Things to do in Zanda
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Top 10 attractions in Zanda
Ruins of Guge Kingdom
Ruins of Guge Kingdom are the remains of a kingdom capital built by descendants of the Tubo royal family on a loess hill along the Xiangquan River. Houses, caves, and pagodas cover the entire mountain, with city walls built on the perimeter and watchtowers at the four corners. The buildings and the mountain are both earth-yellow in color, grand in scale, and rigorously laid out. The summit houses the palace area, the mountainside houses the temple area, and the foot of the mountain contains cave dwellings. Walking up the mountain path, the Red Hall, White Hall, and Tara Hall on the mountainside are relatively well-preserved. The four walls inside the halls are covered with murals; the colors are rich yet remain vivid after hundreds of years. They feature images of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, and high monks, as well as scenes recording the royal lineage and social life of the time. There are also man-made secret passages carved into the mountainside, which can be climbed along the wall to reach the palace area at the summit. A relatively well-preserved building at the summit is said to have been the council hall. The murals inside are primarily themed on Tantric Buddhism, with a bold style and intense use of color. Below, scenes of suffering in hell are depicted, and the border features a long row of dakinis in various poses, no two alike, representing one of the masterpieces of the murals at the site. In the evening, the setting sun shines on the earth-yellow mountain, creating a desolate and profound play of light and shadow, a favorite moment for many photography enthusiasts.Zanda · 12.6 km from downtown
Zanda Earth Forest National Geopark
The Zada Clay Forest is a special geological landform formed by the influence of orogeny. The strata deposited at the bottom of the lake have been cut by flowing water for a long time and gradually weathered and eroded. The "trees" in the clay forest are scattered for dozens of meters in height and in various shapes. Driving through it is like circling around the feet of many giants. As a special landform combination, the Zada Clay Forest has rich and varied forms. On a macro level, the undulating, overlapping, steep and gentle clay forests are spread along both sides of the Xiangquan River. It is a rare "clay forest landform" wonder in the world. These peculiar "soil forest" landforms were formed by the lake basin sedimentary layer in the ancient times under the influence of the Himalayan orogeny, as the water level dropped, the lake basin rose, and the climate and river erosion cut. The steep and rugged rocks look like towering castles, towers, pagodas, etc., which are famous natural landscapes in Ali region. However, about 1,100 years ago, in the same afterglow, the palaces and temples of the once powerful Guge Kingdom stood. From the existing ruins, we can imagine the huge scene at that time, which is far from the current scene. Viewing point: The Xiangquan River Valley terrace a few hundred meters south of the county seat is a good place to view the earth forest. Photography point: On the square near Toling Monastery, a few dozen meters deep from the square is the broad and flat Xiangquan River network. The earth forests on both sides of the river valley are crisscrossed, resembling castles, pagodas, bodhisattvas, and palaces, stretching for dozens of kilometers.Zanda · 4.3 km from downtown
Zhada Xiayigou Earth Forest Scenic Area
Zhada Xiayigou Earth Forest Scenic Area is approx. 5 km long, with dozens of small gullies distributed on both sides, presenting a well-arranged, colorful earth forest landscape.Zanda · 46.7 km from downtown
Tholing Monastery
Zanda · 330m from downtown
Khyung lung Dngul mkhar
Zanda · 83.8 km from downtown
Piyang Dongga Cave Site
The Dongga site is a grotto discovered only in recent years. After preliminary research by relevant experts, it is one of the eight major monasteries built during the Rinchen Sangbu period of the Guge Dynasty. Dongga Grottoes are scattered on the cliff to the north of Dongga Village, and you can see dense caves on the mountain on the road. There are nearly 200 existing caves, stretching for 2 kilometers, like a beehive. Among them, several caves with exquisite murals are concentrated on a "U"-shaped cliff in the east. The Dongga Caves and Piyang Caves excavated by archaeologists are located on the rocky cliffs near Dongga Village and the adjacent Piyang Village. This is the largest Buddhist cave site discovered in Tibet so far. The Dongga murals concentrated in the three caves on the mountainside are well preserved. Its formation and age are not recorded in many Tibetan historical, religious and cultural archives, and it is a cultural mystery that has yet to be solved. But one thing is certain, the cave paintings have a history of nearly a thousand years, and the archaeological and research values are quite high. The frescoes in the grottoes have a long history and are rich in content. There are also some foreign characters, patterns and shapes in the paintings. The frescoes are painted with special mineral pigments, which will last forever without fading. The main themes of the murals are Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues, Buddhist stories, teaching diagrams, etc., as well as various decorative patterns and esoteric mandala. There are many kinds of goddess patterns, with vivid shapes and rich changes.Zanda · 22.2 km from downtown
Mummy Cave
About 600 meters north of the ancient capital of Guge, there is a mysterious "corpse cave". The entrance of the cave is 3 meters above the ground. The entrance can only accommodate one person. It is said that there are three-chambered caves inside. Corpses, bones, carrion, and rags all exude a stench.Zanda · 12.5 km from downtown
Kangrinpoche
KangrinpocheIt is the main peak of the Gangdise Mountains, located in Baga Township, northern Purang County, Ngari Prefecture, with an elevation of approx. 6,656m. Recognized globally as a sacred mountain, it is also considered the center of the world by many Buddhist traditions.China · Purang
Zanda Tuolin Square
Zanda · 288m from downtown
Lake Manasarovar
Located in Pulan County, Ali Region, Tibet, Lake Manasarovar is one of the world's highest freshwater lakes and one of the three renowned holy lakes in Tibet. Lake Manasarovar is currently a lake with a high transparent water quality in China. It is known as a holy lake. The lake is also known as the Nectar of Chakrasamvara. Historically, pilgrims have considered being able to come to the lake to pray and bathe themselves as a great blessing in their lives.China · Purang
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Free things to do in Zanda
Ruins of Guge Kingdom
Zanda · 12.6 km from downtownZanda Earth Forest National Geopark
Zanda · 4.3 km from downtownZhada Xiayigou Earth Forest Scenic Area
Zanda · 46.7 km from downtownTholing Monastery
Zanda · 330m from downtownKhyung lung Dngul mkhar
Zanda · 83.8 km from downtownPiyang Dongga Cave Site
Zanda · 22.2 km from downtownMummy Cave
Zanda · 12.5 km from downtownKangrinpoche
China · PurangZanda Tuolin Square
Zanda · 288m from downtownLake Manasarovar
China · Purang
What travelers say about Zanda
M52***83May 3, 2025
5.0
古格王朝遗址，一处历史的神秘角落。它位于西藏阿里札达县札布让村象泉河畔的一座土山上，它就是一千多年前，在这荒凉偏僻的阿里高原上突然出现而又于三百多年前一夜神秘消失的古格王国都城遗址。古格王朝遗址周围不断被发掘出房屋洞窟300余处、佛塔3座、寺庙4座、殿堂2间及地下暗道2条及通往王宫隧道。遗址分上、中、下三层，依次为王宫、寺庙和民居。外围建有城墙，四角设有碉楼。
Ruins of Guge Kingdom
yccuiSeptember 23, 2025
5.0
Finally, I was able to see the legendary Martian landscape in full view. Whether viewed from close up or from afar, it was truly breathtaking.
The drone footage from the cliffs was especially impressive.
Zanda Earth Forest National Geopark
sunnyqqffyyJuly 15, 2023
3.0
I couldn't get in today, so it's temporarily closed. Here's some information for the tourists who come after me.
Zhada Xiayigou Earth Forest Scenic Area
🐮普拉斯August 19, 2022
5.0
Toling Monastery is located on the banks of the Xiangquan River northwest of Zhada County, Ali Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region. It was built in 996. It was the first monastery in Ali Prefecture built by Yeshe Wo, the grandson of Jigde Nyima Gun, a descendant of Tubo, for the translator Rinchen Sangbu to translate Buddhist scriptures.
Tholing Monastery
enjoyzentFebruary 13, 2021
4.0
For history lovers, the ruins of the Guge Dynasty and the Piyangdongga Grottoes can satisfy all imaginations. This is what the saying "there is no Tibet without Ali" means.
The Guge Dynasty occupies an important position in the cultural and economic development of Tibetan history. The Piyangdongga Grottoes of the same period show a magnificent chapter. This site is really a very rich record.
Piyang Dongga Cave Site
wbclawyerOctober 20, 2020
4.0
The Mummy Cave sounds quite scary. I've seen an introduction to it in a documentary. It seems that it said a brutal massacre took place here during the Guge Dynasty. There are many corpses that have been left there for many years. I guess the air nearby doesn't smell very good. You can just look at it from a distance.
Mummy Cave
E27***23September 24, 2025
5.0
Pilgrimage to Mount Kailash helped me find the answer. Only by letting go of your worries can you see what you need. Slow down and go slower, so that you can have more experiences and feelings in life, instead of having only one goal.
Kangrinpoche
格格巴February 4, 2021
3.0
Tolin Square in Zhada County is located just east of Zhada Temple. It is one of the projects built by Shijiazhuang City in aid of Tibet and has become a landmark of Zhada County. There are tablets and plaques in the square, recording the local customs and folkways of Zhada County. There are some Tibetan restaurants and snack bars around it.
Zanda Tuolin Square
whlyhJuly 5, 2025
5.0
【景色】玛旁雍错原是外流湖，其后又因冈底斯山前洪水、冰水堆积，堵塞河谷，演变成为内陆湖。[5]玛旁雍错为内陆淡水湖，[5]水位4586.00米，最大水深81.80米，平均水深约46.00米，蓄水量200.0×108立方米，是世界上高海拔地区淡水资源量最丰富的湖泊之一。圣湖确实很美，让人窒息又振憾。感叹大自然的伟大。【趣味】一生一世值得来一趟【性价比】免费观景台
Lake Manasarovar
