Quxu County Overview
About Quxu County
Qüxü County is a county in the Lhasa prefecture-level city, southwest of the main center of Lhasa, Tibet, China. It is mountainous in the northwest, flatter near the Lhasa River, which runs through the east of the county, and the Yarlung Tsangpo, which forms the southern border. The population of the county reaches 29,690 and more mostly engaged in agriculture or animal husbandry. The county is home to the Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple（ 聂塘寺）.
In the Tibetan language，Qüxü means water ditch. Qüxü County has a total area of 1,680 square kilometers, with an average elevation of 3,650 meters. The county is in the Yarlung Tsangpo valley（雅鲁藏布江河谷）, and is mostly relatively flat, but rises to the Nyainqêntanglha Mountains（念青唐古拉山） in the north. The Lhasa River runs south through the eastern part of the county to its confluence with the Yarlung Tsangpo River, which forms the southern boundary of the county. The lowest elevation is 3,500 meters, and the highest summit elevation is 5894 meters.
The Climate in Quxu County
Qüxü County has a temperate semi-arid plateau monsoon climate zone with 3,000 hours of annual sunshine hours on average and 150 days a year without frost. Annual precipitation is 441.9 millimeters. Natural disasters such as flash floods, landslides, drought, sandstorms, pests and diseases are common in the county.
The Main Attractions in Quxu County
Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple
Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple（聂塘卓玛拉康） is located in Nyethang Town（聂塘乡）, Quxu County, and 25 kilometers southwest of Lhasa. The temple sitting the north and facing the south, was built with the contributive funds of Pangdun（庞顿） in the middle of the 11th century when the ancient Hindu respected monk Adixia（阿底峡） came to Tibet to preach and then in 1054 AD died in Nyethang area. Nyethang Drolma Lhakhang Temple is listed as the national key cultural relic protection unit.
The temple is not big enough in the scale, but the architecture is unique and the trees are lush. There are many statues, murals, and pagodas in the temple. The Buddha statue, which is brought by Adixia from India, is known as the Drolma Lhakhang（卓玛拉康）, meaning Dumu Buddhist Temple（度姆佛堂）.
Xiongse Temple
Xiongse Temple（雄色寺） is located in Niebu Reduivillage（尼布热堆村）, Caina Town（才纳乡）, Quxu County（曲水县）, with the altitude of more than 4,100 meters. It is about 43 kilometers from the capital city of Lhasa and 44 kilometers away from the county seat. Built in 1181 AD by Seni Duodan（色尼多旦）, the temple belongs to Nyingma Tibetan Buddhism. There consecrate Padmasambhava Buddha（莲花生佛）in the temple which is the only temple in Quxu County enshrining Padmasambhava Living Buddha. In 1984, the renovation was opened and the buildings were well preserved.
Taohua Village
Taohua Village（桃花村） which is famous for its breathtaking peach blossom is located about 30 kilometers west of Quxu County. Situated between the mountains and valleys, Taohua Village becomes a holy comfortable place with the suitable climate and the beautiful valley scenery because of the special geographical location here.
Every March, Taohua Village full of the wonderful scenery of the peach blossom together with the majestic scene of Yarlung Zangbo River will definitely attracts the passing strangers and visitors to have a visit here.
Lari Zea Peak
Lari Zea Peak（拉日则阿峰） which means the five peaks of the holy mountain is located in the northeast of Quxu County, Lhasa City. There are some farmland and natural pastures at the foothill of Lari Zea Peak where growing varieties of highland barley, wheat, rape and other crops. Except for the yak（牦牛）, cattle-yak（犏牛）, sheep, goat, there are also some precious herbs such as caterpillar fungus（冬虫夏草） and musk（麝香）.
Jiang Qulin Temple
Jiang Qulin Temple（降曲林寺）, the beautiful place with elegant scenery is located in Quxu County of Lhasa City, the downstream of Lhasa River. It was founded in 1189 by Baja Yisidorje（巴嘉热·益西多杰）, the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is said that it was thundering when the temple was first established, and hence named the temple as the Lord Temple because in Tibetan language thunder mainly means the lord. Since then, the temple has been passed down as the Lord Kagyu sect（主巴噶举派）.
Samazha Temple
Samazha Temple（萨玛扎寺） also known as Sang Yang Temple（桑央寺） is located in Caina Town, Quxu County. It was built around the mountain, scattered in the cliffs of the flat area with great momentums and wonderful architectural technology, which reflects the Tibetan people diligence and intelligence.
Festivals and Activities in Quxu County
Xuedun Festival
Xuedun Festival（雪顿节）also known as Tibetan Opera Festival, is the most solemn festival in Tibet, and thousands of Buddhists flock from all over the world to Lhasa, with the most devout heart, one step at a time to worship the supreme Buddha. The Buddhist devotees go to the mountain to practice Buddhism and cultivate themselves, while the family members brought yoghurt to greet them at the end of the practice. On the way home, people will eat yogurt, dance and sing folk songs. Every June 29 to July 1 in Tibetan Calendar, the main schools of Tibetan Opera in Tibet will gather together in Lhasa for several days to perform the Tibetan Opera. At that time, visitors can enjoy the most solemn ceremony, the most jubilant Tibetan opera performances, the yak racing, song and dance performances and the mysterious Tibetan amorous feelings.
Xiannv Festival
Xiannv Festival（仙女节）is a traditional folk festival in Tibet which is celebrated very year on November 21st (October 15th in Tibetan Calendar). Since five o 'clock in the morning, Tibetan religious believers will hand the Khata（哈达） and the barley wine in hand to pay religious homage to the statues of Wenwu Auspicious Tianmu（文武吉祥天母）and Srongtsen Gampo（松赞干布） which are known as the Dharma Lord Buddha（护法主尊） putting in the outer court of Jokhang Monastery（大昭寺）to celebrate the annual Xiannv Festival.
Wangguo Festival and Activities
The Wangguo Festival（望果节）, which has a history of more than 1500 years, is widely popular in the rural areas of Tibet. Every July to August in Tibetan Calendar, before people preparing harvest, Tibetan farmers in festival costumes, holding Qiema(grain bucket)切玛 which symbolizes a golden harvest, and highland barley wine, sing and dance in the farmland, to celebrate the harvest this year and wish a better harvest next year.
Wangguo Festival contains a lot of activities rich in contents like horse racing, archery, singing and dancing, Tibetan opera, and goods exchange. The festival which integrates literature, art, sports, and business, enriched the material and cultural life of the local Tibetan farmers and herdsmen in the masses.
The Local Products and Herbs in Quxu County
Musk（麝香） is a gland cystic secretion between the umbilical cord and the public part of the male musk deer. It has a special aroma and is one of the most valuable herbs in the world. The musk deer is distributed in areas where are cold or covered all of the natural pastures with the elevation of more than 5,000 meters. The muskiness is gentle with the functions of heart-strengthen, brain awake, body flexibility, and meridian opening…, It can help to cure the fever, intoxication, the spirit-depressed, unconsciousness and all sorts of acute disease. What’s more, it’s also the raw material that makes the essence.
Highland barley（青稞） belongs to the gramineous barley. Since there is no shell to cover its seeds, it is also called naked barley or rice barley. Highland barley is the most important food crop of the Tibetan people, with a long history and large planting area, accounting for 56% to 60% of the planting area of grain crops in Tibet, and covering even 80% in some areas. Highland barley seed is rich in nutrition and protein content which reaches about 15%. It is the most popular staple food for Tibetan people, and it is easy to carry. The barley wine made from the highland barley grown in Tibet is the best drink of the Tibetan people. In addition, it’s also the good fodder for livestock as the straw texture is very soft.
Tibetan carpets（藏毯） are another highlight of various ethnic handicrafts in Tibet. Tibetan carpet is one of the three world's most famous carpets, with its excellent production, rich ethnic and religious patterns, and exquisite aesthetic colors. The Tibetan carpets have different sizes, and different forms of style, such as the elegant type and the showily type.
Attraction Travel Tips
Here are some travel tips we listed for the visitors so that the visitors can have an unforgettable and amazing trip in Quxu County.
- Due to the high altitudes climatic conditions of Tibet, visitors should pay attention to the prevention and cure of the syndromes including headache, dizziness, flustered, shortness of breath, the plateau response, especially people who have chronic respiratory disease or cardiovascular disease.
- Even in winter, the sun is still strong in Tibet, so people travel to Tibet are supposed to prepare well with their sunglasses, sunscreens, lip gloss and other items. Due to the large temperature difference day and night, the tourists need to prepare enough clothes, preferably a winter jacket.
- Traveling to Tibet, travelers would better have some rest during the first three days in Tibet as far as possible. What’s more, drink plenty of water while you're in Tibet and avoid spicy foods.
- According to the climate here in Quxu County, June to September are the beat time traveling to Quxu County because at that time, the weather is much warmer with a higher oxygen level.
- Please try you best to respect the local folk customs, especially their religious belief and taboos when you traveling in Tibet.
The Transportation in Quxu County
- Quxu County is located in the middle of Tibet, the downstream of Lhasa River and the north bank of the Brahmaputra（雅鲁藏布江）. You can drive there from Lhasa City for one and a half hour.
- Visitors can take the rain from Lhasa Railway Station to Quxu Couty, which will cost you only CNY 11.
- Visitors can also have a taxi from Lhasa City to Quxu County, but it might be a little expensive.
