Tibet
(Xizang), the Roof of the World, remained unknown to the
world until the very beginning of the 20th century. The
massive, snowy land has exerted an awesome draw to travellers
and adventurers ever since. Its majestic and grand scenery,
mysterious and exotic religious culture, and wonderful people
reward every tourist with an indelible life long memory!
Tibet
(Tibet Autonomous Region, TAR for short) borders India,
Burma, Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. Covering a massive 1,220,000
square kilometres (470, 920 square miles), the plateau is
surrounded by the highest mountain ranges, the Himalaya
to the south, the Karakoram to the west, and the Kunlun
to the north. Smaller mountain ranges block it off in the
east with internal provinces of China.
With
an average height of 13,000 feet above sea level, Tibet
encompasses some of the world's highest mountains. Mt. Everest
towers over the region. Four mountains exceed altitudes
of 8,000 meters (26,240 feet). Thirty-eight mountains exceed
altitudes of 7,000 meters (22,960 feet). This "Roof
of the World" is the dreamland of mountaineers and
adventurers. The vast land is also the cradle of great rivers
like the Yangtze, Yellow River, Nu River (Salween), Lancang
River (Mekong), Yarlong Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), Indus, and
Ganges. Tibet also offers awe-inspiring scenery of heavenly
lakes and valleys.
Lhasa
and Shigatse are the well trodden areas which offer the
most accessible religious monuments and tourist attractions.
As the most important cities of Tibet, Lhasa and Shigatse
feature most of the religious monuments including the Potala,
the Jokhang Temple, Tashilunpo Monastery, and Kumbum, as
well as natural wonders including Mt. Everest and Yamdrok
Yumtso Lake.
Western
Tibet, Ngari, is a vast barren plateau and renowned as the
Roof of Tibet. As the place where the sacred lake (Lake
Manasarova) joins the sacred mountain (Mt. Kailash), Ngari
is a holy pilgrimage destination of both Tibetans and Hindus,
as well as a popular challenge to trekkers. The ancient
Shang Shung Kingdom and Guge Kingdom also exert a pull.
South
western Tibet has been a popular destination for mountaineers.
More than 40 snow-capped peaks are open to mountain climbing
enthusiasts. Southern Tibet offers snow capped mountains,
primeval forests, running waters, and a relatively mild
climate. The largest canyon in the world, Yarlong Tsangpo
Canyon, is the home of rare species, and remains unknown
to the foreigner.
