Every summer in June Saga Dawa Festival is held in Tibet.

Saga Dawa is a holy month in Buddhism.
During this month people do special efforts to bring happiness to others.
Animal release safes thousands of lives, develops one’s compassion, loving kindness, equanimity and wisdom as well as environmental awareness.
Thousands of fish which were destined to be consumed for food were released back to the nature.

Life of every being is precious!

Clothing

Your clothing should be lightweight, hand-washable, breathable, and quick-drying.

• Shorts, mid-thigh or longer (but generally not to be worn in monasteries)
• Long pants (zip-off pants are very useful)
• Short-sleeved shirts
• Long-sleeved shirts
• Undergarments, socks
• Sport bras for women (roads can be bumpy)
• Sweater, jacket, windbreaker
• Warm jacket (esp. if you are traveling during off-season or going to EBC, Namtso, or Kailash)
• Hat and gloves (optional, for cold/high altitude locations)
• Rain racket or rain poncho
• Sun hat
• Bandana (for dust, washing, etc.)
• Pajamas
• Swim suit (for hot springs)

Footwear

While it’s not necessary to wear hiking boots for most Tibet trips, you will want to bring comfortable shoes that you’ll be able to walk around in all day.

• Sturdy, comfortable shoes
• Sandals
• Breathable socks

Electronics

Store electronics in sealed water-proof bags. Keep in mind that at very high altitude, some electronics might fail, so check the specifications of your gear.

• Headlamp or flashlight
• Camera, lenses, filters, memory cards
• Video camera, tapes
• Tripod
• Batteries
• Battery chargers
• Alarm clock
• Adapters and/or converters

Toiletries

• Soap, shampoo, conditioner
• Shaving supplies
• Nail clippers
• Toothbrush, toothpaste
• Baby wipes (moist towelettes)
• Hand sanitizer
• Lotion
• Hairbrush, comb, mirror
• Small towel
• Toilet paper
• Facial tissue
• Sunscreen
• Lip balm with sunscreen
• Insect repellent
• Q-tips
• Feminine products
• Cosmetics
• Sewing kit

First Aid

Coordinate with your group members, as you will only need one first-aid kit.

• Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, or Aspirin
• Band-aids
• Disinfectant, antiseptic cream, antibiotic ointment
• Gauze bandages and tape
• Throat lozenges
• Vitamins
• Diarrhea medicine
• Antihistamines
• Ace bandage
• Melatonin or other sleep aid
• Diamox (talk to doctor)
• Antibiotics (talk to doctor)
• Prescription drugs (talk to doctor)

Other

• Sunglasses with strap
• Eyeglasses, contacts, solution
• Binoculars
• Pocket knife
• Notebook, pencil and pen
• Playing cards, games, books, frisbee, football, kite
• Energy bars, hard candy, snacks, and comfort foods
• Cash, travelers checks, credit cards ($500 or more in cash and/or travelers checks, including some small U.S., Euros, or local currency)
• Money belt (waterproof is nice)
• Ziplock bags (useful)
• Travel documents & emergency contacts
• Maps, guidebooks
• Water bottles and Camelback (useful on bumpy roads)
• Sleeping bag (only necessary if you are camping or headed to Kailash)
• Sleeping bag liner (a good idea if you will be staying in rural village accommodation)

Gifts for Locals

• T-shirts
• Shoes
• Hats
• Nerf football, frisbees
• Pens
• Postcards from your hometown
• School supplies
• Any warm clothing

Please do not hand out medicines or candy!

Tibet – Temperature and Altitude

Are you looking to join a group trip to Tibet? Do you already have a group, but are looking for another member to join? Traveling to Tibet with like-minded others helps lower costs and creates more fun for all!

Here’s a list of travelers who have contacted us looking for travel companions:

“Lhasa area” = starts and ends in Lhasa

“Lhasa – Nepal” = starts in Lhasa and ends at the Nepal border

Due to the popularity of the Tibet train during the peak tourist season in the summer (May – October), train tickets become very difficult to get. Large government agencies reserve tickets before they go on sale to the public and then resell them to smaller travel agencies for a higher price. In addition, ticket dealers camp out in the train stations overnight, buy out the tickets as soon as they go on sale in the morning, and then scalp them to potential buyers. As a result, prices are driven up.

Below is the schedule of trains to Lhasa. Passenger trains start in Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xining and Lanzhou. At the moment, SnowLion Tours can assist travelers in purchasing Beijing, Chengdu, Xi’an, and Xining to Lhasa train tickets. For train tickets starting in other locations, we recommend you contact a local travel agency or hotel and ask them to purchase the tickets for you.

Note that train tickets go on sale 10 days before departure and sell out very, very quickly. If you plan to take the train into Lhasa, arrange for your tickets at least 10 days in advance. We cannot guarantee your tickets, but we usually have no problem getting them, and will try our best.

If you have firm dates and must be in Lhasa by a certain date, then it is better to fly in.

Tibet Train Schedule 2010

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Beijing – Lhasa and Lhasa – Beijing Trains

Chengdu – Lhasa and Lhasa – Chengdu Trains

Shanghai – Lhasa and Lhasa – Shanghai Trains

Guangzhou – Lhasa and Lhasa – Guangzhou Trains

Chongqing – Lhasa and Lhasa – Chongqing Trains

Lanzhou – Lhasa and Lhasa – Lanzhou Trains

Xining – Lhasa and Lhasa – Xining Trains

If you need any information about Tibet train tickets or arranging a tour in Tibet, contact us at info@snowliontours.com.

Xining, known as Siling in Tibetan, is the start of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the gateway to the Amdo region of Tibet. Just outside the city are many famous monasteries, national parks, and nomadic grasslands worth visiting.

Here are some of the best day trips from Xining:
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Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si)

Kumbum, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, is famous for being the birthplace of the great religious reformer Tsongkhapa. It is a wonderful place to check out Tibetan religious culture, Tibetan architecture, and Tibetan art. Highlights at the monastery include a large butter sculpture, monastic debating, and a chapel housing a sandalwood tree said to have grown from the umbilical cord of Tsongkhapa. (1 day – 27km)

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Qinghai Lake (Kokonor)

The largest lake in all of China, Qinghai Lake is regarded as holy by Tibetans and Mongolians. At the south side of the lake (150km from Xining), take a boat ride on the turquoise waves of the lake or go horseback riding along the shores with Tibetan nomads. If you have an extra day, continue on to the northwest side of the lake (220km from Xining), where you can visit Bird Island, a breeding ground for black-necked cranes, sandpipers, wild geese, and other bird species. (1-2 days)

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Rebkong Artist Village (Tongren)

Known as the cradle of Tibetan arts in Amdo, Rebkong is a small Tibetan town located downstream of the Yellow River. At Rebkong, watch thangka painting at a traditional artist workshop, visit one of the many local monasteries, and join the locals in circle dancing at the town square. In the summer, the famous Shaman Festival is held at Repkong, and takes place over a week at a few different villages. (1-2 days – 180km)

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Rongwu Gongchen Monastery

At Rongwu Gongchen, the biggest monastery in Huanan prefecture, go hiking, visit monks’ houses, watch thangka painting, and check out local art workshops. The monks here are very friendly, and are likely to invite you to join them for a cup of tea. Afterwards, walk among traditional Tibetan farming houses made from wood and mud and visit the upper and lower Sange Shung (Golden Valley) Wutun Monasteries. (1 day – 180km)

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Gonlung Jampaling Monastery

Located in an evergreen forest at the foot of snow mountains, Gonlung Jampaling is a rare gem that few tourists visit. The monastery, a major pilgrimage site along the northern Zongchu River, is home to a handful of ethnic Mongolian and Tibetan monks. It is revered as a place where the 3rd and 4th Dalai Lamas stopped on their way to Lhasa. There is great hiking in the area, and the monastery has many ancient thangka paintings of interest to art lovers. (1 day – 70km)

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Shachung Monastery (Xiaqiong)

Perched on top of a mountain ridge shaped like the mythical Garuda bird, Shachung is one of the four greatest monasteries of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Built in 1349, Shachung is one of the oldest monasteries in eastern Tibet. From its location on the mountain, hike along the mountain ridge while taking in views of Tibetan farming fields on one side, and of a steep cliff that overlooks the Yellow River on the other side. (1 day – 170km)

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Kanbula National Forest Park

Take a hike through this beautiful park, which features incredible peaks, tall mountains, caves, precipitous cliffs, red stone columns, forests, and turquoise rivers. Stop by Achu Nanzong Nunnery, which is located in a valley in the park. Climb up a mountain peak to visit an ancient Buddhist temple and its several small caves that contain Buddha statues. (1 day – 131km)

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Huzhu Beishan National Forest Park

The park has many sights perfect for nature lovers and serious trekkers. Walk through forests, stroll along mountain streams, visit beautiful waterfalls, and sit by a calming pond near a sacred stupa. For those interested in trekking, hike up to the Heavenly Lakes, which sit atop a mountain peak of around 3700 meters. (1-2 days – 125km)

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Lo Dorjee Drag monastery in Gyantsa.

Lo Dorjee Drag is a monastery, which is situated beneath the meditation caves of Jianzha county, where great yogis used to take their meditation retreats over many centuries. This monastery is specially famous for a monk named Pelgyi Dorjee of Lhalu, who killed Langdarma, the last emperor of Tibet. Langdarma was a king who almost destroyed Buddhism in Tibet. In order to save Buddhism, Pelgyi Dorjee went to Lhasa and killed Langdarma by bow and arrow. Afterwards he came back to Gyantsa and continued studying Buddhism. Those bow and arrow are buried under Mani stones in the monastery up to nowadays.

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Want to figure out where you’re going? See our Qinghai Maps.

For more information about Xining day trips or Tibet travel, contact us at info@snowliontours.com.

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Gedun Choepel Artists’ Guild

Formed by a group of Tibetan artists, this gallery showcases contemporary Tibetan art. The artwork ranges in theme, and includes variations on traditional paintings as well as installation pieces. The artists, all of whom were born during the turbulent 1960s and 70s, aim to embrace modernity while valuing their unique cultural heritage. Accordingly, the artists named their guild after Gedun Choepel, a legendary iconoclastic scholar regarded as one of the most important Tibetan intellectuals in the 20th century.

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Jatson Chumig School

The Jatson Chumig Welfare Special School, founded in 1993 by a former monk, provides handicapped, orphaned, and destitute children with a home and basic education. The school works to support itself in part by its five handicraft workshops.  Stop by the school to play with the children and watch workers make Tibetan paper, Tibetan incense, and Tibetan boots and clothing. The gift shop has some of the best handicrafts you will find in Lhasa, and you can be sure that your money will be supporting a good cause.

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Dropenling Handicrafts

The Dropenling Handicraft Development Center makes unique, high-quality Tibetan handicrafts. Drop by to watch Tibetan artisans at work, visit the gift shop, and watch a cultural performance. On the way there, pass by the large Muslim mosque and get a taste of local Hui Muslim culture in Lhasa. Purchasing crafts at Dropenling is a good way to directly support local Tibetan artisans.

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Traditional Teahouses

Lhasa is famous for its teahouses, and in every corner of the city you will come across small shops serving sweet tea, butter tea, and noodle soup. Among the teashops we like best are the numerous rooftop ones overlooking the Barkhor, the ones in the back alleys near the Barkhor, and the one located in a cave near the Potala Palace. If you want a true native experience, cozy up on a bench with locals, order a large thermos of tea, and enjoy the kungfu movies playing on an old TV in the corner of the shop.

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Small Temples and Monasteries

In Lhasa, there are many small temples around the city that few tourists ever visit, and they serve as an interesting window into Tibetan culture and religious life. Check out the Gyume Tantric College, a working temple across from the Kirey Hotel, or visit Palha Lu-puk, the 7th century meditation retreat cave of Songtsen Gampo. You might also want to visit Ani Chupsang Nunnery near the city center, or admire views of the Potala from the nunnery located on Chakpo Ri.

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Barkhor Street

The Barkhor is at the heart of the old Tibetan quarter and is always buzzing with activity. Get swept up in the crowd of pilgrims circumambulating the holy Jokhang temple, bargain for souvenirs, drink a cup of tea, take pictures, and explore the back alleys.

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The Lingkor

The Lingkor, an ancient circumambulation route dating back to the 15th century, encircles the entire traditional city of Lhasa. Following the path, join local pilgrims in traveling around the major pilgrimage sites in Lhasa. Along the way, get a glimpse of the contrast between ancient and modern Lhasa as you pass by murals painted on carved rock walls and walk through recently built parts of town. The path is about 8km and takes the better part of a morning to walk.

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Nangma Clubs

While many bars and dance clubs have sprung up in Lhasa, many Tibetans prefer to go to nangma. These nangma clubs, which consist of a central stage surrounded by tables, feature Tibetan singing, dancing, and comedy skits. After dinner, go with your friends to one of the many popular nangma in town, grab a table, order some drinks, and enjoy the show. By the end of the night, you may find yourself on stage doing traditional Tibetan circle dances with the locals!

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Tromsikhang Market

The traditional marketplace in Lhasa, known as the Tromsikhang, is where local Tibetans pick up their everyday goods. For a glimpse into modern Tibetan life, take some time to notice what kind of things are for sale — vegetables, incense, dried cheese sweets, small trinkets, and traditional items used for upcoming festivals. Peek into a bookstore to see what locals are reading and you’ll find traditional religious volumes, basic language texts, comics, and Tibetan translations of Harry Potter and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe!

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Thangka Workshops

Thangka, or religious scroll paintings, are a traditional form of Tibetan artwork that typically features Buddhist deities. In the alleys of the old Tibetan quarter, there are numerous thangka workshops, in addition to sculpture workshops, door hanging brocade workshops, traditional furniture workshops, bakeries, and traditional clothing stores. Stop in any one of these places and notice how the artists work. Feel free to ask them questions about the painting process, which includes performing meditational practices before painting different deities.

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Tibetan Medicine

In modern Lhasa, hospitals offer both conventional treatments and traditional Tibetan remedies. While in the city, take the opportunity to meet with a traditional Tibetan doctor. During a check-up, learn about the diagnosis process as they read your pulse to determine the balance of different energies in your body.  After your check-up, take a tour of the hospital and learn more about modern Tibetan medicine, from its production to its blessing by monks.

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Interested in learning more about Lhasa sites? Visit our Famous Monasteries in Lhasa page.

Looking to take a short trip outside Lhasa? See our Lhasa Day Trips page.

If you have any questions about Tibet travel or off-the-beaten-path sites in Lhasa, contact us at info@snowliontours.com.

What is Eco Travel and Responsible Tourism?

Responsible Tourism is tourism that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people. The pillars of responsible tourism are the same as those of sustainable tourism and ecotourism — environmental integrity, social justice, and maximizing local economic benefit. Eco travel and responsible tourism are not only ways of traveling – they are about making a difference.

Why should I care about Eco Travel and Responsible Tourism?

Do you care about the places and people you visit? Traveling responsibly provides a more enjoyable experience for tourists through building more meaningful connections with local people and granting them a greater understanding of local cultural, social and environmental issues. It enhances the well-being of host communities and encourages respect between tourists and hosts. Practicing responsible tourism makes positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and helps improve a place for all who visit it after you.

What does it mean to practice Eco Travel and Responsible Tourism in Tibet?

Here are some helpful guidelines for ecotourists and responsible travelers to Tibet:

• Choose a local Tibetan travel agency

There are many agencies that offer Tibet tours. Try to choose an agency based on the Tibetan plateau (in Xining, Chengdu, or Lhasa) that is owned, managed, and staffed by Tibetans. These agencies have far more expertise in arranging Tibet tours than do Chinese tour operators based in other regions of the country. In addition, if you use a Tibetan-owned travel agency, you can be sure that more of your tourist dollars are going to be put into the local Tibetan economy.

• Patronize local Tibetan businesses

Tourism makes up a large part of the Tibetan economy. If you want to see your tourist dollars go to Tibetans, try and use as many Tibetan owned hotels, shops and restaurants as possible. Through strengthening the local economy, you will be improving the lives of Tibetans and helping preserve their cultural heritage.

• Hire local Tibetan guides and drivers

If you want to better understand Tibet, travel with locals, who can provide expert advice on all the best locations and inform you on local perspectives and opinions. Chinese guides in Tibet invariably know very little about the local culture, religion, and language that make Tibet such a beautiful place. Having a local guide will give you a more meaningful connection to the place you are visiting. At the end of your trip, if you believe your guide and driver did a good job, tip them.

• Respect Tibetan cultural and religious customs

When entering monasteries and temples, dress appropriately. Take off your hat (and shoes if required) and wear long pants instead of shorts. Ask first before taking pictures — many larger monasteries require that individuals pay a small fee to photograph the inside of temples and prayer halls. Do not step on or over any religious items or pictures, and if seated, do not point your feet towards religious images or monks and nuns. Be aware that some chapels forbid women to enter. If you’re a woman, do not touch a monk; and if you are a man, do not touch a nun. Walk counter-clockwise in and around Buddhist temples, but walk clockwise in and around Bon temples. Some travelers have reported that wearing a Buddhist rosary puts Tibetans at greater ease by showing them that they respect the local culture and religion.

• Follow leave-no-trace principles while trekking

While trekking, ask permission from local nomads if you plan to camp near them (so that they can call off their ferocious dogs). Make sure you do site cleanups before you leave an area and pack out all trash. Use environmentally friendly soaps and detergents. Carry reusable tableware. Don’t go to the bathroom near water sources. Stay on existing paths and don’t make new ones to avoid contributing to soil erosion.

• Abide by local laws

All travelers in the Tibet Autonomous Region require permits that list the dates of their stay and the locations they plan to visit. Do not stray from this itinerary without express permission from your travel agency. If you overstay your permit or venture into an off-limits place, the consequences for the travel agency that arranged your tour will be severe. While tourists may only be fined 300-500Y, travel agencies can be fined up to 50,000Y and might be shut down. While you might not like or agree with the travel policies in Tibet, keep in mind that your actions affect local Tibetans and might put them out of a job.

Avoid political discussions while traveling in Tibet. While you may not get in trouble, you could get the locals into serious trouble.

• Don’t pay for pictures or hand out medicine
  

Tibet is a poor place, and you may be tempted to hand out money, candy, or medicine to those you meet along the way. However, these are not good tourist practices. If you want to help local Tibetans, donate directly to orphanages or service projects in the area.

If someone does not want to have their picture taken, respect that right. In addition, do not pay anyone for their photograph. If you tell someone that you are going to send them their photo, then follow up on it. You can send your pictures to your travel agency or guide. Guides frequently return to the same places and can take the photos to the places you visited.

The one place it is fitting to leave small bills is at monasteries. Many monasteries are supported by the alms that pilgrims offer on the altars. In addition, feel free to give small change to groups of chanting monks and nuns as well as pilgrims that you see prostrating in front of temples or on longer kora routes. The monks and nuns sing prayers to raise money for their temples and the pilgrims have traveled long distances and depend on the support of others to complete their journeys. If you’re not sure who they are, just ask your guide. You might see locals donating to them as well.

Make responsible choices when traveling to Tibet. Discovering ways of connecting with locals and making a difference will greatly improve the quality of your trip.

SnowLion Tours is a Tibetan-owned travel company that provides eco-friendly, high-quality travel services that help benefit local Tibetan communities.

If you have any questions about responsible tourism or traveling to Tibet, contact us at info@snowliontours.com.

Losar, or the Tibetan New Year, is the most important festival in the Tibetan calendar. In Tibetan, lo means “year” and sar means “new.” Losar is determined according to the lunar calendar, and often falls sometime in February or March. It is traditionally celebrated for weeks, but nowadays it is celebrated for three days.

Most Tibetans go home for Losar, as it is a family holiday. For Tibetans, Losar is like Christmas, New Year, and a birthday celebration all rolled into one. Older relatives offer money and gifts to the younger members of the family, and everyone spends time together feasting, dancing, and singing. Tibetans dress in new clothes and make a point to go on pilgrimage to monasteries or invite monks to their homes to do blessings.

Tibetan cuisine is not renowned for its spices and variety, but it is hearty and healthy and sustains those living on the high plateau. Most Tibetan dishes include generous portions of dairy and meat, but these days more and more young people eat vegetarian. Here are some of our most common dishes.

Tsampa

Tsampa is the unofficial food of the Tibetan people. It is made from dried barley flour, which is then added to a cup of butter tea. The flour and the tea are mixed together to form a ball of dough. Some like to add bits of dry cheese as well as sugar to the dough. No trip to Tibet is complete without sampling tsampa.

Butter Tea

Tibetans are famous for their heavy yak butter tea. Nomads drink cup after cup of butter tea daily, as it is filling and keeps them warm. In some regions, a bit of salt is added to the tea. While many foreigners balk at the idea of drinking butter tea, it is tasty if you think of it as a kind of soup.

Milk Tea

Tibetans in central Tibet enjoy drinking sweet milk tea, known as ja ngarmo. The sweet tea is similar to British milk tea, and many visitors to Tibet enjoy the drink. However, Tibetans in the eastern regions of Amdo and Kham prefer plain milk tea or salty milk tea.

Momo

Momos, or dumplings, are every Tibetan’s favorite food. Momos are typically made on special occasions, and family and friends pitch in to make them together. Momos can easily be found at most restaurants, and there are many kinds, including potato momos, mutton momos, veg momos, and others. Tibetans dip the momos into spicy chili paste for added flavor, and wash it down with soup broth.

Thukpa

Thukpa is a noodle soup typically eaten for lunch or dinner. It includes thick noodles, boiled spinach, and bits of mutton, pork, or yak beef. One popular version of this soup, called tenthuk, uses small chunks of pasta made from pulled noodles. A large bowl of this warm, filling noodle soup is tasty on a cold night.

Yak Yogurt

Tibetan nomads make yogurt (sho) from yak milk. In the summer, it is easy to buy buckets of fresh yogurt directly from the nomads. Restaurants also offer small bowls of yogurt, which can be eaten plain, with a bit of sugar, or mixed with rice.

Tibetan Bread

Tibetans make all sorts of bread. The most common form of bread (pale) is small, thick, and round. Another popular kind of bread, tingmo, is small, round, and soft. Bread is typically eaten with all meals. Special, crispy bread (kapse) is made during the Tibetan New Year.

Beef and Potatoes

A popular dish in Tibetan restaurants is shamdre, which includes beef, rice, and potatoes. The meal is hearty and filling. Tibetans love potatoes, and often enjoy them with a bit of chili.

Yak Jerky

Tibetans eat a lot of meat, including yak beef, mutton, and pork. Traditionally, the meat is dried and preserved. It is then cut up and tossed into stews or eaten straight off the bone. Don’t be surprised if nomads invite you into their tent, hand you a knife and give you a big bowl of dried yak meat still on the bone!

Droma Root

Droma is a wild-harvested root found on the plateau grasslands. Served atop a plate of rice and sprinkled with a little sugar and melted butter, droma root is chewy and tasty. Its flavor is similar to sweet potatoes or parsnips. Highly nutritious, the small, red root is full of iron, protein and antioxidants.

Mushrooms

In the summer, wild mushrooms grow on the plateau grasslands. Nomads pick these mushrooms while herding yaks and sheep, and then sell them along the road or in town. Mushrooms can be used as momo filling or their stems can be plucked, a little bit of salt and butter added, and then roasted over the fire. The results are delicious!

Vegetarian

Now that an increasing variety of food is available in Tibet, eating vegetarian has become an option. While most Tibetans continue to eat a traditional meat diet, many young Tibetans believe that eating vegetarian is in line with their Buddhist beliefs. In the cities, there are many vegetarian options (including Nepali/Indian/Sichuan food), but outside the city, travelers may want to bring some peanut butter as a supplement.

For more information, contact us at info@snowliontours.com.

Ethnic Tibetan areas encompass a space much larger than the Tibet Autonomous Region. The map above shows all of the ethnic Tibetan entities (including the Tibet Autonomous Region and all Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures and Counties) set up by the People’s Republic of China.

From a Tibetan perspective, Tibet is divided into four regions: Amdo, Kham, U-Tsang, and Ngari. Each region is unique in its culture, religion, language, and geography. Amdo is known for its nomadic grasslands, poets and scholars. Kham is famous for its tough warriors and lively horse festivals. U-Tsang is home to the cradle of Tibetan civilization as well as the barren lands of the Changtang. Ngari, the highest and most sparsely populated region of Tibet, is the site of Mt. Kailash and the ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom.

This hand-drawn map marks the traditional regions of Tibet (U-Tsang, Kham, and Amdo) in addition to where they exist in approximate relation to Chinese provinces (U-Tsang in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Amdo in Qinghai, and Kham in Sichuan). Major Tibetan cities, including Lhasa, Shigatse, Nagchu, Chamdo, Jyekundo, Dege, and Golmud, are marked, as are the biggest gateways into Tibetan areas: Xining, Chengdu, and Lanzhou. Important monasteries, such as the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tashilunpo in Shigatse, Kumbum in Xining, and Labrang in Gansu, are drawn in, as are natural sites like Mt. Everest, Mt. Kailash, and Kokonor (Qinghai Lake).

For more maps, see our Tibet Autonomous Region Maps page.