Dartsendo (Kangding)

Dartsendo (དར་རྩེ་མདོ། ) or Dardo (དར་མདོ། ) is a major gateway city on the eastern side of the Tibetan Plateau. Also known as Kangding (康定) in Chinese, it rises 2,600 meters above sea level and is the first Tibetan city you come to when traveling west from Chengdu. Kangding teeters on the Eastern edge of …

Chengdu

Panda base in Chengdu

Chengdu is the main gateway city to Tibet, meaning that most travelers will spend some time here before heading onwards in their journey. Located in Sichuan province, this city is also the biggest and most important city in Southwest China.  With a population of 14 million in the greater Chengdu …

Shigatse (Rikaze)

Shigatse

Also known as Rikaze (日喀则), Shigatse (གཞིས་ཀ་རྩེ་ས་) is the second largest city in Central Tibet. It is a prefectural capital city with a population of over 700,000, and is most famously known for Tashilhunpo Monastery. This monastery is home to the Panchen Lama, the second highest lama in the Gelug …