Princess Wencheng Temple 20kms / 13 miles south of Jyekundo. This is taken along a pilgrim path around a mountain above the temple looking out at the snowcapped mountains in the distance. Tibetan prayer flags are strung up everywhere. This area is great for hiking and has excellent views.

This last set of pictures is of a valley near Bathang. In the top picture the valley is bright green with a little snow on the mountains in the background. The last picture was taken in the early winter. The grass has all turned brown.

Remote Tibet

Though Tibet has been undergoing massive development over the past 50 years (especially over the past 10 years), there are still a lot of places that are pretty much untouched. I love all of Tibet, but the small towns way out in the middle of nowhere that nobody ever goes to are my favorite. The Tibetan culture in these towns is often still very much intact, which is something that is becoming more difficult to find in Tibet. Often these remote places of Tibet have no towns. There is just a wide expanse of mountains or grasslands. The only people that you might find would be nomads living in yak hair tents. The picture above is taken between the small towns of Nagchu (Naqu) and Amdo (Anduo). A bridge from the new train line to Lhasa can be seen in the distance.

If you do travel to the remote areas of Tibet, be prepared. These regions are still very undeveloped. Accommodations are limited to basic guesthouses with no running water or heat. All guesthouses will have blankets, though they are not always clean. Most of the remote areas of Tibet are above 4000m / 13,150 feet and are very cold in the winter. It may be a good idea to take a sleeping bag or a sleeping bag liner so that you don't have to sleep with dirty, smelly blankets. There are no showers and bathrooms are usually outhouses that are not connected to the guesthouse. There will not be any English speakers, so having some basic Tibetan phrases will be useful. Food options will also be limited. If you are in a very remote area (Ngari, Nagchu and parts of Yushu prefecture), there may not be any markets selling fresh fruits or vegetables. If there are restaurants, they will probably only serve a few different items. Bottled water is almost always available, even in the smallest of towns. The picture above is near Damshung (Dangxiong).

As I often have written on this site, the remote regions of Tibet will allow you to see authentic, traditional Tibetan culture that you can't find in the cities and towns of Tibet. Most of these remote regions are well over 95% Tibetan. Though they are difficult to get to and have little or no tourist infrastructure, they are well worth going to. The biggest problem is that most guidebooks don't cover these areas. If you do enough research (you can start by reading more through this site) you can find information on the lesser visited places of Tibet. The picture above is near Chumarleb (Qumalai).

This last picture is taken on the northside of the Tang Gu La pass.

Mt.Everest Base Camp: The North Face Of Everest

Getting to the summit of Mt. Everest was the goal of many mountain climbers during the first half of the 20th century. Many died in their attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world. Everest, known as Chomolangma (or Qomolangma) in Tibetan, was first scaled by the team of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Since then, the mountain has been summited nearly 4000 times. The top of Everest sits at 8848m / 29,028 feet. The base camp of Everest on the Tibet side sits at 5200m / 17,060 feet. The picture above is taken from Rongbuk monastery at 5000m.

I have been fortunate enough to go to Base Camp several times over the past few years. Most of these pictures were taken from a trip there during the winter of 2006. While the coldest time of year to go to Everest is the winter, it also is the best time to get clear pictures. I have been at Base Camp in the winter when it has been -25C (-40C with wind chill) and I have  been there when it has been  -5C.  If the sun is shining, it will probably feel much warmer than what it actually is. The sun at 5200m is quite intense. Sunburns can happen very quickly if you aren't prepared.                                           

Most people who travel to Everest take 5 to 7 days to make the journey from Lhasa to Everest and back. The most popular stops along the way are at Yam Drok Lake, Gyantse, Shigatse and Sakya monastery before arriving at Base Camp. This is one of the most popular routes that travelers take in Tibet. While this route is on the well worn tourist path, it is a great one to take. The views of the Himalaya are stunning. There is no public transportation going to Mt. Everest. All travel to the area must be arranged through a travel agency.

If you are planning a trip to Everest, let us know. We can arrange tickets on the new train to Lhasa as well as arrange your trip to the world's highest mountain. We can make getting to the Himalaya's easy and hassle free. If you have any questions regarding Everest Base Camp, please email us at info@tibetanconnections.com.