Places To See In Tibet

Lhasa

Lhasa, the beautiful capital city of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), is situated in the South Central Part of the region, on the North Bank of the Kyichu River (Lhasa River), in a mountain fringed valley. At an elevation of 3,658 m. (12,000 ft.) the city, nicknamed Sunlight City , is the highest city in the world. This ancient sprawling city, settled 1,300 years ago, covers 30,000 sq. kms. with a population of 4,00,000 of which 87% are Tibetans. The urban population is 180000. The city has many Buddhist monuments and was the seat of the Dalai Lama, so that flocks of pilgrims have been making their pilgrimage to the city for centuries.

More and more tourists from every corner of the world have been attracted to explore this vibrant city and its mysterious culture as well. Its unique scenery, long history, exotic culture, mysterious religion and spectacular monuments, make your stay a life long memory.

Shigatse

Shigatse, also Xigatse, means "fertile land" and stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu River. It is the second biggest city in Tibet, situated at the altitude of 12,600 ft. It is the famous city for its great Tashilhunpo Monastery - the seat of the Panchen Lama, who is regarded as the reincarnation of the Buddha of Endless Enlightenment. Items of interest inside this monastery built in 1447 by the First Dalai Lama are: the relics of Sakyamuni, the Hall of Maitreya, and a incredible collection of thankas, frescoes and statues. There is also a dynamic 'free' market where one can buy local handicraft embedded with coral and turquoise, Tibetan Daggers, Chinese pottery and yak butter. Since it is the second biggest city of Tibet, it is the center for transportation and distribution of agriculture and other products.

Tsedang

Tsedang (Zetang) is the birthplace of earliest Tibetans and the political and economical centre of Shangnan prefecture. It sits on the south bank in the middle section of the Yarlung Tsangbo River with a moderate climate at an altitude of 3,600 meters.

The nearby Yarlung River scenic area is a national scenic park with Samye Monastery, Yumbu Lhakang Palace, burial site for Tsampos and Traduk Monastery spotting the region. It is located between two mountain ranges at the northern side of Himalayas, to the south of Nyanchen Tanggula mountains, just by the Yalong Zangbu river, with land area over 800,000 square kilometers. The Yalong river flows from the south through the area and empty itself into Yalong zangbu river, hence the Yalong river formed a huge river delta at its end when it merges into another.

Kailash

Mt. Kailash alias "Jewels of Snow" as Tibetan call, is the most sacred mountain in Asia, situated to the north of the Himalayan barrier in Tibet (China) It is the perfect mountain with awesome beauty with 4 great faces. It is the ultimate pilgrimage site for four devotee of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, the Jain religion and the pre-Buddhist animistic religion-Bono. Hindu pilgrims believe that salvation could be attained and all their earthly sins be cleansed once they devoutly circumambulate Mt. Kailash and take a ritual bath in the glacial waters of Lake Manasarovar. Lord Shiva both the creator and destroy of life is believed by Hindus to reside in this holy mountain.

Climate:
Blessed with flat land and mild weather, Lhasa is free of frigid winters and unbearably hot summers, having an annual average daily temperature of 8 degree Celsius (43 degrees F). Lhasa enjoys an annual precipitation of 500 mm. It rains mainly in July, August, and September. The rainy seasons in the summer and fall are the best seasons of the year when it rains mostly at night and is sunny in the daytime.

Here is some more climatic information of different areas:

• Lhasa / Shigatse / Lhatse / Tingri / Nyalam
  Along the friendship highway is basically in good conditions year around. But from December to February, the thawed road could make some trouble. Try to avoid August - landslide could happen in the rainy season.
  
• Mt. Everest Area: Early Many and early October are the best time to visit Mt. Everest . Due to the clear weather, you have great chance to see Mt. Everest's true face (if you are lucky). From December to February, you'd better not to go to this area because it is too cold except you are real Great Adventure People.
  
• Mt. Kailash : The appropriate time to visit this area is May, June, July, September and October.
  
• Eastern Tibet : You are advised not to visit this area in July or August due to the heavy rain which could ruin the road and make terrible landslides. In the winter the road could be frozen.
  
• Northern Tibet : Summer (July to August) is the Prime time to enjoy the great plain in Northern Tibet .

High Altitude Sickness:
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is common at high altitudes, and depends on the elevation, the rate of ascent and individual susceptibility. Most visitors to Tibet will suffer from at least some symptoms that will generally disappear through acclimatization in several hours to several days. Symptoms tend to be worse at night and include headache, dizziness, lethargy, loss of appetite, nausea, breathlessness and irritability. Difficulty in sleeping is another common symptom, and many travelers have trouble sleeping for the first few days after arriving in Lhasa .