Lhoka Travel Guide

Tsedang, the capital of Lhokha Prefecture, is reputed as "the cradle of Tibetan Civilization", and located at the middle and lower reaches of Yarlung Zangbo River. As the birthplace of the earliest Tibetans, it enjoys a comparatively mild climate and vast fertile land. A field in the village near Tsedang Town is said to be the first farming field in Tibet.

Tsedang boasts a combination of natural and cultural scenery. Spectacular ranges, beautiful lakes, numerous springs, and peaceful river valleys constitute its featured landscapes. And so close to Lhasa, you can take the sky train ride or flight to Lhasa first, and spare a few days to visit Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple, and Barkhor Street, etc. Then travelling along Yarlung Tsang, you’ll come to explore Samye Monastery, Yumbulagang Palace and Trandruk Monastery. After that, you can go west to see Yamdrok Lake, EBC and Mt.Kailash or travel east to Nyingchi. Sounds fascinating? Please kindly follow our ultimate Lhoka travel guide and work out a wonderful Tibet Shannan tour with our Tibet travel guru.

Basic Facts:

Chinese Name: 山南 Shānnán

Location: a prefecture-level city in Southeastern Tibet, West China

Altitude: 3,700 m (12,139 ft)

Time Zone: UTC+8 (China Standard)

Area: 79,700 square kilometers

Administrative Division: 1 district, 11 counties

Climate and Weather: moderate temperatures, a diverse climate, and very uneven distribution of annual rainfall

Airport: Lhasa Gonggar Airport (all located in Gonggar town, Lhoka)

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Ultimate Lhoka Travel Guide

To make sure you can enjoy the best Tsedang travel experience available, we kindly prepare the latest and most easy-to-use Lhoka travel and tour guides below for you. From Tsedang weather and climate to Lhoka food and restaurant, from Tsedang altitude and travel maps to Shannan tourist attractions and tour planning, etc., you can follow the insider’s tip and won’t miss a single moment when visiting Tsedang, the cradle of Tibet civilization.

Map of Lhokha City, the Cradle of Tibetan Civilization
Literally meaning “South of the Mountains”, Shannan (also known as Lhoka) lies on the south of Gangdise Mountains and Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains, along the middle and lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangbo River Valley, and is often referred to as the cradle of Tibetan civilization. The land of the first king of Tibet, more than 2,000 years ago, Lhoka is also the location of the ancient royal palace of Yumbulakang and the first Buddhist Monastery in Tibet.
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Lhoka Tourists Attractions
Shannan is highly reputed as the cradle of Tibetan civilization. Here you can find the numerous ancient temples and spectacular natural landscapes, ranging from the earliest palaces to the largest tombs of the Tibetan kings, from the rolling snow-mountains to the stunning holy lakes, etc. Even the off-the-beaten-track attractions also play a vital role in Tibetan culture and history. Here is a short list of the main tourist sights in Lhoka: Yamdroktso Lake, Samding Monastery, Yumbulagang, Tombs of the Tibetan Kings, Samye Monastery, Chim-puk Hermitage, Yarlung Tsangpo Valley, Yalong River, Trandruk Monastery, Mindroling Monastery, Lhamo La-tso, Dratang Monastery, Dorje Drak Monastery, Gonggar Chode Monastery, Gangpo Ri, Riduo Hot Spring, Woka Hot Spring, Namseling Manor.
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Tsedang Travel Advice
To delve deep into the ancient Tibet civilization and history, getting enough Lhoka travel advice will greatly help you to plan and finish a wonderful trip to Shannan. By our several years of experience in organizing Tibet travel teams, here we share some useful information with you. The below advice on traveling Tsedang will give a general idea about the weather, elevation, transportation, restaurants in Lhoka, etc.
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Hotels in Tsedang
Although the hotels in Tsedang, the administrative center of Lhokha prefecture, can not offer facilities and services as good as those at the same rate in other big cities of China, the accommodation facilities are expanding to meet the growing demands of tourism. It is still easy to find hotels at all level except five-star hotels. Especially on the Naidong Road of Tsedang, you can find starred hotels, unstarred hotels, hostels or guest houses. In other places of Lhokha, there are budget hotels, hostels or guest houses.
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Recommended Southeastern Tibet Tsedang Tour Itineraries

Neighboring Lhasa, Nyingchi, and Shigatse, Shannan houses tons of cultural and historic relics. Travelling along Yarlung Tsangpo River, you can visit the first Palace in Tibet - Yumbulagang, appreciate the peal Thangka in Trandruk Monastery, explore the first temple in Tibet - Samye Monastery, even make a detour to the meditation retreat of Guru Rinpoche - Chim-puk Hermitage. After that, you can travel west to Shigatse and catch a glimpse of Yamdrok Lake, Tashilhunpo Monastery and Mount Everest, or head east to visit Nyingchi and finally get back to Lhasa.