Park of China
Overview
| Designation | National Park of China (eighth batch) |
| Province | Tibet |
| Name | Tulin -guge Scenic Area |
| Highlights | Earth forest landform, ruins of the Gugê kingdom, Buddhist murals |
| Top sights | Zanda earth forest, Gugê kingdom ruins, Red Temple, White Temple, Xiangquan River |
| Location | Zanda County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, Tibet |
| Nearby cities | Lhasa, Gyantse |
| Nearby sites | Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar 162km Search nearby |
| Latitude, longitude | 31.48, 79.80 Google Maps |
| Themes | Highland, Culture, Buddha, River, Yardangs & earth forests, Rock art & murals, Tibetan Buddhism, Archaeological sites |
About
Zanda Earth Forest and Guge Kingdom (土林—古格风景名胜区) is a national park of China (eighth batch, designated by the State Council in 2012), located in Zanda County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, Tibet.
Zanda Tulin-Gugê lies in Zanda County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet, and combines the Zanda earth forest with the ruins of the Gugê kingdom, along the Xiangquan (Langqen Tsangpo) River at about 3,700 to 4,500 m.
The earth forest was carved by erosion from ancient lake sediments into fields of pillars, walls and towers. The Gugê kingdom was founded around the 10th century; its capital ruins at Tsaparang stand on a hill about 300 m high and include halls, stupas, caves and walls, with murals preserved in the Red and White Temples.
Travel tips
Zanda is in far western Tibet, about a day's drive from Shiquanhe, the prefecture seat; it can also be reached from Yecheng in Xinjiang along the Xinjiang-Tibet highway. The ruins involve a climb with many steps, and visitors should allow time to adjust to the altitude. Summer and autumn are easier for travel and winter is very cold. One to two days covers the earth forest and the ruins.
Photo credits: Tsaparang citadel, Guge Kingdom: Jean-Marie Hullot (CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)