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Journey Through Tibet In the Winter

2016-11-20 ShanghaiWOWeng




After traveling for hours on the impossibly rugged and barren landscape, a lonely and colorful monastery stood on a rocky outcrop in the middle of nowhere. Locals in their traditional dressing making their pilgrimage towards the temple, walking 3 steps and then prostrating with 5 points body contact with the ground, stood up, walked another 3 steps, prostrate again, repeating endlessly….Such scene is common and where else can you witness display of such strong faith of the religion and where else can you feast on such superlative scenery.

 

 



Indeed, Tibet has always been “The journey” for many in China if not the world. It is described as the Roof of the World or the Moonland or adventurer’s last frontier. 

 



Winter in Tibet? Visiting this harsh and inhospitable land is already an adventure and doing it at the depth of winter? Surprisingly, winter to many is arguably the best time to see Tibet.

 



It will not be your tank-top and shorts holiday, but the mercury is actually above freezing and with sufficient clothing, you get to enjoy many pluses compared to summer. The already outstanding landscape of Himalayas and Tibetan plateau is coated with white. While Lhasa may be cold for most of us in winter, it is warm for the mountain nomads and thus they gather here making Lhasa at its colorful best. And what’s best is you do not get the mass of tourists like in summer.




Landing in Lhasa and after a proper acclimatization night, we start our Tibetan journey with a bang – the Potala Palace. This is the most potent symbol of Tibet. Rising above the roof of Old Tibet, it stands proudly on a hilltop against the clear blue Tibetan sky. The literally hundreds of rooms are a treasure trove of Tibetan artifacts. UNESCO has listed it as a world heritage site.

 


Then, move on to Jokhang Temple right in the heart of old Lhasa, this is the most important temple in Tibet and its heart and soul. The buzzling Bharkor Circuit around the temple is both a route taken by the pilgrims as well as tourist. Go around it and enjoy the hive of human activities from monks and pilgrims chanting to tourists and local bargaining with the many stalls and merchants.




Make 2 excursions out of town. Ganden Monastery, the seat of head of Gelukpa sect. It stands at 4500m and here we can enjoy a hike to experience the rural life in the surrounding Tibetan villages.  And Yamdrok Lake with its outstanding scenery. About 2 hours out of Lhasa, you will cross the 4750m Kampala Pass and from here the view of the turquoise colored Yamdrok Lake is just magical.




History & culture, landscape and portraits….well no trip is complete without shopping! And Tibet has much to offer even for this. Many local crafts are renowned and unique, Tibetan carpet, tangka painting, colorful chest and table. Spend the last day shopping on the Bharkor circuit to bring home memories of this stunning trip.   


Contributing Author: 

Bonnie Chao is the Marketing Director for Country Holidays. After one year in China, Bonnie fell in love with Shanghai that decided to stay and work there, using the city as a home base for extensive travels throughout Asia. Her trips took her to the farthest reaches of Asia and provided her with life-altering experiences. Wanting to combine her love of exploring the world with her career, Bonnie decided to follow her heart and work in the tourism industry. Her strong destination knowledge has been a major asset to her work. Among her favorite travel destinations are Greece, Myanmar, & Mexico.


To learn more about tours and packages, please email enquiries@countryholidays.com.cn or call (021) 3222 0616 and log onto: www.countryholidays.com.cn


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