Shigatse City
About Shigatse
Shigatse, officially known as Xigazê (Tibetan: གཞིས་ཀ་རྩེ་, Wylie: gzhis ka rtse, ZYPY: xigazê; Chinese: 日喀则; pinyin: Rìkāzé), is a prefecture-level city of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China. Shigatse city is Tibet’s second-largest city and the traditional capital of Tsang province, Shigatse (གཞི་ཀ་རྩེ་; 日喀则; Rìkāzé) is a modern, sprawling city, with wide boulevards humming with traffic. Shigatse is about 360 kilometers west of Lhasa, Sigatze is a gateway on the China-Nepal friendship route with easy access to Everest Base Camp. The scenery along the route is too beautiful to describe.
What is the meaning of Shigatse?
In the Tibetan language, Shigatse means ‘the fertile land. ‘ Resting on a plain 3,800 meters above sea level, at the confluence of the Yarlung Tsangpo and Nyangchu rivers, the city is surrounded by gold-flecked plateau pastures, subtropical forest, and snowy Himalayan peaks.
Basic Facts:
- Chinese Name: 日喀则 Rìkāzé
- Location: The second largest city in Tibet, West China
- Altitude: 3,845 m (12,585 ft)
- Time Zone: UTC+8 (China Standard)
- Area: 182,000 square kilometers
- Administrative Division: 1 district, 17 counties
- Climate and Weather: elevation-influenced humid continental climate with over 3300 hours of sunshine every year
- Airport: Shigatse Peace Airport
- Railway Station: Shigatse Railway Station
Shigatse City Tourist Attractions
1. Tashilunpo Monastery
Tashilunpo Monastery, the residence of the Panchen Lama, is located west of Shigatse. Ta Tshilunpo was built in 1447 by a disciple of the Venerable Sangkappa. During the time of the first Dalai Lama In the past, the monastery had nearly 4,000 monks living there, but today only 600 remain. The monastery’s most important temple is the Maitreya Temple, built in 1914. It houses the 26-meter-tall gold-cast Maitreya statue. The largest in the world It took 4 years to build.
2. Shigatse Fortress
Shigatse Fortress (Shigatse Dzong), is an important strategic point of command of the Tibetan military command that still has its outline left for viewing. It was destroyed in 1959 by China’s invasion of Tibet. It is about 360 kilometers west of Lhasa.
Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery, Mount Cho Oyu, Rongbuk Glacier, Tashilhunpo Monastery, Shalu Monastery, Nartang Monastery, Peikutso, Palkor Chode Monastery, Sakya Monastery, Phuntsoling Monastery & Jonang Kumbum, Yungdrungling Monastery, Pala Manor and so forth. All these tourist attractions in Shigatse have already received millions of pious pilgrims.
Source: tibettravel.org
