Lhasa

Lhasa, with its history of more than 1300 years, famed for the Sunshine City with over 3000 hours of sun shine, is the capital of Tibet. It locates on the north bank of Lhasa River, the main branch of Yurlong Tsangpu River (in India it is Brahmaputra) The average altitude is 3648 meters, and the average yearly temperature is 8.5℃. And the population is around 500'000, among which Tibetan people occupies 93%, covering an areas of 441 square km in the city and 7 adjunctive counties.

Since as early as in 7 century, one of Tibetan Kings named Songtsan Ganpu in "Tobo" Dynasty switched his capital here, Lhasa has ever served as the center of Tibet politics, economy, culture, traffic and religion. In1982 Lhasa was listed as one of the first historical famous cities By the United Nations. The people in this city mainly believe in Buddhism and only a small portion of it inhabitants believe in Muslim, Christianity, and Monism.

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Shigatse

Shigatse , meaning in Tibetan language the most fertile manor in Tibet , is situated in the central part of Tibet, at the junction of the Yarlung Tsanpu River and one of its main branch named the Nyanchu River. It is 280 km west to Lhasa, 5 hours drive by bus from Lhasa. The altitude of the ciy is 3800 meters above sea level. There are six mountains whose altitudes are averagely over 5500 meters. The city has a population of 82'000, covering an area of 3658 square kilometers. It is wet and warm in summer, while it is dry and cold in winter. And it is also the successive Panchen Lamas' Seat. Plus, Tashilumpu Monastery as famous as Potala Palace is also in this city.

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Ngari

Gar, one of the frontier counties, lies in the west of Tibet. The town sits at an elevation of 4,255 meters with a population of 12,000, and covers an area of 17,197 square kilometers.

The town Gar got its Chinese name by the Shiquan River which runs by the town and it is the upper reaches of the Indus River. Its English name "Gar" means "tents and barracks", because it used to be a military station in the past.

The river banks of Shiquan used to be an area of barren land. When the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway opened for transportation in 1964, military camps and simple public facilities were suddenly emerged. In 1966, the Administration Office of the Ngari Prefecture moved here from Burang and started constructing a town on the barren field. The Gar County government moved here later in 1988.

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Nyingchi

Nyingchi means "throne of the sun" in Tibetan. Nyingchi County is in the southeast of Tibet, to the north of Yarlung Zangbo River, and at the lower reaches of Nying River. The average altitude is 3,000 metres above sea level. Nyingchi County covers an area of 10,238 square kilometers, and has a population of 26,000. The vegetation resource is abundant in the area. The main species of trees are cypress, mulberry and Spruce, etc. The stock volume of trees is about 60 million cubic meters. The traffic network of the county has come to its shape. The 223 kilometres' long highway of Sichuan-Tibet Highway crosses the county. The total road length in the county reaches 410 kilometers. Bayi town is the political, economic and cultural center of Nyingchi County. It covers an area of 8 square kilometres, with a population of 16,000. It has over 90 enterprises, units and plants .

Due to its scenic charisma, Nyingchi County has been called as "The Switzerland of Tibet". The people in Nyingchi city belong to Menba and Luoba tribes and are strong followers of their traditions. Due to its varying altitude, the climate here is generally wet and rains are quite heavy in the area especially from October to April. This makes it difficult for travelers to roam around in the city. But these rains also give the city a great charm.Shopping in the city can become an indispensable part of Nyingchi travel. The most famous shopping center is Hong Kong Street in Bayi. You can shop for green tea, woolen blankets and various varieties of herbs. The locally made handicrafts also are a great souvenir for the tourist.

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Nagqu

Situated at an altitude of around 4500 m, Nagqu County nestles in the northern part of Tibet autonomous region and covers an area of 400,00 sq. km. Nagqu has become one of the most important political and economic centers of Tibet, famous for trading and exporting of different commodities like animal products, mineral ores, and many agricultural products. The County has a population of around 331,000 most of them belonging to different communities. The people of Nagqu are the most colorful and ardent custom followers full of courtesies and hospitality.One thing that you must be quite aware of is the climate of Nagqu. The average annual temperature here ranges between -.9 C to -3.3 C. It means that you just cannot enter the city without warm clothes. Due to vast areas of plain lands, the County is extremely vulnerable to the violent sandstorms that are pretty frequent. Once you take preventive measures you are all ready to explore the different hues of the city. Shopping in the city is actually a great experience for people who are looking for antique and traditional items. The specialty of Nagqu is jak, dried meet and Aweto. When in Nagqu, don't miss the various festivals like ghost exorcising festival, Tibetan New Year and Herb festival.

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Qamdo

Qamdo County, located in the far eastern side of Tibetan Autonomous Region is probably the most advanced city of Tibet. Situated at an altitude of 3240M above sea level, surrounded by famous Hengduan Mountains Range and having many rivers and lakes, Qamdo is without doubt a naturalist's heaven. Qamdo is also an industrial hub thronged by enterprises and business travelers from around the world. The development of this remote city is on the full swing with many new roads coming up, making it an infrastructure advanced city.

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Shannan

Shannan Prefecture is located between 9014'E-9422'E and 2708''N-2497"N, at the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River south of the Kangdese Mountains –  called the Nyainqentanglha Mountains on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. It is bounded by Lhasa. Shannan Prefecture occupies one-fifteenth of the total land area of the Tibet Autonomous Region. It includes 12 counties, four of which are in border areas. Shannan's topography is typical of the southern Tibetan valley, with a terrain gradually declining from west to east and at an average elevation of about 3,700 meters. Shannan enjoys a temperate and dry climate, with an average annual rainfall of less than 450 millimeters. The rainy season is concentrated between June and September. Shannan has many kinds of flora and fauna. It bounds in qingke barley wheat, broad beans, peas, corn and buckwheat, making it one of the major grain and edible oil producing regions in Tibet. The region is rich in vegetables and fruits, and is enriched with wild plant resources. There are several hundred medicinal plants. Its famous medicinal herbs include sinensis, fritillaries thun-bergli, and root of red salvia. Shannan has many mineral resources including chromium, gold, copper, iron, Zinc, manganese, as well as jade and marble. The reserve of the chromium has been verified at 5 million tons, accounting for 45% of the country's total, therefore it boasts the biggest chromium resources base in China. It has many rivers and lakes and is rich in water resources. 

Shannan attracts numerous Chinese and foreign tourists with its ancient cultural heritage, rich and strong national flavor, enchanting natural scenery, unique historical sites and other tourist resources.

Samye Monastery has a history of over 1,200 years. It is designed to represent the Buddhist universe and many of the buildings in the courtyard are cosmological symbols. The central building of Samye, its foremost feature, comprises a synthesis of architectural styles: the ground and first floors were originally Tibetan in style; the second floor was Chinese and the third floor Indian.

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