The man made Mogao Caves contain over 40,000 colorful wall art.

The man made Mogao Caves contain over 40,000 colorful wall art. If laid side by side, they would extend 30 kilometers (20 miles). The Mogao Caves also contain thousands of painted statues (see photo) and scholarly scrolls. Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide service for your China tours, We also provide Thailand tour packages or Cambodia tour packages.

 
Mogao’s cave temples rise three levels along a 1.6 kilometer escarpment near the Daquan River. Even veteran travelers to Dunhuang are overpowered by their rich complexity and astonishing detail. The 492 decorated caves, hand hewn from the cliff face over a millennium, are numbered for reference but few visitors have seen them all.

Measuring approximately 39” (100 cm) in width and 30” (76 cm) in height, the Cave 231 image comprises four figures arranged two on either side of an inscribed tablet.1 To the left, a woman clothed in layers of multi-colored fabric kneels facing the central tablet. In one hand, she holds forth a rounded censer. On the right, a man dressed in a simple red robe kneels in the same manner and extends a long-handled censer. A standing female attends the kneeling woman, while a standing male attends the kneeling man. The attendants hold offerings of flowers and are represented in smaller scale than the kneeling figures. The painter has employed hierarchical scale to emphasize the attendants' lesser importance as compared to the central figures. A rectangular border referencing intricate textile patterns frames the entire group. Over time, the oxidation of pigments containing iron has darkened skin tones that would originally have tended toward a light orange or tan color.

Dali Ancient City is well known for its traditional arts and crafts

Dali Ancient Town is well known for its traditional arts and crafts. It is particularly famous for its marble and hand woven handicrafts. The marble from Dali is used in construction and decorative objects. Dali is so famous for its marble, that the Chinese name for marble is literally Dali Stone. Many unique items can be found along the streets by the artisans who created them. The new"Foreigner"Street is filled with shops selling traditional Bai ethnic snacks and the famous Three Course Tea ceremony. The ceremony is used for receiving guests and includes three courses of teas. The first course is very bitter, the second is sweet, and the third is normal tea. Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide service for your China tours, We also provide Thailand tour packages or Cambodia tour packages.

 
Dali has an old town lying within fortified walls with impressive gates. It is pleasant to stroll the clean pedestrian streets. Outside the walls, many horses and horse carriages are available for a ride. Backpackers appreciate this town for the relaxing atmosphere and the food, not the least being the copious banana pancakes, a rarity in China. Outside of the old town, the most remarkable structure are the Three Pagodas (San Ta Si), erected in the 9th century. However, the main attractions might consist of the surroundings, including the 4000m high Cang Shan mountains, and the beautiful Erhai lake, where you can watch the old art of cormorant fishing.

Dali has many beautiful types of scenery. Above all, the “wind” of Shangguan County, the “flower” of Xiaguan County, the “snow” of Cangshan Mountain and the “moon” of Erhai Lake are the best sights of Dali. All the four sights have their stories.

Mt. Emei is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China

Mount Emei is a mountain in Sichuan province of Western China. Mt. Emei is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China. The patron bodhisattva of Emei is Samantabhadra, known in Chinese as Puxian (普贤菩萨). Welcome to China for Guangzhou fair. HRC is pleasure to provide Guangzhou hotels booking, China Tour guide，like Sichuan tour, Huangshan tour.

 
Mt. Emei is noted for considerable weather difference between various spots on the mountain. A 14 centigrade degree difference in temperature has been reported between the foot of mountain and its peak. It's not uncommon for it to be blistering at the foot of the mountain and cool and pleasant higher up the mountain. The average temperature during July and August, the hottest period in China, is around 11.8 degree centigrade. 

In Mt. Emei there are four scenic regions: Baoguo Temple, Wannian Temple, Qingyin Pavilion and Golden Summit. Its main peak, the Golden Summit, is 3079.3 meters (10,103 feet) above the sea level, seemingly reaching the sky. Standing on the top of it, you can enjoy the snowy mountains in the west and the vast plain in the east. In addition in Golden Summit there are four spectacles: clouds sea, sunrise, Buddha rays and saint lamps. In 1996 Mt. Emei was enlisted in the world natural and cultural heritage by the UNESCO.

Hanging Monastery is situated at the foot of the Hengshan Mountain

Being the most outstanding Buddhist temples in China, Hanging Monastery is situated at the foot of the Hengshan Mountain, 75 kilometers southeast of Datong. First built in the late Northern Wei dynasty in the 6th century and renovated three or four times since, the serried buildings look as though they are supported by a dozen or so slim wooden posts no more substantial than chopsticks. Huge rocks loomed overhead, apparently liable to fall at any moment. The fragile path was strung out along the face of the cliff. There were two reasons to construct the Hanging Temple here. One reason is because there used to be a vital center of communication in old times, it is necessary to construct a temple along this route for the passing pilgrims. But the Hunhe River that flowed past the foot of the cliff was capricious. The other reason is whenever there was a storm there would be a terrible flood. In those days people believed that a golden dragon was the cause of all this trouble, so they thought of a construction of a Buddhist temple to ward off the influence of the dragon. Welcome to China for Canton Trade fair. HRC is pleasure to provide Guangzhou hotels booking and China Tour guide .

Suspended some 50 meters over the ground and consisting of 40 pavilions and halls, the Hanging Monastery is constructed with the help of wooden pillars that are anchored into the cliff face behind the edifices, though no one today can say for certain whether the holes into which the pillars are anchored were manmade or natural. The monastery is reached via a bridge that leads up a stone staircase that has been chiseled into the cliff face. The monastery's 6 main halls are intricately and ingeniously linked by winding corridors, bridges, and boardwalks that offer a perilous glimpse of the ground below, increasing the visitor's awareness that this truly is, quite literally, a hanging monastery.
The hanging temple is a temple built more then 1500 years ago, into a cliff. It is an extraordinary temple because it represents a combination of Buddhism, Taoism andSONY DSC Confucianism. It is built of wood but due to its ‘hanging’  in the middle of the cliffs, which is under the summit prominent part, protecting the temple from rain erosion and sunlight, the colors in the temple are relatively well preserved.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the sacred mountain of Naxi ethnic minority

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the sacred mountain of Naxi ethnic minority, which is famous for its snow-capped peaks and magnificent momentum and attracts numerous adventure-lovers to pay a visit. This is the top things to do in Lijiang. Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide service for your China tours or Myanmar tours, We also provide Guangzhou hotels for Canton Fair in guangzhouhotel.com.

 
According to the research of geologists, for about 400 million years the area around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was the ocean and it was during the last 600 thousand years that the different landscapes had come into being because of the uprising of the lithosphere. Archaic legend about this mysterious and beautiful place goes like this: Once upon a time, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain were twins. They had lived on panning in Golden Sand River until one day an evil fiend usurped the river. The brothers were very brave and had a fierce fight with the fiend, Haba died in the fight and Jade Dragon drove off the fiend after wearing out 13 swords. For guarding the people and preventing the return of the fiend, Jade Dragon held the 13 swords in hands day and night. As time passed, the brothers had turned into the two snow mountains, and the 13 swords had become the 13 peaks. The mountain is a holy place for the local Naxi people not only because of the legend, but also because long time ago, it was a place for young lovers to sacrifice their young lives in honor of true love and to escape from the arranged marriages and feudal ethics.

Nowadays there are skiing mountain resort for spending holidays and the large-scale cable car going up near the glaciers of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain directly. You can take the cable cars to the snowfield to appreciate the ten thousand years of snow, the marvelous spectacle of ice tower and go skiing.

Yambajan is famous for its wide range of hot springs

More than 90 kilometers away from Lhasa, Yambajan is located to the northwest of downtown Lhasa at the foot of Nyaingentanglha Mountain. It covers an area of 15 kilometers. Snowy mountains, icebergs and the virgin forest surround it on both sides with attractive meadow in the middle of the basin. Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide Tibet tour for you, we also provide other China tours and indochina tours with local guide.

 

Yambajan is famous for its wide range of hot springs, from ones with the highest temperatures in the country to boiling geysers. It sits in a basin at the foot of Nyainqentanglha Mountains about 90 kilometers northwest of Lhasa. In the early morning, the town is covered in a white and luminous vapor. The hot springs in Yambajan contain various minerals and are believed to be therapeutic.

Tibet is situated in a plateau and it contains the greatest number of hot springs in China. Yambajan is very famous for its springs which cover an area of 7000 square meters. Besides common springs, the springs here have the highest temperature, forming peculiar boiling springs and geysers.

The water flowing from Yambajan stays at a temperature of about 47℃, which usually conduces an amazing picture of a mass of white vapor floating on the lake. At present, several indoor and outdoor thermal hot spring pools have been built on Yambajan geothermal field. It is a great enjoyment to have a spa in Yambaja, which is surrounded by snow-capped mountain ranges with snowflakes in winter. But it should be highly noticed that it is better not to spend a long time or do strenuous exercises in a highland spa, or else people probably suffer from serious altitude reaction.

Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant is the biggest Hydrothermal Power Plant. In recent years, the Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant has become a scenic spot because of its special landscape and scientific attractions. The inhabitants of Lhasa and its surrounds often go to bathe in the hot spring, and to visit the fountain and Hydrothermal Power Plant. It is a good place for them to spend their holidays or weekends. Nowadays, Yambajan is listed as a must-see place when traveling in Tibet and the Yambajan Hydrothermal Power Plant is considered an essential place to visit in order to understand Tibet.  

Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple

Located in the old area of Lhasa City, Tibet, Barkhor Street is a very ancient round street surrounding the Jokhang Temple and the locals are always proud of it. As a symbol of Lhasa, it is also a must-see place for visitors. Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide Tibet tour for you, we also provide other China tours and indochina tours with local guide.

The most famous pilgrim circuit in Lhasa is Barkhor Kora or Barkhor Pilgrim Circuit circling the ancient Jokhang Temple. On the Barkhor Street, you can see thousands of people with pray wheels, Buddhist prayer beads or incense walking clockwise around the Jokhang Temple. Follow this Lhasa  pilgrim circuit, you can get a feel for Tibetan arts, handicrafts, and customs. This kora is lined with traders selling everything, as well as small alleyways leading to temples, markets and homes. Therefore pilgrims can do shopping at the end of their kora. The Barkhor Street is always thronged with pilgrims from all over the Tibet, even other places of the world. Some of them have covered thousands of kilometers to complete this sacred circuit. Some of them, even teenagers, move forward body-lengths by body-lengths from morning to night. All they do is to testify their piety to their beliefs. It is here that you can witness the devotion of the pilgrims and directly feel the strength of religion.

The street area is very big covering many streets and alleys. The main street surrounding the temple is a 1,000-meter street bustling with hundreds of store fronts and street vendors. Worshipping wares and tourist souvenirs are hawked along this Tibetan-ambience stoned street: yak butter lamps, prayer wheels, scriptures, turquoise and coral jewelries, antique carvings, Tibetan carpets, etc. Tibetan snacks and cuisines are easy to spot here.

The magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge

The magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) lies in the southwestern Chinese province of Yunnan on the Jinsha River. Yunnan is diverse, the southern region being more tropical and akin to the climate of Southeast Asia (it borders Burma/Myanmar). Northern Yunnan, where the gorge is located, is renowned for its mountainous countryside that more closely resembles the landscapes of Tibet. Welcome to China, Chinatourguide.com is pleasure to provide Yunan tour for you, we also provide other China tours and indochina tours with local guide.

 
Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest gorges on the planet, and it has the best hiking trail in the Lijiang area. The scenery is spectacular. Foreign backpackers started hiking in the area in the 1980s. Inns and guesthouses have been built along the trail for hikers. The Yangtze River in the canyon isn’t navigable. Tourists can tour the gorge area on tour buses along a road at the bottom of the canyon that follows the course of the river. This tour road is very popular with Chinese tourists. The people who walk the High Trail above the road are mainly foreigners. If you hike the path, you’ll find some solitude because you may meet only a few groups of hikers all day. Local Naxi people also use the trails. Whether you visit on a tour bus or hike, you can see some spectacular sights.

Popular for its snow-clad mountain scenery and the chance it offers to escape China's crowded streets and overnight in authentic ethnic villages, the High Trail offers solitude and space in a country where wilderness experiences are rare, and almost never come without handrails and toll booths.
Travel Tips
Admission Fee: 50RMB. If visiting the Tiger Leaping Gorge before 7:00, no admission fee is needed. Open Time: 9:00~18:00 Location: Northeast of Pannong County, Jade Dragon Autonomous Prefecture, Lijiang, Yunnan Province. Suggested Traveling Duration: 2 days Best time to visit: Spring and autumn How to get to: There are shuttle buses from Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, which is available from 7:00 to 4:30. Just go to the local bus station to buy ticket, which cost about 20RMB. For renting a car, it costs about 500RMB per day.

Punakha dzong served as the centre of government

Located on a stretch of land where the Pho chhu and Mo chhu converge, the Punakha Dzong served as the centre of government and the first session of the National Assembly was also held here in 1953.

 
Punakha Dzong was built in 1637 by Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel, the founder of Bhutanese state. It was originally named Puntang Dechen Phodrang Dzong which means the Palace of Great Bliss. Indochinatourguide.com is pleased to offer genuine Bhutan tour for you.
Punakha Dong was built on the 8th day and 8th month of the Fire ox year in 1673. The dzong was attacked by the Tibetan in 1639 and 1644. The attacks were successfully repelled by the defenders. To commemorate the victory, a New Year festival was introduced and Yu Gyal Gonkhang Chen Mo, “the great shrine of the protective and victorious lord” was built.

Punakha is the least elevated of Bhutan's central valleys and famous for its benign climate in which fruit trees flourish within sight of the snow-crested Himalayan Mountains. The valley is about 3 hours drive from Thimphu town and is famous for the picturesque Punakha Dzong which is one of the most photogenic Dzong of Bhutan.

Nyainqentanglha Mountains is one of the major mountain ranges on China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Nyainqentanglha Mountains is one of the major mountain ranges on China's Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, which serves as the ridge dividing Yarlung Zangbo River and Nujiang River. Stretching 1,400 kilometers and rising to 7,111 meters at its peak, Nyainqentanglha Mountains is capped with heavy layers of snow year-round. HRC is pleased to offer great service to build a unique China Tour or Indochina Tour for you.

 
The local folklore has it that in Nyainqentanglha there is a mysterious crystal palace. The palace door, inlaid with all kinds of precious stones, is dazzlingly brilliant. The palace itself, with the top surrounded by white clouds and the middle wreathed by colorful mist and light, is floating over the sea of amrita, with colorful fresh flowers flourishing around.

Legend The Nyainqentanglha that we can see today is grand and snow-capped. The local folklore has it that in Nyainqentanglha there is a mysterious crystal palace. The palace door, inlaid with all kinds of precious stones, is dazzlingly brilliant. The palace itself, with the top surrounded by white clouds and the middle wreathed by colorful mist and light, is floating over the sea of amrita, with colorful fresh flowers flourishing around.
Wreathed by cloud and mist all the year round and frequented by wrathful lighting and peals of thunder, the snow-capped Nyainqentanglha stands mysteriously tall and upright over plains, gorges and other snow mountains.

Bangong Tso Lake in Tibet

Bangong Tso Lake, meaning long neck swan in Tibetan, is located partly in China and the rest is in Kashmir that is controlled by India. This inland lake is about 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) from northwestern Rutog County, Ngari District of Tibet. It is 155 kilometers (96.3 miles) long from east to west and very narrow from south to north, 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) at the widest part and only 5 meters (16 feet) at the narrowest part. The depth of water is 57 meters (187 feet). And the entire lake is 4,240 meters (13,911 feet) above sea level. HRC is pleased to offer great service a China tour or Indochina tour for you.

 
The limpid water is so blue and looks like an opal in the earth. It mirrors the blue sky, white clouds and snowy mountains, forming a picturesque view. Its uniqueness is that the same lake has different characteristics in China and Kashmir: The water in China is clear and sweet, harboring a kind of freshwater fish without scales; but the water in Kashmir so salty that no creatures can survive.
Bangong Lake is about 155km in length from the west to the east, and its width ranges from 40meters to 15km, the average depth about 57meters. In the lake there are at least 5 islands such as Shu Island, Tu Island etx, and the largest one named Bird Island, is the kingdom of birds, also breeding place in Spring for some birds such as Anser ndicus. Photo taken on August 22, shows the tourists are preparing to board a pleasure-boat.

This vast lake is dotted with big and small islands like stars in the night sky. The central island is the kingdom of birds, and is named Bird Island. It is not that large, about 300 meters (984 feet) long and over 200 meters (656 feet) wide. However, around ten thousand birds of more than 20 species inhabit it. The main species include the bar-head goose, brown-head gull, seagull, crested duck and tadorna ferruginea. These birds feed on the fish and aquatic plants in Bangong Lake. During the birds’ breeding season, the whole island is almost covered with thousands of birds. Bird nests and eggs are everywhere. Because there are no natural enemies or anything to disturb their habitat, they live in a quiet and peaceful life. Thanks to the natural barrier of water protecting the birds, it becomes a special sight on the Ngari Plateau.

Ramoche Temple in Lasha

Ramoche located in Lasha City northeast of Barkhor Street about 500 meters north of Block west to east, from the courtyard of the Temple, the gatehouse, Sakyamuni like roofing golden dome and internal and external transfer The cloister, a total area of about 4,000 square meters. The temple named A up hot wood Qizulakang, "meaning" Han tiger god into the Temple. The Ramoche Chinese title; small, the corresponding Jokhang Temple; Zhao is a transliteration of the Tibetan "sleep lying", which means "Buddha. Temple for like the Sakyamuni eight-year-old life-sized pure gold and many statues and Thangka. 1962 as a regional key cultural relics protection units. HRC is pleased to offer great service a China tour or Indochina tour for you.

 
In the days of King Songtsan Gampo (617-649), founder of the Tibetan Empire, Ramoche Temple was originally built to house the famous statue of Sakyamuni, now found in the Jokhang, which was brought to Tibet by Princess Wen Cheng. Legend has it that when Princess Wen Cheng and her entourage arrived at the north gate of Lhasa, her carriage got stuck in the mud. Her assistants could not remove the statue and so they covered it temporarily with 4 pillars and white brocade. Later, the Princess ordered the construction of Ramoche as a shrine for the statue.
Ramoche was founded in the mid-seventh century AD, incense stretches than a thousand years. According to legend, Wencheng princess to Tibet with a 12-year-old Sakyamuni life-sized pure gold like, the line to Ramoche now,, wooden car into the sand. Princess calendar, Sakyamuni Buddha decided to put here to worship, was built Ramoche. Presided over the construction of the temple by Princess Wen Cheng started at the same time with the Jokhang Temple, see completed at the same time, the opening at the same time; door to the east, to the princess home parents miss sustenance.

Nowadays, the temple has become the very place for the Tibetan monks to study the Mi Zong (one of the sects of Buddhism).
Ramoche Temple of the original main supply Wencheng Princess Sakyamuni Buddha brought from Chang'an, the main shrine of the Jokhang Temple is the original main supply Princess of Nepal from Kathmandu statue of Buddha Sakyamuni, Later, two statues for a bit. According to the Fifth Dalai Lama book "Jokhang Temple directory and the book records: the first Xiaozhaoshi main supply Buddha Sakyamuni Buddha brought by Princess Wencheng. After the death of Songtsen Gampo, in accordance with the will of Princess Wencheng, Jokhang Temple and Xiaozhaoshi, Sakyamuni Buddha was on the exchange, Princess of Nepal brought Sakyamuni Buddha as Main St. for Ramoche.
Remoche Temple was originally built to house the famous statue of Sakyamuni, now found in the Jokhang Temple, which was originally brought to Tibet by Princess Wencheng, It was said that when Princess Wencheng and her entourage arrived at the North gate of Lhasa, her carriage got stuck in the mud. Her assistants could not remove the statue and so they covered it temporarily with 4 pillars and white brocade. Later, the Princess ordered the construction of Ramoche as a shrine for the statue.

Seda secluded Buddhist is on certain level the nature

Seda, the Tibetan word for 'Golden Horse' because historically been unearthed in the color of a horse-shaped pond habitat nugget named.
Sprawling across approximately four square kilometers at 4,000 meters above sea level, the “Buddhist metropolis” houses more than 10,000 disciples, who practice Nyingma, a major school of Tibetan Buddhism. Most wear traditional red gowns.Chinatourguide.com is pleased to offer great service to build a unique China tour for you.

 
Located in the Tibetan-inhabited part of Sichuan, the secluded Buddhist campus can be reached only after hours of bumpy riding on mountain roads. Nevertheless, Chan considers it her hands-down favorite destination in mainland China.
In 1980, Jigme Phuntsok, a Nyingma lama from the Dhok region of Kham, known by followers as a "living buddha" and believed to be the reincarnation of a holy figure, founded the Serthar Buddhist Institute in an entirely uninhabited valley.

The college is on certain level the nature, the mobility of students the school is difficult to master. According to statistics, the resident Lama has 1800 people, 2800 people of Han Buddhist nuns, monks and 240 people, 210 people of Han Han Buddhist nuns, more than 80 Tibetan Buddhist, more than 500 people, mainly from sichuan, Qinghai , Gansu Tibetan inhabited areas and other provinces and cities. In addition also has individual Singapore And Hongkong, disciple to this self as a short-term study. College admission students regardless of race, regardless of cultural level, with all the local government certificate and identity card. There are political problems, or conduct record once found, will be quantui.
A vast assembly of log cabins, spartan inside and out, covers a pair of steep hillsides, which will surprise every new visitor. At dusk, crowds of monks and nuns buzz in conversation, their hair shorn and their gazes serene, as they gather for evening prayers outside a ramshackle collection of meeting halls that are connected by a criss-cross of muddy pathways.

Potala Palace immense religious and administrative complex in Lhasa

Potala Palace is considered a model of Tibetan architecture. Located on the Red Hill in Lhasa, Tibet, it is 3,700 meters above sea level and covers an area of over 360,000 square meters, measuring 360 meters from east to west and 270 meters from south to north. The palace has 13 stories, and is 117 meters high. Interesting in Potala Palace Tour? HRC is pleased to offer great service to build a unique China tour for you.

 
Potala Palace immense religious and administrative complex in Lhasa, southern Tibet Autonomous Region, southwestern China. It is situated atop Mar-po-ri (Red Mountain), 425 feet (130 metres) above the Lhasa River valley, and rises up dramatically from its rocky base. Potrang Karpo (completed 1648; White Palace) once served as the seat of the Tibetan government and the main residence of the Dalai Lama; from the mid-18th century it was used as a winter palace. Potrang Marpo (1694; Red Palace) houses several chapels, sacred statues, and the tombs of eight Dalai Lamas; it remains a major pilgrimage site for Tibetan Buddhists.

The central part of this group of buildings rises in a vast quadrangular mass above its satellites to a great height, terminating in gilt canopies similar to those on the Jokhang. This central member of Potala is called the "red palace" from its crimson colour, which distinguishes it from the rest. It contains the principal halls and chapels and shrines of past Dalai Lamas. There is in these much rich decorative painting, with jewelled work, carving and other ornamentation.

Ganden Monastery is attainable on a day trip from Lhasa

Ganden Monastery is attainable on a day trip from Lhasa. It lies 45km east of Lhasa, on the Sichuan highway. It is the most dramatically situated of the main temples near Lhasa, high up on the ridge.
The Ganden Monastery has been re-established in Karnataka, India by the Tibetan population in exile. The Ganden Monastery is located in the Tibetan settlement at Mundgod. This settlement of Tibetan refugees is the largest of its kind in India and was first established in 1966, from land donated by the Indian government.

 
In the Tibetan settlement near Mundgod are the Ganden and the Drepung Monastery. In 1999 there were in total about 13,000 residents. The Tibetan settlement consists of nine camps with two monasteries and one nunnery. They have established a credit bank for farms, an agricultural institute and a craft center. Modern technology and communication technology are being introduced. The curriculum of the Ganden Monastery remains similar to the teachings of the pre-1959 Ganden Monastery.

Ganden Monastery was completely destroyed during the rebellion of 1959. In 1966 it was severely shelled by Red Guard artillery and monks then had to dismantle the remains.[4] Most of Tsongkhapa's mummified body was burned but his skull and some ashes were saved from the fire by Bomi Rinpoche, the monk who had been forced to carry the body to the fire.[6] Re-building has been continuing since the 1980s and the "red-painted lhakang in the centre is the reconstruction of Ganden's sanctum sanctorum containing Tsongkapa's reliquary chorten called the Tongwa Donden, 'Meaningful to Behold.'

The word "Ganden" means "joy" in Tibetan and is also the name for the "western heavens" where the Maitreya Buddha (the Future Buddha) resides. Ironically, this Monastery was heavily damaged during Cultural Revolution bombings, making the place somewhat depressing. However, work is underway to repair the damaged buildings of the monastery, so that Ganden Monastery is being quickly restored to its must-see status as one of Lhasa's most impressive monasteries. Seek out the Golden Throne Room of the Dalai Lama. Placed upon the throne, there is a cloth bag containing his yellow hat that he left behind in his escape to exile in India.

Midui Glacier in eastern Tibet is the paradise of ice and snow

Listed as "One of Top Six Most Beautiful Show Caves in China" by China National Geography Magazine, Midui Glacier in eastern Tibet is the paradise of ice and snow. Midui Glacier is most famous for its giant ice basin, for its frequent snow avalanches, and for its giant ice cascade as long as 700-800 meters. In the upstream of the glaciers are the arch-shaped ice formations. You can see all the ice lakes, fields and villages there. It's a natural park of glaciers.

 
Midui Glacier is located in Yupu Township, about 100 kilometers east of the county seat of Bome. It is the lowest altitude above sea level in the world. Its altitude is from 2,400 meters to 6,800 meters.

The glacier is passes through four distinct regions: snow-capped mountains, forests, lakes and villages and temples coexist in harmony. It looks as if Nature's hand itself had taken up a brush to paint a splashed-ink landscape.

The Sho Dun Festival in Tibet

The Sho Dun Festival , commonly known as the Yogurt Festival  or Banquet is an annual festival held at Norbulingka or "Jewel Park" palace in Lhasa, Tibet.

The festival is celebrated in the summer, from the 15th to the 24th of the 5th lunar month - usually about the middle of August, after a month's retreat by the monks who stay within their monasteries to avoid walking on the emerging summer insects and killing them.
Partying at Sho Dun Festival, Norbulingka, 1993

It began in the 16th century with a banquet given by the lay people for the monks featuring yoghurt. Later on, summer operas, or Lhamo, and theatricals were added to the festivities. The operas, "last all day with clashing cymbals, bells and drums; piercing recitatives punctuating more melodious choruses; hooded villains, leaping devils, swirling girls with long silk sleeves. In the past dancers came from all over Tibet, but today there is only the state-run Lhasa Singing and Dancing Troupe."

The beautiful grounds of the Norbulingka are filled with partying groups shielded from the wind by gaily coloured hanging walls of rugs and printed canvas. There is much feasting and visiting between family groups and bonfires are common at night.

 

Shoton Festival originates from the 11th century. It had been exclusively a religious observance until the 17th century when the Great 5th Dalai Lama introduced the Tibetan opera into the celebration, making it a nationwide gala. Being the largest and most mysterious festival on the roof of the world, Shoton Festival serves as a showcase to rooted tradition, appealing culture and great piety of the Tibetan people. Global travelers, who urge to discover more than just turquoise lakes and snow capped mountains on this forbidden land, are drawn to Tibet at this time of year.

The festival mainly consists of 3 parts - Great Buddha Display, Tibetan Opera Show and Horsemanship & Yak Race Show. In combination they represent the best of Tibetan religion, culture and tradition.

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world

The Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon or Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon or simply the Tsangpo Canyon or Tsangpo Gorge, along the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, China, is regarded by some as the deepest canyon in the world, and is slightly longer than the Grand Canyon in the United States, making it one of the world's largest. The Yarlung Tsangpo (Tibetan name for the upper course of the Brahmaputra) originates near Mount Kailash and runs east for about 1700 km, draining a northern section of the Himalayas before it enters the gorge near downstream of Pei, Tibet near the settlement of Zhibe. The canyon has a length of about 150 miles (240 km) as the gorge bends around Mount Namcha Barwa (7782 m) and cuts its way through the eastern Himalayan range. Its waters drop from about 2,900 m near Pei to about 1,500 m at the end of the Upper Gorge where the Po Tsangpo River enters. The river continues through the Lower Gorge to the Indian border at an elevation of 660 m. The river then enters Arunachal Pradesh and eventually becomes the Brahmaputra.

 

The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is the highest green land on earth. Green mountains have snow-covered peaks poking through the clouds. Visitors come to see the area's mountain belts, unusual plants and animals, and mysterious cultures. The Yarlung area is home to many living species. Preliminary statistics show that there are over 3,768 varieties of plants, 680 varieties of large fungi, 232 species of birds 31 species of amphibians, 2,000 kinds of insects and over 230 rust fungi.
The Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon stretches 496-kilometers long and averages over 5,000 meters deep. It measures 21-kilometer wide and even at the narrowest part it has a depth of 5,138-meters. It is the deepest, narrowest and longest canyon of the world as compared to the other grand canyons in the world; Furthermore, the natural landscape is also unmatchable in the world.

The abundant rainfall and the geomorphology of high mountains and deep gorges in this area have helped to form lots of glaciers, snow-slides and waterfalls, lakes and springs that, together with the roaring river, make up the attractive and fanciful natural sights.

A varied and changeable climate makes the canyon a place of different landscapes. Areas lower than 1,100 meters above sea level and with annual mean temperature of 16? to 18? have tropical rainforests and a variety of crops, including thermophilous crops and tropical and subtropical trees. Between 1100 meters and 2,400 meters above sea level with an average mean temperature of 11? to 16?, there are evergreen and broad-leafed trees. Between 2,400 meters and 3,800 meters with annual mean temperature of 2? to 11?, there are conifer forests, winter crops and timber production. At 3,800 meters above sea level, the climate is cold and moist and there are large mountain meadows and good-quality highland pastures in the summer.

Siling Lake is a lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region

Siling Lake , is a lake in the Tibet Autonomous Region, to the north of Xainza. Doijiang is located near the lake. Administratively it belongs to Xainza County and Baingoin County of the Nagqu Prefecture.

The temperature at the lake is an annual average of -3 to -0.6°C, the maximum annual temperature 9.4°C. The average rainfall is 290 millimeters per year, 90 percent of which falls in the months of June to September, often in the summer as hail.
The areas of Selincuo Lake are larger than that of Namucuo Lake, and it becomes the largest saltwater lake in Tibet autonomous region now. The increases of air temperature and surface temperature lead to ice and snow melting, permafrost melting, which are the main reasons resulting in the lake rising. The above analysis shows that EOS/MODIS data are suitable to discuss the areas changes of lakes.

Ganden Monastery is located on Wangbur Mountain

Ganden Monastery is located on Wangbur Mountain, on the southern bank of Lhasa River in Tagtse County, 47 kilometers (29 miles) from Lhasa City. It stands at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level! It is one of the earliest and largest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, and stands atop of the six famous temples of Gelugpa - a branch of Tibetan Buddhism. Its significance as a religious, artistic, political and cultural relic led to it being preserved by the National Key Cultural Relic Preservation scheme in 1961, and is now known as being one of the 'Three Great Temples', together with the Sera Monastery and the Drepung Monastery . Every year, one of the grandest of Buddhist activities - Buddha Painting Unfolding Festival - is conducted here, attracting thousands of visitors and disciples.

 

The main temple and over seventy buildings were completed that year, 1409, in strict adherence with the Indian monastic rules. The next year, on a hill behind Ganden, Tsongkhapa unearthed the treasure conch shell that Maudgalyayana had buried there. All the prophesies about Ganden Monastery were thus fulfilled. In 1416, Tsongkhapa gave the Ganden conch to his disciple, Jamyang Chojey ('Jam-dbyangs Chos-rje bKra-shis dpal-ldan) (1379-1449), who founded Drepung Monastery ('Bras-spungs dGon-pa) later that year. The conch has been kept at Drepung ever since. Another close disciple, Jamchen Chojey (Byams-chen Chos-rje Shakya ye-shes) (1354-1435), founded Sera Monastery (Se-ra dGon-pa) in 1419, the year Tsongkhapa passed away.

Ganden Monastery is comprised of two colleges, Jangtsey (Byang-rtse Grva-tshang) and Shartsey (Shar-rtse grva-tshang), meaning North Peak and East Peak respectively. According to one tradition, they were named after their location to the north and east of Ganden's main temple.
The Ganden Monastery Colleges Jangtse and Shartse have also been reestablished in India. They are named The Ganden Jangtse College and The Gaden Shartse Monastery. They are located in Karnataka. The three main sights in the Ganden Monastery are the Serdung, which contains the tomb of Tsongkhapa, the Tsokchen Assembly Hall and the Ngam Cho Khang the chapel where Tsongkhapa traditionally taught. The monastery houses artifacts which belonged to Tsongkhapa.