Ngari Attractions

 Guge Kingdom 
The Guge Kingdom was a mysterious Tibetan kingdom which was founded by a son of King Lang Darma in about the tenth century. However, the kindom was disappearance in the 17th century sudeenly. The traces of site was found in Ngari. When Tubo Kingdom had collapsed, many monks and lamas escaped and came here from Lhasa, thus Guge became the Buddhist center of Ngari or even Tibet. It lasted for about 700 years and collapsed during a ferment. Some ten thousands of Guge people disappeared without a trace.

Ruins of the Guge Kingdom lie on a hill 19 kilometers (11.8 miles) away from Zhada County, Ngari. There are 879 caves, 445 houses, 58 blockhouses, and 28 stupas on this hill. Most of the buildings have been eroded badly by both sand and wind. The residences of royal family were located atop the hill. The only way to get to the top is a tunnel hided in the hillside. In the middle of the hill residences and chapels for monks still exist. The White Palace, Red Palace, Yamantaka Chapel, Tara Chapel and Mandala Chapel are in a state of good preservation. Murals painted on the walls are still vibrant, depicting the stories of Buddhism and the Guge people. Most of the sculptures found are made of gold or silver which are important for archaeological and artistic research. Residences for peasants and Helot are located at the foot of the hill.

The Guge Kingdom played a very important role in the development of Tibet's civilization. It attracts increasingly more visitors and researchers each year either in the hope of appreciation or stuty.

 Mt. Kailash & Lake Manasarova

Considered to be the 'Sacred Mountain and Holy Lake' by Buddhism, Hinduism, Bon and Jainism, Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasarova attract thousands of pilgrims from all around Tibet even India, Nepal and Bhutan every year.

Mt. Kailash, called Gang Rimpoche in Tibetan, is located in Burang County of Ngari. The snow-capped mountain is 6,638 meters (21,778 ft) high. The Four mountainsides are symmetrical, so it looks like a pyramid shining under the sun. Because of its unique shape and sacred title, many visitors regard the mountain as indeed inviolable.

Lake Manasarova (Mapam Tso) is located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) southeast of Mt. Kailash. Covering an area of 412 square kilometers (101,807 acres) and at an altitude of 4,588 meters (15,049 feet), Lake Manasarova is the highest freshwater lake in the world. The lake is clear, immense and quiet. Pilgrims believe that water from the lake can pure one's sins. So many of them bathe in the lake. Eight monasteries scattered around Lake Manasarova make the visit to the lake worthwhile.

Admission Fee:

CNY 50 (Mt. Kailash)

 Tholing Monastery 
 
Tholing Monastery is located in the northeast of Zhada County, Ngari. It was built in eleventh century by the king of Guge. The king also invited famous Indian monks to teah Buddhist logics in Tholing Monastery. It played an important role on the renaissance of Tibetan Buddhism and became very powerful throughout Ngari. The construction styles of Nepal and Indiastyles influenced Tholing, but the layout is just like that of Samye Monastery. The Main Hall, which is the only part well-preserved, enshrined many gold-plated sculptures of Buddha. Murals inside are also in good condition. About one hundred Stupas are situated outside the monastery. What’s more, it is a perfect place to view the charming sunrise and sunset in Zhada County. 

Admission Fee:

CNY 50