Shigatse Travel Guide

Shigatse Prefecture, or spelled as Xigaze Prefecture, is located in the mid-south of Tibet, with an average elevation of over 4000 m, neighbouring Lhasa to the east, Ngari to the west, Nagqu to the north, Bhutan, Sikkim and Nepal lie to its south.

The administration office of Shigatse Prefecture is situated at the city of Shigatse, 228 kilometres away from Lhasa. Besides the city of Shigatse, the region also includes 17 counties, and among them are the famous Gyantse and Tingri.

Shigatse is an ancient city on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau of which its history can dates back to more than 500 years. As the second largest city of Tibet, Shigatse is the most complete showcase of typical Tibetan natural landscapes from vast plateau pasture and beautiful cultivated fields to subtropical forests and bellowing snow-capped mountains.

The Mount Qomolangma State Nature Reserve is the world's highest and most intact ecological system vertically distributed. The area's major historical sites include the monasteries of Tashilhunpo, Xalhu, Natang, Sagya, Rongbuk, Jo-nang and Palkor. There are also the Pala Manor and the battle ruins against British forces at the Dzong Hill of Gyangze.

Shigatse is recognized internationally as the most suitable place for mountain climbing. Tibet has been developing the area for mountain-climbers. The highest mountains along the Himalayas all gather here. Five Tibetan peaks higher than 8,000 metres all stand here: Mount Qomolangma (8,843.13m), Lozi (8,516m), Markalu (8,463m), Qowowuyag (8,201 m) and Xixabangma (8,012m). Since 1980, the Chinese Government has opened the climbing routes of 44 mountains in or partly inside Tibet. In recent years, about over 20 overseas mountain-climbing teams visit Mount Qomolangma every year.