Lonely Planet China
Page 195
Beside the Gang Gyan Orchard Hotel, 100m down a side alley, this workshop hires and trains impoverished women to weave high-quality wool carpets. Upon arrival you’ll be directed to the workshop, where you can watch the 80 or so women work on the carpets, singing as they weave, dye, trim and spin; you’re free to take photos.
8Information
Bank of China (Main Branch)BANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; Shanghai Zhonglu; h9:30am-6pm Mon-Fri, 11am-4pm Sat & Sun)
The main branch is just south of the Shigatse Hotel and has a 24-hour ATM.
Bank of ChinaBANK
(中国银行; Zhōngguó Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; Zhufeng Lu; h9:30am-6pm Mon-Sat, 10am-6pm Sun)
A short walk from the Gang Gyan Orchard Hotel, this useful branch has a 24-hour ATM.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; cnr Shandong Lu & Zhufeng Lu; h9:30am-6:30pm)
It’s possible to send international letters and postcards from here, but not international parcels.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局; Gōng'ānjú GOOGLE MAP ; %0892-882 2240; Jilin Nanlu; h9:30am-12:30pm & 3:30-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1:30pm Sat & Sun)
Your guide will likely have to stop here for half an hour to register and/or pick up an alien's travel permit for the Friendship Hwy or western Tibet. It's in the southern suburbs, near the Gesar Hotel.
Ticket BoothBOOKING SERVICE
( GOOGLE MAP )
Buy your tickets to Tashilunpo Monastery at this ticket booth by the main southern entrance.
8Getting There & Away
Tibet Airlines operates four flights a week from Shigatse’s Peace Airport, 45km east of town, to Chéngdū (¥1880).
Minibuses, buses and taxis travel from Shigatse to Lhasa and run in the morning to Sakya (four hours), Lhatse (five hours) and Gyantse (1½ hours), but foreign tourists aren't allowed to take them.
The 250km train spur line from Lhasa to Shigatse opened in late 2014 and foreigners can now theoretically take these trains as part of their guided tour. It's certainly a lot faster given the number of checkposts currently in place on the Lhasa–Shigatse road.
Train Z8804 departs Shigatse at 12:05pm, while train Z8802 departs at 6:40pm. Both services run daily and take just under three hours. A hard-seat ticket costs ¥41, while a seat in soft sleeper costs from ¥170. The station is about 10km south of town on the road to Gyantse.
Lhatse ལྷ་རྩེ་; 拉孜; Lāzī
%0892 / Elev 3950m
Approximately 150km southwest of Shigatse and some 30km west of the Sakya turn-off, the modern town of Lhatse (ལྷ་རྩེ་; 拉孜; Lāzī) is a convenient overnight stop for travellers headed to western Tibet. Lhatse is more or less a one-street town with a small square near the centre. The 3km-long main street runs east–west and used to be part of the Friendship Hwy, but this has now been diverted to the north. Passing traffic will mostly be heading to Everest Base Camp, the Tibet–Nepal border or the turn-off for western Tibet, about 6km out of town past a major checkpoint.
If you have time to kill you could visit the renovated Changmoche Monastery at the western end of town.
Daily morning minibuses (five hours) run between Shigatse and Lhatse and a couple of buses a day pass through en route to Shegar and Saga, although tourists cannot take these services. Lhatse is 50km from Sakya and 150km from Shigatse.
Sakya ས་སྐྱ་ 萨迦
%0892 / Elev 4320m
A detour to visit the small town of Sakya (ས་སྐྱ་; 萨迦; Sàjiā) is pretty much de rigueur for any trip down the Friendship Hwy. The town is southeast of Shigatse, about 25km off the Southern Friendship Hwy, accessed via a paved road through a pretty farming valley. The draw is Sakya Monastery, which ranks as one of the most atmospheric, impressive and unique monasteries in Tibet. Moreover, Sakya occupies a pivotal place in Tibetan history.
In recent years Sakya village has transformed from a village into a town and the area around the monastery has been developed by a private company to include a huge parking lot and a hefty new entry fee, but Sakya still feels somewhat off the grid.
1Sights
oSakya MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(萨迦寺; Sàjiā Sì admission ¥180; h9am-6pm)
The immense, grey, thick-walled southern monastery is one of Tibet’s most impressive constructed sights, and one of the largest monasteries. Established in 1268, it was designed defensively, with watchtowers on each corner of its high walls. Inside, the dimly lit hall exudes a sanctity and is on a scale that few others can rival. As usual, morning is the best time to visit as most chapels are closed from 1:30pm to 3:30pm.
4Sleeping & Eating
Manasarovar Sakya HotelHOTEL$$
(神湖萨迦宾馆; Shénhú Sàjiā Bīnguǎn %0892-824 2555; 1 Gesang Xilu; d/tr ¥220/280; W)
The renovated rooms at this modern hotel are spacious and comfortable, with hot-water bathrooms and electric blankets, making it the best value in town.
Yuan Mansion HotelHOTEL$$$
(元府大酒店; Yuánfǔ Dàjiǔdiàn %0892-824 2222; Gesang Xilu; d ¥480; aW)
Sakya's newest hotel is run by the next-door Manasarovar Sakya Hotel and is similar, but boasts newer bathrooms and better furniture.
Sakya Farmer's Taste RestaurantTIBETAN$
(萨迦农民美食厅; Sàjiā Nóngmín Měishítīng %0892-824 2221; dishes ¥20-35)
Overlooking the main street, this Tibetan place has a cosy atmosphere amid Tibetan decor. The waiters are friendly and will help explain the various Tibetan and Chinese dishes available. The food is tasty but portions are small.
8Getting There & Away
Sakya is 25km off the Friendship Hwy. En route you'll pass the impressive ridgetop Tonggar Choede Monastery. Just 5km before Sakya at Chonkhor Lhunpo village is the Ogyen Lhakhang, where local farmers go to get blessings from relics said to be able to prevent hailstorms.
Everest Region
For foreign travellers, Everest Base Camp has become one of the most popular destinations in Tibet, offering the chance to gaze on the magnificent north face of the world’s tallest peak, Mt Everest (珠穆朗玛峰; Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng; 8848m). The Tibetan approach provides far better vistas than those on the Nepali side, and access is a lot easier as a road runs all the way to base camp.
Everest’s Tibetan name is generally rendered as Qomolangma, and some 27,000 sq km of territory around Everest’s Tibetan face have been designated as the Qomolangma Nature Preserve.
Most visitors are content with early morning views of the mountain from Rongphu Monastery and the viewpoint above Everest Base Camp, though we recommend throwing in some explorations on foot and then exiting the region via the little-used dirt road to Old Tingri.
1Sights
Everest Base CampCAMPGROUND
(ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མའི་གཤམ་འོག་; 珠峰基地營; Zhūfēng Jīdìyíng )
Endowed with springs, Everest Base Camp (5150m) was first used by the 1924 British Everest expedition. Tourists are not allowed to visit the expedition tents a few hundred metres away, but you can clamber up the small hill festooned with prayer flags for great views of the star attraction. Be prepared for plenty of crowds and selfie sticks.
Rongphu MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(绒布寺; Róngbù Sì admission ¥25)
Although religious centres have existed in the region since around the 8th century, Rongphu Monastery (4980m) is now the main Buddhist centre in the valley. While not of great antiquity, Rongphu can at least lay claim to being the highest monastery in Tibet and, thus, the world. It's worth walking the short kora path around the monastery's exterior walls. The monastery and its large chörten make for a superb photograph with Everest thrusting its head skyward in the background.
4Sleeping
Rongphu Monastery GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
(绒布寺招待所; Róngbù Sì Zhāodàisuǒ %136 289
2 1359; dm ¥60, tw without bathroom ¥200)
The monastery-run guesthouse at Rongphu is probably the most comfortable place to stay at Everest. The private rooms with proper beds and stone walls tend to be warmer than the tent camp and there's certainly more privacy. Best value are the beds in a four-bed room. All rooms share the pit toilets.
8Information
Apart from the normal Tibet travel permits, you need to buy an entry ticket for the Qomolangma Nature Preserve to visit the Everest region, either at the main turn-off from the Friendship Hwy or in Old Tingri. The ticket costs ¥400 per vehicle plus ¥180 per passenger. Your guide (but not driver) will also need a ticket. Make sure you are clear with your agency about whether this cost is included in your trip (it usually isn’t).
Your passport and PSB permit will be scrutinised at the major checkpoint 6km west of Shegar, where you'll have to personally walk through the passport check. Queues can be long here, especially after lunch, as even Chinese and local Tibetans need to register here.
Your ticket will be checked again just before Rongphu Monastery. If you are driving in from Tingri, you'll go to the checkpoint at Lungchang. A military checkpost at Rongphu will also want to check your permits.
8Getting There & Away
There is no public transport to Everest Base Camp. It’s either trek in or come with your own vehicle. From Chay it's 91km to Base Camp; from Tingri it's around 70km on an unpaved road.
Tingri དིང་རི་ 定日
%0892 / Elev 4330m
The village of Tingri (དིང་རི་; 定日; Dìngrì or Tingri Gankar) comprises a gritty kilometre-long strip of restaurants, guesthouses and truck-repair workshops lining the Friendship Hwy. Sometimes called Old Tingri, it overlooks a sweeping plain bordered by towering Himalayan peaks (including Everest) and is a common overnight stop for tours heading to or from the Nepali border. On clear days there are stunning views of Cho Oyu from Tingri; if you can’t make it to Everest Base Camp, at least pause here and take in the Himalayan eye candy.
It is possible to trek between Everest Base Camp and Tingri, though the route now follows a dirt road.
oKangar HotelHOTEL$$
(岗嘎宾馆; Gǎnggā Bīnguǎn %0892-826 5777; www.tibetshangrila.com/hotel.html; d/tr ¥260/360; W)
This option on the east end of town is well run, offering comfortable rooms, a fine sunroof sitting area, a modern restaurant and great views of the mountains. Water pressure can be iffy upstairs so ask the staff to adjust the pump when you want a shower. Probably your best bet in town.
oBase Camp RestaurantTIBETAN$$
(大本营餐厅; Dàběnyíng Cāntīng dishes ¥30-50; h11am-10pm)
The best place in town is this pleasant Tibetan-style restaurant attached to Héhū Bīnguǎn hotel, boasting traditional furniture, helpful staff and tasty Chinese and Tibetan dishes. Prices are reasonable for Tingri.
Qomolangma Nature Preserve Ticket OfficeTICKETS
(%156 9262 6148)
Entry tickets to Qomolangma Nature Preserve are available at this office within the compound of the Snow Leopard Guesthouse (雪豹客栈; Xuěbào Kèzhàn %0892-826 2711; d/tr ¥250/320).
From Tingri down to Zhāngmù on the Nepal border it's an easy half-day drive of just under 200km. If you are coming the other way, you should break the trip into two days to aid acclimatisation. The highest point along the paved road is the Tong-la pass (5140m), 95km from Tingri, from where you can see a horizon of 8000m Himalayan peaks.
FRIENDSHIP HIGHWAY (NEPAL TO TIBET)
The 1000km-or-so stretch of road between Kathmandu and Lhasa is without a doubt one of the most spectacular in the world. There are currently two routes from Kathmandu. The oldest route is via the border crossing at Kodari (1873m) and Zhāngmù (2250m), but this section was badly affected by Nepal's 2015 earthquake and remains closed to international traffic.
The main Nepal–Tibet border crossing has shifted to Rasuwa at the meeting of Nepal's Langtang region and Tibet's Kyirong Valley. Chinese travellers have been using the border crossing for a few years now, but it was only opened to foreigners in 2016. It's a spectacular route that allows you to combine a trek in Nepal's Langtang region with a visit to lovely Peiku-tso on the Tibetan side. The section of road on the Tibetan side is paved, but the Nepali road is slow going, especially during the monsoon months from June to September.
The closure of the border at Kodari means that Zhāngmù and Nyalam (3750m), where travellers used to spend their first night, are now virtual ghost towns. The two routes join just north of the La Lung-la (4845m) on the Friendship Hwy and continue to Tingri.
It is essential to watch out for the effects of altitude sickness during the early stages of this trip. If you intend to head up to Everest Base Camp (5150m), you really need to slip in a rest day at Tingri or Kyirong.
China is 2¼ hours ahead of Nepali time.
Far West Ngari
Tibet’s far wild west has few permanent settlers but is nevertheless a lodestone to a billion pilgrims from three major religions (Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism). They are drawn to the twin spiritual power places of Mt Kailash and Lake Manasarovar, two of the most legendary and far-flung destinations in the world.
This part of Ngari is a huge, expansive realm of salt lakes, Martian-style deserts, grassy steppes and snowcapped mountains. It’s a mesmerising landscape, but it's also intensely remote: a few tents and herds of yaks may be all the signs of human existence you'll come across in half a day’s drive.
Darchen & Mt Kailash དར་ཆེན། གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་ 塔钦 、冈仁波齐峰
%0897 / Elev 4670m
Sacred Mt Kailash (གངས་རིན་པོ་ཆེ་; Kang Rinpoche, or 'Precious Jewel of Snow' in Tibetan; 冈仁波齐峰; Gāngrénbōqí Fēng in Chinese) dominates the landscape of western Tibet with the sheer awesomeness of its four-sided summit, just as it dominates the mythology of a billion people. The mountain has been a lodestone to pilgrims and adventurous travellers for centuries, but until recently very few had set eyes on it. This is changing fast.
Nestled in the foothills at the base of Mt Kailash, the small town of Darchen (དར་ཆེན།; 塔钦; Tǎqīn) is the starting point of the sacred mountain's famous kora (pilgrim circuit). It is a rapidly expanding settlement of hotel compounds, tourist restaurants and pilgrim shops. Almost everyone spends a night here before setting off on the kora, and many spend a second night after the trek, taking advantage of the facilities to grab a hot shower and check their emails.
2Activities
The main reason anyone comes to Darchen is to to make the three-day walk around the Mt Kailash kora, but there are also a couple of good acclimatisation hikes around town.
The age-old path around Mt Kailash is one of the world’s great pilgrimage routes and completely encircles Asia’s holiest mountain. With a 5630m pass to conquer, this kora is a test of both the mind and the spirit.
There’s some gorgeous mountain scenery along this trek, including close-ups of the majestic pyramidal Mt Kailash, but just as rewarding is the chance to see and meet your fellow pilgrims, many of whom have travelled hundreds of kilometres on foot to get here. Apart from local Tibetans, there are normally dozens of Hindus on the kora during the main pilgrim season (June to September). Most ride horses, with yak teams carrying their supplies. There are also plenty of Chinese tourists.
The route around Mt Kailash is a simple one: you start by crossing a plain, then head up a wide river valley, climb up and over the 5630m Drölma-la, head down another river valley, and finally cross the original plain to the starting point. It’s so straightforward and so perfect a natural circuit that it’s easy to see how it has been a pilgrim favourite for thousands of years.
The Mt Kailash trekking season runs from mid-May until mid-October, but trekkers should always be prepared for changeable weather. Snow may be encountered on the Drölma-la at any time of year and the temperature will often drop well below freezi
ng at night. The pass tends to be snowed in from early November to early April.
The kora is becoming more and more popular. A tent and your own food are always a nice luxury, but there is now accommodation and simple food at Dira-puk and Zutul-puk. Guides can even book you a room here in advance. Bottled water, beer, instant noodles and tea are available every few hours at teahouse tents. Natural water sources abound, but you should bring the means of water purification. A dirt road now encircles two-thirds of the kora, but traffic is light and it's fairly easy to avoid.
Horses, yaks and porters are all available for hire in Darchen, the gateway town to the kora. Big groups often hire yaks to carry their supplies, but yaks will only travel in pairs or herds, so you have to hire at least two. Horses are an easier option but are surprisingly expensive because they are in great demand by Indian pilgrims. Most hikers carry their own gear or get by with the services of a local porter (¥210 per day for a minimum of three days). All guides and pack animals have to be arranged through a central office (岗仁波齐牛马运输服务中心; Gǎngrén Bōqí Niúmǎ Yùnshū Fúwù Zhōngxīn %porters 139 8907 5383, yaks & horses 136 3897 3593) in Darchen.
Your guide will register your group with the PSB (PSB, 公安局, Gōng’ānjú %0897-260 7018; h24hr) in Darchen. The entrance fee to Mt Kailash is ¥150 per person and is paid at a large entry gate before you arrive in Darchen.