Ali, Tibet | The Lost Guge Civilization Tour 9 Days
① The itinerary is refined, Lhasa enters and leaves Ali, and avoids turning back. Combine in-depth humanistic interpretation with natural scenery.
② Visit the temple and cave murals in three artistic styles of Chinze, Kashmir and Nepal. The guide explains the evolution of Tibetan sects from the 11 th to 17 th centuries in detail, and identifies the protectors and religious symbols.
③ Watch the Himalayan peaks, including Zhuomulari, Everest, Lhotse and Shishabangma.
④ Explore untapped and pristine glaciers on foot along the Sino-Indian border.
⑤ Experience the half-way Gangrenpoche mountain turn, enter on foot and return by car. Watch the golden sunset of Namunani Peak on the banks of Laangcuo, Ghost Lake.
⑥ Visit the ruins of Guge Dynasty and the first Tibetan Buddhist temple in Ali, and the guide tells the epic story of the rise and fall of Guge civilization.
⑦ Go deep into Zanda Tulin Canyon, search for the largest Buddhist grottoes in Tibet, and taste the fresco treasures from the 11 th to 15 th centuries.
Itinerary
Fly to Lhasa and pick you up to the hotel by special car. If time permits, the guide will lead you to visit Jokhang Temple or Tibetan secret temples or museums that are rarely visited by tourists.
Meals: None
Hotel: The St. Regis Lhasa
It takes about 3 hours to travel to Langkazi via Yangzhuo Yongcuo by bus, and visit a Sakya esoteric dojo built in the mid-15 th century along the way.
There are a large number of murals of Chinze School preserved in the temple, which integrates Han art and breaks the dominance of early Kashmiri-Nepal style. The guide will interpret the history of Sakya School from 11 th to 13 th centuries, guide the identification of the main statues of Tibetan secret protectors, and lay the foundation for the subsequent appreciation of murals of different styles.
In the afternoon, it takes about 1.5 hours to ride to Gyantse to visit Baiju Temple, which was built in the mid-15 th century and integrates Sakya, Xharu and Gelu schools. Its Nepalese-style murals are exquisite. The guide will analyze the meaning of common symbols in murals, and tell the historical context of Gelug School from 15 th to 17 th centuries.
Overlooking Zongshan Castle in the distance, we review the history of Tibet’s anti-British resistance in the early 20 th century. The guide will also briefly describe the political and religious pattern of Tibet in the 19 th and 20 th centuries, as well as the political dealings of the 13 th Dalai Lama among the Qing court, Britain and Tsarist Russia.
Dining: Breakfast
Hotels: Local Select Hotels
Walk along the Yadong Valley, visit the plateau lakes, and look at the Himalayan peaks represented by Zhuomulari Peak (7326 meters). Then hike to the undeveloped glacier at about 5,400 meters above sea level (about 2 hours hike), which can get close to the front of the ice tongue. Finally, take a bus for about 3 hours to Dingri.
Meals: early Meal
Hotels: Local selection
It takes about 5 hours to cross the Xixiabangma Nature Reserve by car, passing through the observation deck overlooking Mount Everest, Peichucuo at an altitude of 4,600 meters and the Shishapangma at an altitude of 8,027 meters. Along the way, you have the opportunity to watch Tibetan wild donkeys and antelopes.
Optional Activities
During April/May/September/October every year, if weather conditions permit, the trip to Mount Everest Base Camp can be increased.
Dining: Breakfast
Hotels: Local Select Hotels
Day 5 Holy Lake and Ghost Lake, go to Pulan
Go to Pulan County, at the junction of China, India and Nepal, and pass through Payang Desert, Holy Lake Mapangongcuo, Ghost Lake Laangcuo and Namunani Peak at an altitude of 7,694 meters along the way. Manyongcuo is the highest freshwater lake in the world and the birthplace of the four major rivers in Asia (Ganges, Indus, Satlej and Brahmaputra). When the weather is fine, you can wait for the sunshine Jinshan scenic spot of Namunani Peak on the banks of Laangcuo in the evening.
Dining: Breakfast
Hotel: Pulan Himalaya Hotel
On the 6 th day, Gangrenpoqi’s mountain-turning experience (the section from the two-legged pagoda to Zhire Temple)
At an altitude of 6,638 meters, Gang Rinpoche is a sacred mountain jointly revered by Tibetan Buddhism, Bon religion, Hinduism and Jainism. You will hike a mountain road (about 14 kilometers, 6 hours) along the Laqu River Valley, and feel the piety of believers at close range.
Zhire Temple, 5,085 meters above sea level, belongs to the Karma Kagyu School. It is an excellent location to view the north wall of Gangrenpoqi, and it is also rich in religious legends. The guide will explain the history of the Kagyu School from 11 th to 14 th centuries.
Finally, the bus returns to Tachin. If you want to complete the whole journey to the mountain, you need to add an extra day’s trip.
Dining: Breakfast
Hotel: Tachin Himalaya Hotel
On the 7 th day, go to Zanda to explore the Guge Dynasty and the wonders of the earth forest
It takes about 4 hours by car to Zanda. In the afternoon, visit the ruins of the Guge Dynasty, which was founded in the 10 th century. This civilization, which lasted for more than 700 years, was finally destroyed by the invasion of Ladakh and the changes of natural environment. The guide will interpret Guge history, modern archaeological discoveries and its exquisite Kashmiri-style murals.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotels: Local selection
Day 8 Tuolin Temple and Grotto Murals, go to Shiquan River
In the morning, visit the first Tibetan Buddhist temple in Ngari area-Tuolin Temple, which was built by the first king of Guge at the end of the 10 th century, and its mural art value is extremely high. The guide will explain the position of Guge in the history of Tibetan Buddhism, as well as the beginning and end of the Guge-Ladakh war.
Then cross the Tulin Canyon, visit the largest Buddhist grottoes in Tibet (2-5 grottoes may be visited depending on the opening situation), and enjoy early murals dating back to the 11 th-12 th centuries. Finally, it takes about 4 hours to reach Shiquan River by bus.
At night, you can choose to go to Ali Dark Night Reserve to photograph the starry sky.
Meals: Breakfast
Hotel: Ali Grand Hotel
Day 9 End of the trip
It takes about 1 hour to drive to Ali Kunsha Airport and fly back to Lhasa.
Flight Reference
There are daily direct flights from Ali to Lhasa, and the flight takes about 2 hours. After arriving in Lhasa, you can connect with the return flight on the same day.
Dining: Breakfast
Hotel: None
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