With an average altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level, the “Roof of the World” is certainly an apt way to describe the plateau, mountains, and valleys that make up Tibet. The people of this dramatic land in the shadow of Everest embraced Buddhism over a thousand years ago, and for 300 years have been led by a Dalai Lama, bearer of an honorary title conferred by the Mongol leader Altan Khan. Tibet remains a place of spiritual pilgrimage for Buddhists from around the world, as well as for those in search of extraordinary landscapes to explore.
Ringed by mountains, Lhasa sits in as dramatic a location as any capital city on Earth, and its temples are among the most impressive in Asia. Jokhang Temple Monastery, Tibet’s most important spiritual center, draws a steady stream of visitors to halls filled with exquisite Buddhist art, while Drepung is a huge monastery that at its peak housed 10,000 monks. The Potala Palace, justifiably Lhasa’s most famous landmark, is an awe-inspiring 17th-century structure that served as the winter palace for generations of Dalai Lamas, and Samye, in a valley outside the city, was built in a remarkable mandala design and was the first monastery in Tibet.
It is the combination of spectacular mountain scenery and a unique spiritual history that compels so many travelers to visit this remote and enigmatic place. Treks through the valleys and grasslands, to the holy lakes and caves, and the spectacular views of the snow-capped Himalayas are for many the highlight of any journey to Tibet, and even in the countryside one is never far from a hilltop palace, ancient fortress, or monastery.
China The architectural and historical wealth of China would take a lifetime to explore, but certain monuments are not to be missed on even the shortest visit. Among these are two of Beijing’s most famous sights, the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, as well as the fascinating contents of Emperor Qin Shihuangdi’s tomb in Xian - three of China’s more than three dozen World Heritage Sites.
Southwest of Beijing in China’s central plains, an incomparable historic treasure lay hidden beneath the ancient capital city of Xian for a thousand years. Discovered in 1974, the Terracotta Army of Xian consists of over 8,000 figures of warriors, horses, and chariots, each a unique creation of kiln-fired ceramic. Buried with the ruler of the first Qin dynasty, the soldiers were intended to accompany the emperor to the afterlife. This incredible collection of life-size statues, buried within a massive underground necropolis, is a testament to the power and ambition of the first emperor to rule all of China, who was also the first to connect existing fortifications into what would become the Great Wall.
To walk along the structure known as the Great Wall of China, several thousand miles of fortifications built over the course of 2,000 years, is to walk in the footsteps of sentinels from centuries past, watching the horizon for northern invaders. Today certain sections of the wall near Beijing are besieged by a modern-day invasion of tourists, but areas such as Mutianyu, in the countryside outside of the city, offer visitors a quieter and more peaceful opportunity to experience the grandeur of this historic edifice.
Just as the Great Wall was built to defend against Mongolian tribes from the steppes, the walls of the Forbidden City were built to protect China’s emperors from the commoners living in the metropolis that surrounded them. The nearly 10,000 rooms of the Forbidden City were finally opened to the world in the 20th century, after 500 years during which the royal courts of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were sheltered within its exquisite palaces and gardens. It is said that it takes three full days to see all of the halls, gardens, and treasures of this remarkable monument to five centuries of imperial wealth and power. However, even a short visit to the Forbidden City is enough to see an astounding amount of artistic and architectural riches.
