During the trip, we will experience two unforgettable celebrations of Naqu Horseracing Festival and Shoton Festival. Besides we will visit some unique cultural highlights of Tibet in Lhasa, Tsetang, Gyantse and Shigatse as well as the camping at the holy Namtso Lake.
Naqu Horseracing Festival
Among all the traditional Tibetan festivals, horse-racing is almost a must. It is common to select the group leader by means of horse-racing and martial arts competition in ancient times when fights were frequent. For those who lived in the plateau, it was hard to do something without horses and unimaginable to fight without horses in such an adverse natural environment. Tibetans have developed deep affection to the horses, which are deified and thought to be able to determine on the fate of the tribe as well as the leader.
Based upon the deep belief to horse, many horseracing festivals came into being in Tibetan areas. The grandest one among them is Naqu Horse-Racing Festival in northern Tibetan grassland. Named Daqiong in Tibetan language, the festival is held on the first of August and lasts 5-15 days. It is a time of sunshine and gentle breezes, of a vast cloudless blue sky, of wild flowers among green grasses bursting into glorious blossoms. As early as several days before the festival, herdsmen in rich traditional attires come by riding horses to the site of the festival from all parts of the northern Tibetan grassland. They carry with them various drinks and foods like barley wine, sour milk, zanba, yak meat etc. as well as tents and mats. After arrival they settle themselves in the festival site, which is dotted with colorful flags waving in the winds here and there. When the horseracing begins, the drivers first draw their horses walking around the ground once and then collect in the starting point. As soon as they hear the shot-sound of the sports starting gun, they flourish the whip to urge on the horses and rush out to the ultimate point.
Currently the traditional festival has further developed. Besides the traditional performances such as horseracing, arrow shooting and horsemanship, singing and talking the Legend of Geshaer King, tug-of-war and weight lifting have become part of the grand festival. Large-scale material exchange also takes place during the festival.
Shoton Festival
In Tibetan language, Sho (Xue) means sour milk and Dun (ton) the banquet. Shoton is just the festival of eating sour milk.
The festival can be traced back to the 17th century. At that time, the so-called festival was nothing but a pure religious ceremony. Tsongkhapa, the founder of Gelug Sect (Yellow Sect) in Tibetan Buddhism, established the summer living system for Lamas. The system regulated that Lamas should do their practice within the houses and any out-door activity be banned because summer is the most active season for all kinds of creatures in the Plateau and the active creatures may be killed accidentally by the Lamas if they tramped on the ground outside the house. The prohibition lasted to the end of the June or the early July of Tibetan calendar. By the day the prohibition ended, all the Lamas rushed out of the monastery or went down mountain to enjoy the sour-milk banquet donated by the earth people, and amused them as much as they would like.
In the middle of the 17th century, the 5th Dalai Lama and the 4th Panchen were formally entitled by the Emperor of Qing Dynasty. The 5th Dalai Lama ordered that the performance of Tibetan Play in Norbulingka added to the content of Shoton activities and the average people be allowed to go into the Garden for watching the performance. So, Shoton Festival gradually becomes an annual public festival. As performance of Tibetan play has developed to be the main contents of the Shoton Festival, people also call the festival as Tibetan Play Festival.
Now the chief activities during Shoton Festival include the Exposure of the Buddha’s Image, the performance of Tibetan Play and Camping.
ITINERARY
Day 01: Arrive in Chengdu 1N at 3*Xinliang Hotel Arrive in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, the home town of Panda. Transfer to hotel.
Day 02: Air Chengdu – Lhasa CA4401 0720/0920 2N at 3*Shambala Hotel (B/L) Transfer to airport and leave for Lhasa (3650m) by air. Arrive in Lhasa in about 2 hours; take another 1.5-hour-drive to the city proper. On the way you will enjoy the spectacular scenery, and the typical Tibetan villages as well as the Yak-skin-boat cruising on Yalung Zangbo River. After lunch stay at the hotel for adapting to the high attitude or stroll in the city. It is helpful to take things easy for the first few days, and try to drink some water just and now.
Day 03: Lhasa (BLD) In the morning visit Potala, which was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties.
Day 04: Lhasa – Naqu 3N in tent (B/L/D) Drive northward on the vast Qiangtang Grassland. On the way cross over the 7177 m high Nyenchentangla Range and conquer Kyogche La Pass (4900 m) up to Damxung, a small but important station on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway. After another about two hours reach Naqu, where visit the two small temples (one of them is a nun monastery on the hill).
Day 05-06: Naqu (B/L/D) Visit the Naqu Horse Racing Festival.
Day 07: Naqu – Namtso Lake 1N in tent (B/L/D) Drive on the vast Qiangtang Grassland for Namtso. Cross the 5,150-meter Lhachen La and reach the Namtso or Tengri Nor (heaven lake in Mongolian) along the newly paved way and set up camp at Tashi Dorie peninsula. Namtso, the biggest salty lake of Tibet, is 70 kilometers long from east to west and 30 kilometers wide from north to south, covering an area of 1,920 square kilometers with an altitude of 4,700 meters above sea level. It is said the holy lake and the holy mountain Nyenchentangla are a couple of lovers, who altogether guard the vast pasture and cattle. Take a walk on the peninsula and visit a small nun temple of Nyingma Sect.
Day 08: Namtso Lake –Tsurpu – Lhasa (B/L/D) Drive along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway by the Lhasa River to visit Tsurpu Monastery. Since 1992 the master monastery of the Karma Kagyu Sect had been presided by Urgyen Thinley Dorje the 17th Karmapa. Tsurpu was established in 1189 by Duesum Khyenpa, a pupil of Gampopa and the first Karmapa. He introduced the principle of reincarnation into Tibet. He told his disciples that he would reincarnate and pointed out the location of the second Karmapas reborn. In contrast to Yellow Caps (Gelug) the Karmapa Kagye are regarded as the Black Hat and the Karmapas the holder of this sect. The monastery was restored in 1984. In the individual temples are statues of the different Karmapas. The 16th Karmapa Rigpe Dorje (1924-1981) had traveled to Europe and America for spreading of Tibetan Buddhism in west after he left for Sikkim in 1958. After the visit drive back to Lhasa.
Day 09: Lhasa 3N at 3*Shambala Hotel (B) Today is free.
Day 10: Lhasa (B/L/D) In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred land of Gelug Sect., which was established in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called “wild rose garden”. Today still 200 lamas live in there. Visit the large-scale exhibition of tangka paintings of Buddha held in this monastery.
Day 11: Lhasa (B/L/D) In the morning drive to Norbulingka to watch the Tibetan opera performed there. Norbulingka means the “garden of treasures” in Tibetan language. Located in the west suburbs of Lhasa, this palace complex was built in the 18th century and served as the summer residence of the Dalai Lamas.
Day 12: Lhasa – Gyantse 1N at 3*Gyantse Hotel (B/L/D) In the morning drive to Gyantse along the Tsangpo valley. On the Kamba La (4.796 m) have a fantastic view of the holy lake of Yamdrok Yumtso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. On one of the peninsulas of the spear-shaped lake lies the holy Mt. Donang Sangwari (5,340m), and the snow peaks of Nojin Gangzang (7,191m) and Jangzang Lhomo rise in the distance. The lake and the Yarlung Tsangpo River (3570) are separated by a mountain and the shortest distance between them is only 6 kilometers. The 800m-high difference contributes a rich water resource to this region. Many Tibetans believe that the life of Tibet will no longer continue when the lake dries up. Pass by the 5.010 m high Karo La and the Simi La to Gyantse (approx. 3.900 m). In the afternoon visit Pelkor Chode Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse. This typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the only one large building complex in Tibet that old monastery and stupas are completely preserved and characterized as a monument. It is recorded 14,000 kilograms of copper was used to make the 8-meter-high sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha housed in the grand hall of the temple. The 8-storey stupa is 42m high and 62m in diameters contains a total of 76 chapels with wonderful murals revered by art scholars around the world.
Day 13: Gyantse – Shigatse 1N at 3*Wutse Hotel (B/L/D) In the morning driving about 90 kilometers to Shigatse, (3900m), the second largest city with 40,000 inhabitants in Tibet and the traditional capital of the Tsang. On the way visit Shalu Monastery. It was initially built in 1087 with a unique Tibetan-Han construction style in Tibet. It was said Atisa once spread Buddhist teaching in this temple. After lunch at noon at Shigatse, visit Tashilunpo monastery of Gelug Sect, the seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in China, and a tomb of the 4th Panchen Lama containing masses of jewels and gold. In Tibet Buddhism, Panchen Lama is just the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Today 600 monks live in the monastery.
Day 14: Shigatse – Tsedang 2N in 3*Snow Pigeon Hotel (B/L/D) Leave Shigatse for Tsedang. Upon arrival visit Mindrolin Monastery. It was built in the late 10th century and had its current name when it was rebuilt in 1677. It is one of the three great monasteries of the Nyingma Sect. The monastery has paid attention to the research of Buddhist classics, astronomical calendar, calligraphy rhetoric and Tibetan medicines and is famous for its achievements in these fields. Over the years the recommendation of the “Chronology of the Tibetan Calendar” has been formulated by the monastery, and it is famous as the first academy of Lamaism in Tibet. Afterwards return to hotel.
Day 15: Tsedang (B/L/D) In the morning, drive along and then cross over the Yarlung Tsangpo River by boat (or take the car to drive across the bridge) to visit the magnificent Samye monastery built in the late 8th century. It is the first monastery in Tibet that possessed the three essences of Buddhist monastery: Buddha, Scripture and Monk. The original building is no longer intact due to destruction caused by wars and natural disasters, but the monastery has been rebuilt each time and still remains the symbol of Tibet's national identity. The grand building complex was structured in the model of the boundless universe regulated by the Buddhist scripture. Its main building is a three-story tower with an interior influenced by Tibetan, Han and Indian styles. In the afternoon the aim is to visit Yumbulakhang Palace, a reconstruction of Tibet's oldest palace originally established on this site by the founder of the Yarlung dynasty - Nyatri Tsenpo during the 1st century BC. Afterwards back to Tsedang.
Day 16: Air Tsedang – Chengdu CA4402 1020/1210 (B) In the morning transfer to Gongga airport (100 km) and fly to Chengdu.
Tour Price Pls call
Included
- 15N in hotels and two-persons-tent (N=overnight).
- Meals specified per itinerary: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.
- All transfers, excursions, overland trips, sightseeing tickets.
- Air tickets Chengdu - Lhasa – Chengdu (economy class, incl. 20 kg of free luggage).
- Local Tibetan English speaking guide.
- Tibetan Entry Permit and Special Area Travel permit.
- Two-persons-tent, cook, cooking devices during the camping-trip.
Excluded
- All airport taxes
- Tip and all individual expenses
- Some meals
- Sleeping-bags
- International flights Europe – Bangkok – Chengdu – Bangkok - Europe
PILGRIMAGE OVERLAND TOUR TO HOLY MT. KAILASH AND LAKE MANASAROVARFROM LHASA AND CENTRAL TIBET, RETURN BACK VIA ZANGMU
KMY - 106
Tour / Trek grade: Moderate / Adventure Maximum Elev.: 5636m. Trip Length: 21 Days Kathmandu to Kathmandu
DAYS ACTIVITIES Day 01: Fly to Gongar and drive to Lhasa afternoon visit Jokhang Monastery (3600m)
Day 02: Visit Potala and Norbulingkha Palace afternoon free for local exploration around
Barkhor Circle.
Day 03: Visit Depong and Sera monastery.
Day 04: Drive to Gyantse (3800m) via Yamdrok Yum Tso.
Day 05: Visit Khumbum Stupa, Palkhor Monastery and Gyantse Dzong drive to Shigatse
Day 06: Visit Tashilonpu monastery and drive to Sangsang.
Day 07: Drive to Saga (4300m)
Day 08: Drive to Paryang (4450m)
Day 09: Drive to Manasarovar Lake Hor (4500m)
Day 10: Walk / Drive to Manasarovar Lake Thogu Monastery via Serlung Monastery
Day 11: Drive to Darchen (4600m) via Gosul and Chiu monastery.
Day 12: Trek to Dira Phuk Monastery North face of Mt. Kailash (4800m)
Day 13: Trek over Dolma La Pass [5630m] camp at Khando Shanglham (4900m) Eastern Face of Mt. Kailash
Day 14: Trek to Darchen and drive to Hor Manasarovar Lake
Day 15: Drive to Paryang
Day 16: Drive to Saga.
Day 17: Drive to Nyalam
Day 18: Drive to Kathmandu
During the trip, we will experience two unforgettable celebrations of Naqu Horseracing Festival and Shoton Festival. Besides we will visit some unique cultural highlights of Tibet in Lhasa, Tsetang, Gyantse and Shigatse as well as the camping at the holy Namtso Lake. 
Among all the traditional Tibetan festivals, horse-racing is almost a must. It is common to select the group leader by means of horse-racing and martial arts competition in ancient times when fights were frequent. For those who lived in the plateau, it was hard to do something without horses and unimaginable to fight without horses in such an adverse natural environment. Tibetans have developed deep affection to the horses, which are deified and thought to be able to determine on the fate of the tribe as well as the leader. 
In Tibetan language, Sho (Xue) means sour milk and Dun (ton) the banquet. Shoton is just the festival of eating sour milk.
