Zhongba County Overview
About Zhongba County
Zhongba is a county of Shigatse, which situated in the southwest of China, on the border side of Shigatse in west, and bordering Mount Himalaya in the north and Nepal in south. There are one township, 12 villages, and the total population is over 20,000 in Zhongba County. Zhongba, which covers an area of 43,594 square kilometers account to one quarter area of Shigatse with the altitude of 4,772 meters.
Basic Information of Zhongba
- Chinese Name:仲巴县
- Population: 20,000
- Area: 43,594 square kilometers
The Climate in Zhongba County
The climate of Zhongba is plateau dry cold zone. The weather is very dry with the severe wind and the long duration of sunshine. As is known to us, the temperature difference in plateau area can be extremely large day and night. The average temperature is no more than 20 Celsius, the lowest temperature is -40 Celsius. The average rainfall is 280 mm.
Zhongba Attractions
Mount Kailash: the Chinese meaning of the mountain is the origin of the water, and the average altitude of Mount Kailash is more than 6,000 meters. And the another meaning of the mount Kailash is the snow mountain. This mountain has been the authentic scenic spot,which attracts many tourists.
Jiema Yangzong Glacier（杰马央宗冰川） is in the area of Zhongba County in Shigatse region with the meaning of the sandy beach arranged in a million zigzag in Tibetan language. Originated in the northern foothills of the Himalayas, the Jiema Yangzong is the source of the Brahmaputra River. According to the study, 116 square kilometers of Jiema Yangzong region are covered by glaciers and permanent snow with an elevation of 5,590 meters. Surrounded by steep mountains, the glaciers lies between the valleys. Locals call the sparkling glacier "Jiema Yangzong Glacier," and the river that combines glacial melt water is called "Jiema Yangzong Qu（杰马央宗曲）".
Mount Himalayas（喜马拉雅山）: Located in the south of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Mount Himalayas is a international mountain that lies in China, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan.
Mount Gangdise（冈底斯山）: "Gangdise" means the source of all the water. The average altitude of Mount Gangdise is about 6000 meters and it connects Nyenchen Tanglha Mountain（念青唐古拉山） to the east and Himalayas to the south.
Yarlung Zangbo River（雅鲁藏布江）: Originated from the the north slope of Mount Himalayas, Yarlung Zangbo River is the largest river in Tibet and the highest river in the world.
Palong Cuo（帕龙措） means Niuxiang Lake（牛乡湖）which is in the northwest of Zhongba County in Shigatse with an altitude of 5,092 meters and an area of 140 square kilometers. Palong Cuo is a salt water lake, surrounded by natural pasture.
Biduo Zangbu（毕多藏布）: Located in the northwest of Zhongba County of Shigatse, Biduo Zangbu（毕多藏布） means Alkali River（碱江）which is originated from the northern foothills of Gangdis Mountains（冈底斯山）. There are famous for the special species Schizopygopsis malacanthus chengi（裸裂尻鱼）.There are natural pastures and yaks, Tibetan sheep and goats along the coast.
Zhachang Gongba Monastery（扎昌贡巴寺） is located in the northwest of Zhongba County of Shigatse. The main building consists of the structure hall, the Buddhism hall, the shrine monastery, and the building of the monks. There are natural pastures around the monastery.
Zhongba high temperature geyser（仲巴高温间歇喷泉） is located in the area of Zhongba County in Shigatse. When it erupts, with a roar, the hot water, sand, and rocks immediately spray into the sky, and then, after a few hours of silence, it starts spraying again. There is a spectacular eruption of the fountain year after year, sometimes calm but other times angry.
Baryang（帕羊） which situated in Baryang Town（帕羊镇）, Zhongba County, Shigatse, Tibetant Autonomous Region is a prairie town full of the western flavor extremely. The streets are clean with the neat residences arranged loosely in the small town. Wondering along the alley among the Tibetan small town, you can see residents dressed in their local costumes.
Local Products in Zhongba County
In Tibet, there are some amazing local products for visitors to appreciate and purchase as the memorial souvenirs. Here, we recommend some as the top choice for visitors to have a reference in Zhongba County.
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Tibet Wool（氆氇）, the hand-woven cloth, is the main material of clothing, shoes and hats. It used to be the main tribute with a history of more than 200 years.
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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.
- 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.
What to Eat in Zhongba
Because of its remote location, the vegetables and grain are transported from the outside, leading to the higher price in Zhongba. The cuisine in Zhongba is not only the tradition inheritance of Tibetan cuisine, such as air-dried beef, highland barley wine and buttered tea, but also mixed with some specialties of ethnic minorities. What’s more, Sichuan cuisine is also common to be seem in Zhongba.
Zhongba Transportation
Tourist can travel to Lhasa by air or train firstly and then transfer to Zhongba by long-distance bus, which is the major choice. And Zhongba Airport operates the flights to Lhasa, Chengdu and Chongqing but the prices are a little bit expensive.
Zhongba Travel Tips
Best Time to Visit
The period between March to October is the best time to visit Zhongba. From March to April, plum blossom all over the mountains and plains makes Zhongba a fairyland. From May to June, tourist can appreciate the beautiful scenery. Zhongba turns to be green world from July to August and golden yellow during September to October.
