Tsamda County

Home to the ruins of the Guge Kingdom and the Zanda earth forest, a wonder of ancient Tibetan civilization in the wilderness.

Tsamda County lies in southwestern Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, with the Sutlej (Langqen Tsangpo) flowing through it. Here is a vast earth-forest landscape of layered formations that look like castles; the ruins of the Guge Kingdom are built into the mountainside, and the surviving murals in its halls are of great artistic value. Tholing Monastery is one of Ngari's oldest monasteries, and the Dungkar-Piyang caves are also renowned for their murals. May–October is the better season, and at sunset the colors of the earth forest are especially moving. Most people travel by road from Shiquanhe or Purang; a Border Defense Permit is required.

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