| Each year, in August, a lot of nomads get together in Nakchu grassland to celebrate their Horse-racing Festival, it also attracts many minority people living in Tibet and many travelers come to Nakchu to view or to participate in the festival. It’’s a great chance for photographing.
Day 1 Arrive in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, which is famous for the Grand Panda and the hot and spicy food. Meet at airport and transfer to your hotel. Dinner the well-known hot pot.
Day 2 Take a morning flight to Lhasa which is 3600 m above sea level, transfer to your hotel, then go to visit the Bakhor Bazaar which is a very busy market with businessmen coming from India, Nepal and all Tibet. Afterward, visit the Jokhang Temple, which is a holy palace for many pilgrims, inside there is a 1200 years old Golden Buddha covered with numerous treasure stones, the Buddha has been taken into Tibet by Princess Wenchen of Tang Dynasty.
Day 3 Lhasa, the holy capital of Tibet, still maintains its spirituality and mystique despite the growing population of Han Chinese and rapid development of the city in recent years. You are certain to notice the contrast among its inhabitants, however. Pilgrims kowtowing at Jokhang Temple and hip youngsters in discos boogieing to Celine Dion exemplify the duality of Lhasa. The early morning is the best time to appreciate the spiritual face of Lhasa.
We will begin our tour by visiting the Potala Palace, Tibet’’s greatest architectural achievement and spiritual symbol, where hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather from the far corners of the world.
Day 4 Drepung Monastery has an enormous hall with thousands of silk-bound scriptures covering 1,800-sqm(5,906-sqft) of wall space. Here we will witness thousands of lamas chanting en masse, with their passionate voices reverberating through the ancient halls as the flames of yak butter candles flicker under their breaths.
Sera Monastery, one of the three main temples of Gelupa Sect, is located at the foot of Mt. Purbuchok. Each afternoon, the monastery’’s 300-strong lamas hold a debate session in the garden, at times engaged in a heated discussion over spiritual questions.
Day 5 Under good road conditions, the 315 km(197 mi) journey from Lhasa to Nakchu should take approximately 6 hours. Though the journey is long and at times arduous, there is no such thing as an ugly road in Tibet. We will pass beautiful temples and shrines and encounter herdsmen and pilgrims as we traverse deep valleys and drive across rugged passes. We should reach Nakchu Grasslands by dusk, providing us with a wonderful opportunity to watch the sun go down while sipping hot tea with the nomads.
Day 6 Grab your horse or your camera, and enjoy a long day of festivities and races at the annual Horse Racing Festival, which is held in August each year.
Day 7 Rows of tents cover the vast green grassland, hosting more than 10,000 spectators from afar. In addition to the various equine events, such as shooting on horseback and cross-country racing, the festival also provides an opportunity to watch regional folk dances. In the evening we will gather around the campfire for more singing and dancing.
Day 8 After breakfast, we will leave the racecourse and drive south for 6 hours to arrive at the Lake Namtso. The lake is located at an altitude of 4,718 m(15,479 ft), and covers an area of more than 2000 square km. After sightseeing in the holy lake, overnight in a guesthouse.
Day 9 We will get up early to explore a peninsula and its bird sanctuary, where we may get a glimpse of the rare black-necked crane. There are many caves to explore, including a 100-meter mani stone wall. We will return to Lhasa in the late evening.
Day 10 Take a morning flight to Chengdu, visit the Zoo to see Grand Pandas, then go to taste Chengdu’’s many famous snacks. Overnight in Chengdu.
Day 11 After a relaxed breakfast in your hotel, transfer to airport for your departure. |
