Photos from Lhasa southwest to Nagarzê, Tibet

An excellent road leads southwest from Lhasa to Gyantse and Shigatse. It leads through a mountainous landscape, at an altitude between 3,000 and 4,000 metres above sea leavel, to a viewpoint at 4,280 metres altitude of the Yajiang Valley, about 92 kilometres from the capital. The foundations and ruins of Tibetan monasteries, which were destroyed after the Chinese occupation, can be seen along the road. Now, Chinese tourists, at the viewpoint, photograph each other, sitting on white, decorated yaks or posing with large Tibetan dogs: a source of income for the Tibetan owners.

About 108 kilometres southwest of Lhasa, at an altitude of 4,800 metres, is Yamdrok Yumtso, one of three holy lakes of Tibet. Everywhere around the viewpoint, there are large quantities of “khata”, Tibetan ceremonial scarves and colourful prayer flags. Here too, Chinese tourists pose to have their pictures taken, and here too are decorated yaks and dogs to be snapped with for money. Souvenirs are for sale too, but the long, narrow lake remains a glorious sight with snow-capped mountains in the background.

The road continues in Nagarzê County to the quiet town of Nagarzê and villages with flat-roofed Tibetan houses and a tourist venue along a small river; the road continues to Gyantse, 84 kilometres further west.