Ngari， is an extremely remote area even in Tibet with nearly no infrastructure of any type but despite its remote location, the holy sites in the area attracts thousands of visitors, most of them are coming for pilgrimage. The area also offers a truly Tib
Ngari， is an extremely remote area even in Tibet with nearly no infrastructure of any type but despite its remote location, the holy sites in the area attracts thousands of visitors, most of them are coming for pilgrimage. The area also offers a truly Tibet experience for tourists. It is mystical, majestic and the nature is incredible alien but beautiful.
There are many places to visit in Ngari and here we will cover the top 4 attractions in Ngari for every tourist should visit.
Mt. Kailash
With its snow-covered top and nearly symmetrical four sides like a pyramid in Egypt, Mount Kailash is one of the most beautiful mountains on the planet. It is also the main reason for most people make the long journey out to this part of Tibet. But this demanding journey is not fort its beauty; the mountain is the most holy mountain for the Tibetans. In the ancient times, Tibetans believed that the mountain was at the center of the world.
Each year, many Tibetan Buddhist come here to “kora“ (performing Pilgrimage Circuit) around Mount Kailash. This pilgrimage is basically making circuits around the mountain. Pilgrims of several religions around the region believes that circumambulating Mount Kailash on foot brings good fortune.
Lake Manasrovar
Like mountains, lakes are considered sacred by Tibetan people. They are believed to be the dwelling places for protective deities. This is also believed to give these sacred places a spiritual power.
Among all the sacred lakes in Tibet, Lake Manasrovar is the holiest. Located at the southern foot of Mount Kailash, it is called the Mother of The Holy Lakes .
Lake Manasrovar is a fantastic place to take photos. Bring along a camera which can be easily used with gloves and long-focus, wide angle lenses. The half-an-hour periods before and after sunset and sunrise offers great opportunities to take photos, so you should at least stay one night in this magical land if you want to take good shots.
Guge Kingdom
Guge Kingdom ruins dotting the Ngari prefecture adds significant mystery and attractiveness to the area. This ancient kingdom was centred in the region and at its peak it ruled lands reaching Kashmir in Pakistan.
This almost legendary kingdom was formed by the descendants of the last Emperor of the Tibet Empire after he was assassinated and the Tibet Empire went into a period of civil wars. After ruling at these remote highlands for 700 years, the kingdom suddenly vanished. Whatever happened to it, it must have been a fast and brutal end because no descendants survived.
Today, the ruins of the ancient capital of Guge at Tsaparang with its grand palace is one of the most important attractions to visit in Ngari. The grand palace, is a majestic, castle like building on the top of a hill. The ruins are spread over 720,000 square meters and the palace once had 445 rooms. The rooms were built in a way stepping up from the bottom to the top of the mountain.
Zanda Clayforest
With its unique landscape, Zanda Clayforest lies between Gangdise and Himalaya along the Xiangquan River. These canyonlands are best visited during sunrise and sunset where all the clayforest turns into golden colour. Spring and autumn are the best seasons. In the peak season of August, it tends to be very rainy.
The place is a heaven for photographers. If you will shoot, half an hour before sunset and after sunrise is the best time for it. It will be best if you bring wide angle and long-focus lenses. You can catch the best shots at Zanda Earth Forest Observatory, the ancient Guge Kingdom ruins or around Toding town.
Ngari is extremely remote but visiting this beautiful and extraordinary land will be a once in a lifetime experience. The area around Mount Kailash is one of the holiest and most scenic places on the planet. The ruins of ancient kingdom of Guge and natural but incredibly alien rock formations of Zanda Clayforest offers are must-see tourist attraction when you tour in Tibet.
