Tibet Regional Guide - Nyingchi		Recommended China Travel Agency: China Odyssey Tours   - China Tour   - Yangtze River Cruise   - Discount China Hotels

7. Ngari Region - Ridge of the World's Ridges

In the tourism region, there are the ruins of the Guge Kingdom and the ancient Toding Temple in the Zada County. In the Burang County, the sacred Kangrinboqe Peak and the Mapam Yumco Lake are revered in Hinduism, Jainism, Bon Religion, Tibetan Bud¬dhism and many other religions. Zada Clay Forest is a special topography formed through long-term soil erosion.

Lying in the western part of Tibet, Ngari neighbours Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region on the north, the Nagqu Region on the east, the Xigaze Region on the southeast, Kashmir, India and Nepal on the west and south. Along the 116-kilometre border line, there are over 60 mountain passes leading outside. Among the seven counties under Ngari, Gerze, Choqen and Ge'gyai are pure pasture lands, while Gar, Burang, Zada and Ritog also have agricultural lands. Covering 303,000 square kilometres, Ngari hosts over 77,300 people (by 2000), which is very low in population concentration.

The regional administration office is located in the Shiquanhe Town. The 219 State Road from Yecheng of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to Lhaze of Tibet (Xinjiang¬Tibet Highway is a part of this road) and the Hei-A (Nagqu to Ngari) Highway which connects the Qinghai-Tibet Highway are the main roads of the region. The Shiquanhe Airport is already under planning.

Ngari used to play an important function in the economic and cultural communica¬tions between the East and the West. It was here that the mysterious Zhangzhung King¬dom and the Bon Religion were born. In the Tang and Song dynasties (618-1279), the region was called "Yangtong" (also trans¬lated as "Zhangzhung"). The region's name changed to "Nalisu" in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and then "Elisi" in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). In the Tibetan language, Ngari is called "Mngav-ris." "

With an average sea elevation of above 4,500 metres, Ngari has gained the title: "Ridge of the World's Ridges." Snowy mountains, glaciers, alpine meadow, gobi deserts, rivers and lakes, pasture fields, clay forests and the roaming herds of wildlife have formed gorgeous natural scenery. The fa¬mous rivers Shiquanhe, Kongqu, Xiangquan and Maquan are respectively the origins of the Indus, Ganges, Sutlej and Yarlung Zangbo rivers. The ruins of the ancient Guge Kingdom, the Tuoding Temple and Donggar Frescoes of Zada, as well as the fres¬coes of Ritog bear the deep mark of the ancient cul¬tures on this plateau. The sa¬cred lake Mapam Yumco and the holy Kangrinbog2 Peak - main peak of the Gandise Mountains - take up prominent positions in the history of Asian religions. The folk singing accompanied by pluck-stringed instruments at Zada, the story-telling folk art at Ritog, and the singing of the great epic "King Gesar" in Ge'gyai are all very interesting. Tourism is developing at a fast speed in Ngari. In 1998, 13,500 people from home and abroad visited Ngari, generating a huge profit of 3.38 million yuan (US$408,000).

For those who dearly want to fully understand the ancient history and culture of Tibet, as well as experience the spirit of the origin of all mountains and rivers, Ngari is a must-visit. Some people have even stated that without visiting Ngari, one would have missed the core of Tibet.

Shiquanhe Town

The town gained this name as it sits by the Shiquan River which is the upper reaches of the Indus River. The river banks of Shiquan used to be barren. When the Xinjiang¬Tibet Highway opened for transportation in 1964, military camps and simple public facilities were built. In 1966, the Administration Office of the Ngari Prefecture moved here and started creating a town out of barren field. In 1988, the Gar County government also moved here. "Gar" means "tents." It is so-named because the place used to be a military station. The town sitting at an elevation of 4,255 meters accommodates a population of 12,000.
Shiquanhe has become an axis of transportation, economy, culture and border trade in western Tibet. From the central flower terrace, four straight streets extend outside. The southern street is for commerce, while the east and west are where the regional government office buildings are located. In the north, the Xinjiang-Tibet Highway runs towards the Ritog County and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. The town has got rather complete social service and public cultural facilities. There are now over 1,000 private dealers coming from Sichuan, Gansu, Xinjiang and other places of the country, working in restaurants, shops, repairing, clothing and entertainment. Besides the over 330 taxies, there are some jeeps and motor tricycles at a rent cost of 5 to 10 yuan (US$0. 6-1.2) per kilometre. The town is not large, but it is flourishing and bustling with life on the spacious and barren plateau. Due to the lack of water and electricity, the town has to provide water and electricity at certain times of the day.

Shiquanhe is 1,586 kilometres away from Lhasa. The bus from Lhasa to Shiquanhe is already in business and the construction of the Shiquanhe Airport is under planning. The Foreign Affairs and Public Security telephone number of Ngari Region is 2821542, tourists can also dial the complain number at 2821486, the long-distance code is 0897.