Lhokha City - The Creation of the Lord !

Situated to the south of Mt. Kailash, Lhokha City, is the oldest city in Tibet. Once called Yarlong, the city is perched at an altitude of 3600 m above sea level and covers an area of 80000 sq. km. It is home to few of the earliest monasteries of Tibet and is considered to be the source of Tibetan culture, civilization and the birthplace of Tibetan People. Lhokha is dotted with numerous lakes and rivers meandering down through the valley that add music to the tranquility and silence of the sceneric atmosphere in Lhokha city.

What Is So Special About Lhokha !

Like in all parts of Tibet, the temperature differences between day and night is quite prominent. It is better to keep your woolen clothes in hand so that you can enjoy its freezing charms. Although you will not find much to shop here, but whatever you'll get, will definitely be the specialty of the town. Jiacha stone articles and Yamdrok air-dried meat are the most shopped items in Lhokha. Its proximity to Lhasa also turns out to be an advantage when it comes to shopping as one can always head to Barkhor street. Festivals of Lhokha have always been a hit among the locales and people from all over Tibet. Now even foreigners are getting attracted towards these colorful and vibrant celebrations. The main festivals that are a genuine crowd puller are Yarlung Cultural festival and Lhokha Barter fair. So, don't miss to be there during its festive times.

What to See And Do !

The tryst with this city of Lhokha and its attractions is surely going to be the most mesmerizing experience in Tibet for you. Visit the oldest temples and monasteries of Tibet full of divine life and spiritual enlightenment. Nature also has been quite generous to Lhokha and has gifted it with some gorgeous locations and panoramic viewpoints.

Trandruk Monastery
Situated on the southern side of Mt. Gangpo Ri, Trandruk Monastery is located 2 km south of Tradrug on the eastern bank of Yarlung River and is one of the earliest Buddhist monastery. This monastery is said to be built by King Songtsen Gampo in the same era of famous Jokhang temple. Its quite amazing that the monastery has a same look as that of a Jokhang Temple. The monastery was a lot smaller when it was built but 5th Dalai Lama took up extensive reconstruction work and also built the splendorous golden roof. The most captivating site here is of Pearl Thangka, embellished with numerous pearls, daimonds, rubies, sapphires, corals and a lot of gold, definitely a treat for your eyes. And it is a lot more ravishing than what it sounds. The monastery is open from 9 in the morning to 4 in the evening.

Samye Monastery
Samye monastery is the oldest monastery in Tibet located on the foot of Mt Hepo Ri. It is most famous for the various and unique artifacts that are kept here. The temple was built by the king Trisong Detsen. He allowed seven descendants of Blue Blood to live in the monastery and cultivate. They became the first monks ever in the land of Tibet who were later called as 'Seven Enlighten Disciples of Samye'. It is quite fascinating to look at the construction of the temple that replicates the universe mentioned in the sutras. The positioning of the great halls is similar to that of sun, moon and earth. The visiting timings of the monastery is from 9AM till 4PM. Keep in hand at least half a day to completely explore this sublime marvel.
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Yumbulagang Palace
This is the oldest Palace in Tibet, which has a history dating more than 2000 years back. It is said that the palace was built for the first Tibetan king, Nyatri Tsanpo. It was later used as a summer palace by the famous king Songtsen Gampo and Princess Wencheng. Nestling on the tip of the Jormo Zhaxi Ceri Mountain, this splendid creation will be visible to you from a long distance too. Inside the palace, there are rooms for monks to live and a bedroom for Dalai Lama. The highest point of the palace is a watchtower from where you will get the most dramatic views of the vast stretches of lands around. You can also visit a perennial spring Geer Spring, which according to the legend cures all your diseases once you take a sip of the water or a dip in the water.

Lake Lhamo Nhatso
The name itself tells you about the importance of the lake in Tibet. Well, the name Lhaso Nhatso means heavenly 'Mother Lake'. The lake is situated in the mountains of Gyacha, on the top at an altitude of 5100m above sea level. The lake freezes almost twice every year but when it is in flowing state, it is as clear and pristine as a mirror. Surrounded by mountains from all sides, the lake provides a magical view of the area, often forms an excellent trekking route for the adventure enthusiasts. The legend has it that one can see his future in the reflections of the lake, so do you really want to miss the chance of making your present life beautiful and knowing your future at the same time.

Where To Put Up !

Lhokha city has most of the hotels in budget category. Although all your basic needs are met with perfection but for high-end luxuries, you will have to move around a bit more for finding a star category hotel. The hotels that you can choose for a pleasant stay are Tsetang hotel, Lhokha grand postal hotel, Lhokha hotel all centrally located.

How to Get There

By Air
The nearest airport to Lhokha city is in Lhasa, which is around 200 km away from here. There is fair amount of transportation available in the form of mini buses that ferry people in and out of the city.

By Road
A newly built network of roads connect Lhokha city to all major cities and villages of Tibet. All these routes remain busy with traffic of buses.

Local Transport
The main mode of transport that you will notice here will be manually pulled tricycles and mini buses, although mini buses are more convenient and cheap.

Want to Know More About Lhokha City !

The best time for traveling in the city is during the period from June to August as the temperature here hovers around 150 C with highest going till 200 C and lowest around 100 C. When you are out touring the city, it is not possible to move back to your hotel for meal, and there is no need either. There are world class restaurants that offer hygienic and affordable food. The Sichuan cuisine is the most widely seen cuisine here. For adventure zealot the city does not have specified adventure routes but you can always take a walk around the Zhari Mountain and Lake Lhamo Nhatso which is a good alternative to trekking. Women can look forward to a great time shopping for precious stones as can children who will find the monasteries full of colorful paintings quite attractive. Two days are a must to travel to all the important places of the city so plan your trip accordingly.