Nyingchi Travel Guide

Nyingchi in Tibetan language means the “throne of the sun” or “throne of Nyang family”. It lies in the southeast of Tibet, in the middle and lower reaches of Yarlung Tsangpo (Bhramaputra River). On the side of Tibet China, it is close to prefectures and city of Chamdo, Nagchu, Lhasa and Lhoka; it is also adjacent to neighboring countries of India Ocean and the cold current from the north meet in the eastern part of the Kangdese Mountains and formed a kind of coexisting weather of tropical, subtropical, temperate and frigid zones. The annual rainfall of Nyingchi is 650 mm, while the annual average sunshine time is 2022 hours and the annual frost-free period 180 days. In all the tourist areas of Tibet, Nyingchi has the lowest altitude, the warmest and the wettest climate, the best ecological environment and the richest bio-diversity. This place is famous for its world’s deepest sanyou, and there is vertical landscape distribution with the world’s biggest changes and fine natural ecological environment. And it is one of the rare untouched pure lands of the world. With total area of 117000 square kilometers, mountains and waters create a magnificent painting of nature in this marvelous place. Therefore Nyingchi has earned the reputation as a “Fertile Land of Tibet”, “Shambala on Earth”, “Ecological Oasis” and the “Oxygen Bar of the Plateau”. As a prefecture, Nyingchi his divided its tourism resources into three zones, seven areas, 140 scenic spots. Among these scenic spots, there are world’s largest and third largest canyous – Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyou and Pelung Tsangpo Grand Canyon respectively, and the world’s fifteenth highest snow peak – 7782 meters high Namchak Barwo, national 4A Class Scenic Area – Barsom Lake, and Lurnang Scenic Zone which is called as “Switzerland of Tibet” or “The Alps of Tibet”. For forest resources, the Grand Canyou, Tsebark Valley National Nature Preserve, Sigimla Pass and Barson Lake national Forest Park make up the nation’s third higher plants make up the 46 percent of forest cover for this area, and visitors could see 2600 years Ancient Cypress King and 1600 years Mulberry King as well. Among these scenic spots, the Grand Canyon, Mount Namchak Barwo and the Water Falls of Tsangpo Bardong were respectively appraised as top of the Nation’s Most Beautiful Ten Canyons, Ten Mountains and Six Water Falls by Chinese National Geography; meanwhile, Mel-dway Glacier and Pome’s Dragon Spruce Woods of Gang Village were appraised as Number Fourth and Fifth of Nation’s Most Beautiful Six Glacier and Ten Forests respectively.

Nyingchi is inhabited by different minorities like Monba, Lhoba and Denba people. These ethnic groups make a living by hunting, and they are generous and hospitable. They have their own unique and ancient customs, and their agriculture practices have retained the methods of slash-and-burn cultivation for thousands of years. Ancient folklore customs, miraculous village totems and primitive religious beliefs offer Nyingchi a kind of mysterious and unique color. And this kind of mysterious color combined with marvelous sceneries of the Grand Canyou, Mount Namchak Barwo, Barsom Lake and other scenic spots form a magnificent splendor of tourism landscape.
When you enter Nyingchi, you may enjoy resting in a bamboo house in the village, singing in the clouds at the top of a mountain, bathing with flowers in a hot spring. It is a place where you melt yourself into the nature and where you cleanse away the dirt and dust, and it is also an ideal place for your photography, scientific exploration and adventures.