Asian and Oceanic Affairs Subcommittee
Radiation Oncology Physics Workshop in China
Pre-Workshop and Post-Workshop Tours
for Chinese particpants, Faculty, Staff, Commercial sponsors, Vendors, and
Companions
The following quotes are provided by
Chengdu Everbright International Tour
Co.,Ltd.
Due to SARS - All tours CANCELLED
PLEASE SEE 2004 TOURS
(1) 4-day Beijing, |
(2) 8-day Beijing, |
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(7) 3-day Xi'an, |
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ALL 2003 TOURS HAVE BEEN CANCELLED - SEE NEW TOURS
Tour line (1) 4-Day Tour of
Bejing/Xi’an
before Workshop
May 22: Entry Beijing
Our guide will pick you up at Beijing airport and transfer to the hotel.
The rest of the day is free(D).
May 23: Beijing
Visit the Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Badaling Great Wall.
Beijing Duck Dinner and Peking Opera are scheduled in the evening. (B+L+D)
May 24: Beijing-Xi’an
Take flight to Xi’an in the morning. Visit the Ancient City Wall after
lunch. (B+L+D)
May 25: Xi'an-Chengdu
Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Take flight to Chengdu in the afternoon
and transfer to the hotel to meet with other participants.(B+L)
Quotation:
Hotel in Beijing, May 22-May 23: Jianguo Hotel, Beijing (four star)
Hotel in Xi'an, May 24: Grand New world Hotel, Xi'an (four star)
Group Size |
Quotation | Single room supplement |
| 2-5pax | US$713 p.p | US$120 |
| 6-9pax | US$651 p.p | US$120 |
| 10pax or above | US$452 p.p | US$90 |
Tour line (2)
8-Day
China Tours of Beijing, Xi'an and
Chengdu
before Workshop
May 18: Entry Beijing
Our guide will pick you up at Beijing airport and transfer to the hotel.
The rest of the day is free(D).
May 19: Beijing
Visit the Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and the Temple of Heaven.
Beijing Duck Dinner and Peking Opera are scheduled in the evening. (B+L+D)
May 20: Beijing
Visit the Badaling Great Wall, the Sacred Way and the Ming Tombs. (B+L+D)
May 21: Beijing/ Xi'an
Visit the Summer Palace. Take flight to Xi'an and transfer to the hotel.(B+L+D)
May 22: Xi'an
Visit the Terracotta Warriors Museum, the City Wall and the Great Mosque.
(B+L+D)
May 23: Xi'an/Chengdu
Visit the Provincial History Museum, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the Forest
of Stone Steles Museum. Take flight to Chengdu in the afternoon and transfer
to the hotel. (B+L+D)
May 24: Chengdu/Leshan/Chengdu
Take tourist coach to Leshan City which is 120km away from Chengdu and visit
the Grand Buddha. Back to Chengdu in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
May 25: Chengdu
Take tourist coach to the Sanxingdui Ruins and visit the Sanxingdui Museum.
In the afternoon visit the Giant Panda Breeding and Research Center on the
way back to Chengdu.(B+L+D)
Hotels:
Hotel in Beijing May 18-20: Jianguo Hotel Beijing (4-star)
Hotel in Xi'an May 21-22: Grand New world Hotel (4-star)
Hotel in Chengdu May 23-25: Jinjiang Hotel (5-star)
Group Size |
Quotation | Single room supplement |
| 2-5pax | US$1029p.p | US$330 |
| 6-9pax | US$883p.p | US$330 |
| 10pax or above | US$790p.p | US$282 |
Tour line (3) 4-Day Tibet Travel of Lhasa - after Workshop
May 31: Chengdu/Lhasa
Morning take flight to Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. Here, enjoying the
lunch and time to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude.Later in the
afternoon visit a Tibetan family and share tea in their home or free to explore
the Barkhor Street. (L+D)
June 1: Lhasa
Visit the Potala Palace, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery. (B+L+D)
June 2: Lhasa
Visit the Drepung Monastery, the Jokhang Temple. (B+L+D)
June 3: Lhasa/Exit city of your choice
Take flight to exit city of your choice in the morning and transfer to the
hotel.(B)
Price based on Chengdu as the exit city
Hotel:
May 31-June 2 Lhasa Hotel (four star)
Group Size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$775 p.p |
US$172 |
6-9pax |
US$690 p.p |
US$172 |
10pax or above |
US$627 p.p |
US$172 |
Note: May 31-June 2 accommodaton:
Lhasa Hotel (four star) included,
Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (4) 7-Day Tibet Travel of Lhasa/ Shigatse/ Gyangtse - after Workshop
May 31: Chengdu / Lhasa
Morning take flight to Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day is
free at leisure to acclimatize yourself to the high latitude or free to explore
the Barkhor Street. (L+D)
June 1: Lhasa
Visit the Potala Palace, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery. (B+L+D)
June 2: Lhasa
Visit the Drepung Monastery, the Jokhang Temple. (B+L+D)
June 3: Lhasa/ Shigatse
Take car to Shigatse and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery
and the New Palace of Panchen. (B+L+D)
June 4: Shigatse/ Gyangtse
Take car to Gyangtse and transfer to the hotel. Visit the Palkhor Monastery
and the Wan Fo Pagoda. (B+L+D)
June 5: Gyangtse/ Lhasa
Transfer to Lhasa. On the way visit the beautiful Yamdrok Yumtso Lake and
the Karola snow mountain. Check in the hotel again. (B+L+D)
June 6: Lhasa/Exit city of your choice
Take flight to exit city of your choice in the morning and transfer to the
hotel. (B)
Price based on Chengdu as the exit city
Hotels:
May 31-June 2 Lhasa Hotel (four star)
June 3 Shigatse Hotel (three star)
June 4 Gyangtse Hotel ( three star)
June 5 Lhasa Hotel (four star)
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$1116 p.p. |
US$282 |
6-9pax |
US$944 p.p |
US$282 |
10pax or above |
US$871 p.p. |
US$282 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (5) 6-Day Yangtze River Cruise and
Tour of Shanghai - after the Workshop
May 31 Chengdu-Chongqing
Take flight to Chongqing in the morning and visit Eling Park and the Residence
of General Joseph W. Stilwell. Board the Yangtze Princess Cruise (four star)
after dinner. Overnight on the Cruise.
June 1 Fengdu Ghost City
Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins as the cruise ships at 9:00. Sail
through the mountains of Eastern Sichuan this morning. Disembark for an excursion
to Fengdu Ghost City in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 2 Shennong Stream
Today the cruise enters the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and grandest of the
Three Gorges and the Wu Gorges with its twelve lofty and misty gorges. Disembark
at Badong for a sampan tour to Shennong Stream, a newly opened unspoiled
river with verdant plants, ancient coffins and precious animals. (B+L+D)
June 3 Three Gorges Dam-Yichang-Shanghai
Disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam after breakfast. Ttransfer
to Yichang and fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 4 Shanghai
Visit Yu Garden, Jade Buddha Temple, the Bund and Nanjing Street. (B+L+D)
June5 Exit China .
Transfer to the airport and exit China in the morning. (B)
Hotels:
May 31 - June 1,2 the Yangtze River Cruise: Yangtze Princess (twin room)
May 3,4 Shanghai Peace Hotel (four star)
Please make reservations before March 30 to assure room vacancy
The Three Gorges Project is undergoing its key construction and adjustment stage now. According to the regulation of the Yangtze Navigation Authority, passages are not allowed to stop in the dam area during this period. Therefore, during April to June of 2003, all guests will check out of the Yangtze Cruise at Maoping Pier (before the Dam). However the shore excursion to the Dam will still be arranged as the schedule. Although you have only four days on the cruise, Mickey believes that you will enjoy yourselves because the most splendid sceneries of the Yangtze River are concentrated between Chongqing and Maoping.
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$981 p.p. |
US$430 |
6-9pax |
US$814 p.p |
US$430 |
10pax or above |
US$744 p.p. |
US$390 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (5A) 4-day Yangtze River Cruise, Exit China from Hong Kong:
May 31 Chengdu-Chongqing
Take flight to Chongqing in the morning and visit Eling Park and the Residence
of General Joseph W. Stilwell. Board the Yangtze Princess Cruise (four star)
after dinner. Overnight on the Cruise.
June 1 Fengdu Ghost City
Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins as the cruise ships at 9:00. Sail
through the mountains of Eastern Sichuan this morning. Disembark for an excursion
to Fengdu Ghost City in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 2 Shennong Stream
Today the cruise enters the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and grandest of the
Three Gorges and the Wu Gorges with its twelve lofty and misty gorges. Disembark
at Badong for a sampan tour to Shennong Stream, a newly opened unspoiled
river with verdant plants, ancient coffins and precious animals. (B+L+D)
June 3 Three Gorges Dam-Yichang-Wuhan
Disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam after breakfast. Ttransfer
to Wuhan via Yichang. (B+L+D)
June 4 Wuhan/Hongkong
Transfer to the airport and fly to Hongkong in the morning. (B)
Hotels:
May 31 - June 1,2 the Yangtze River Cruise: Yangtze Princess (twin room)
May 3 Wuhan Qinchuan Hotel (four star)
Please make reservations before March 30 to assure room vacancy
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$939 p.p. |
US$390 |
6-9pax |
US$816 p.p |
US$390 |
10pax or above |
US$723 p.p. |
US$360 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (5B) 4-day Yangtze River Cruise, Exit China from Beijing:
May 31 Chengdu-Chongqing
Take flight to Chongqing in the morning and visit Eling Park and the Residence
of General Joseph W. Stilwell. Board the Yangtze Princess Cruise (four star)
after dinner. Overnight on the Cruise.
June 1 Fengdu Ghost City
Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins as the cruise ships at 9:00. Sail
through the mountains of Eastern Sichuan this morning. Disembark for an excursion
to Fengdu Ghost City in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 2 Shennong Stream
Today the cruise enters the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and grandest of the
Three Gorges and the Wu Gorges with its twelve lofty and misty gorges. Disembark
at Badong for a sampan tour to Shennong Stream, a newly opened unspoiled
river with verdant plants, ancient coffins and precious animals. (B+L+D)
June 3 Three Gorges Dam-Yichang-Beijing
Disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam after breakfast. Ttransfer
to Yichang and fly to Beijing in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 4 Exit China in Beijing
Transfer to the airport and exit China in the morning. (B)
Hotels:
May 31 - June 1,2 the Yangtze River Cruise: Yangtze Princess (twin room)
May 3 Beijing Jianguo Hotel (four star)
Please make reservations before March 30 to assure room vacancy
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$837 p.p. |
US$390 |
6-9pax |
US$715 p.p |
US$390 |
10pax or above |
US$645 p.p. |
US$360 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (5C) 4-day Yangtze River Cruise, Exit China from Shanghai:
May 31 Chengdu-Chongqing
Take flight to Chongqing in the morning and visit Eling Park and the Residence
of General Joseph W. Stilwell. Board the Yangtze Princess Cruise (four star)
after dinner. Overnight on the Cruise.
June 1 Fengdu Ghost City
Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins as the cruise ships at 9:00. Sail
through the mountains of Eastern Sichuan this morning. Disembark for an excursion
to Fengdu Ghost City in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 2 Shennong Stream
Today the cruise enters the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and grandest of the
Three Gorges and the Wu Gorges with its twelve lofty and misty gorges. Disembark
at Badong for a sampan tour to Shennong Stream, a newly opened unspoiled
river with verdant plants, ancient coffins and precious animals. (B+L+D)
June 3 Three Gorges Dam-Yichang-Shanghai
Disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam after breakfast. Ttransfer
to Yichang and fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 4 Exit China in Shanghai
Transfer to the airport and exit China in the morning. (B)
Hotels:
May 31 - June 1,2 the Yangtze River Cruise: Yangtze Princess (twin room)
May 3 Shanghai Peace Hotel (four star)
Please make reservations before March 30 to assure room vacancy
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$851 p.p. |
US$390 |
6-9pax |
US$680 p.p |
US$390 |
10pax or above |
US$600 p.p. |
US$360 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Tour line (6) 8-day Tour of Lhasa and the Yangtze River Cruise
May 31 Chengdu/Lhasa
Morning take flight to Lhasa and transfer to the hotel. Here, enjoying the
lunch and time to acclimatize yourself to the high altitude.Later in the
afternoon visit a Tibetan family and share tea in their home or free to explore
the Barkhor Street. (L+D)
June 1 Lhasa
Visit the Potala Palace, Norbulingka and the Sera Monastery. (B+L+D)
June 2 Lhasa
Visit the Drepung Monastery, the Jokhang Temple. (B+L+D)
June 3 Lhasa/Chongqing
Free in the morning and fly to Chongqing in the afternoon. Transfer to the
cruise upon arrival (Blue Whale). (B+L+D)
June 4 Fengdu Ghost City
Your memorable Yangtze River tour begins as the cruise ships at 9:00. Sail
through the mountains of Eastern Sichuan this morning. Disembark for an excursion
to Fengdu Ghost City in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 5 Shennong Stream
Today the cruise enters the Qutang Gorge, the shortest and grandest of the
Three Gorges and the Wu Gorges with its twelve lofty and misty gorges. Disembark
at Badong for a sampan tour to Shennong Stream, a newly opened unspoiled
river with verdant plants, ancient coffins and precious animals. (B+L+D)
June 6 Three Gorges Dam-Yichang-Shanghai
Disembark for an excursion to the Three Gorges Dam after breakfast. Ttransfer
to Yichang and fly to Shanghai in the afternoon. (B+L+D)
June 7 Exit China in Shanghai
Transfer to the airport and exit China in the morning. (B)
Hotels:
May 31- June1, Lhasa Hotel (four star)
June 3-5 the Yangtze River Blue Whale (five-star cruise)
June 6 Shanghai Peace Hotel (four star)
Please make reservations before March 30 to assure room vacancy
Group size |
Quotation |
Single room supplement |
2-5pax |
US$1536 p.p. |
US$532 |
6-9pax |
US$1320 p.p |
US$532 |
10pax or above |
US$1190 p.p. |
US$502 |
Note: Chengdu Accommodation excluded
Quotation Inclusions:
The economy-class air charges of the domestic flight between cities noted in the itinerary.
The hotel accommodation is based on two persons sharing one twin room with private facilities in all relevant cities.
Daily American breakfast at the hotel, Chinese lunch and dinner outside the hotel or as specified in the itinerary.
Private transfers between airports or train stations, hotels and the all sightseeing spots.
All normal sightseeing tours in each city with an English-speaking guide and admission fees where applicable. Our individual guide will not fly with you from one city to another. So at each airport of every city, our individual guide and driver will pick you up from the very beginning and see you off after you finish the itinerary of each city.
The government tax and the city construction fee inside China within the tour where applicable.
Travel Agencies' Liability Insurance with the tour inside China.
The cost for the Tibet Travel Permit.
Note:
To enter Tibet, you would need a valid Chinese visa & a special travel permit. Only those who join package tours are qualified to obtain the permit .To book the tour, you are requested to e-mail or fax us the photo page of your passport and your Chinese visa 10 days in advance.
Quotation Exclusions:
The international airfare of arrival and departure.
Expenses of a personal nature such as laundry, drink, telex, telephone calls or overweight baggage charges.
The airport construction fee CNY50.00 (USD6.00) for every stop and the departure tax CNY90.00 (USD11.00).
Reservations and Payments:
The reservation deposit USD100.00 net per person should be paid by check or cable transfer upon your confirmation. The reservation deposit charge per person is included in your tour total quotation. We will deduct the reservation deposit charge from the total quotation when you send the next payment. The transfer charge is on the own.
The payment should be paid 60 days prior to the tour by check or 35 days prior to the tour by cable transfer. The transfer charge is on the own.
Account Name: Chengdu Everbright International Tour Co., Ltd
Bank Name: Bank of China, Chenghua Sub-branch
Account No.: 02426208091014
15F. Part A Xiyu Building, No. 8 Xiyu Str. Chengdu, Sichuan, P.R.China
Tel: 011-86-28-86118233 or 011-86-28-86117533
Fax: 011-86-28-86117669
Tour Operator: MICKEY SHAW
Email: hitour@sohu.com
Chengdu Everbright International Tours Co., Ltd
Chengdu Everbright International Tour Co.,Ltd, based in Chengdu, is one of the biggest international travel companies in west China.
The business of our company covers the range of conventional international tour such as package group tour, business tour and F.I.T tour, and also tours of special interests, such as mountaineering, trekking, horse-riding, drifting, motoring and cycling, acupuncture, Chinese Gongfu, religious tour etc.We are skilled and richly experienced in organizing and arranging the westerners' tour in the west part of China. In the year of 2002, some 28,000 western tourists come and tour west China under our arrangement and escort.
Our company has a staff of well-experienced sales personnel, support personnel, and qualified guide-interpreters of English, Japanese, French, German and Korean etc.
Our company will provide efficient, safe, satisfactory and first-rate service for your tour and business in China.
ABOUT SICHUAN PROVINCE
Sichuan, a province in southwest China, is as big as Spain in size, and its population is even bigger than Germany. Here in Sichuan, so captivating and impressive are the mountains and rivers, and 85% of the most precious rare animals specially the Giant Panda, the highly adored national treasure of China, has its habitat among the elevated surrounding mountains, hence honored as the homeland of Panda. Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Leshan Giant Buddha, Mt.Emei and Wolong Panda Preserve base have been included by UNESCO in the "List of the World's greatest heritages of Nature and Cultures" and also in the preservation network in the project known as "Man and Its Biological Ring." Sichuan has also been given the prestigious title of "the scenic province" since it possesses a whole spectrum of landscape varieties ranging from plateaus, mountain chains, valleys, basins, rolling hilly lands, plains, rivers, lakes, hot-springs, and falls and even spots with Karst and Dansher topographies.
ABOUT OUR CITY in Chinese
Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, is just situated on the plain at the bottom of Sichuan Basin. The city has a population of 3 million. Chengdu area is entitled as the "Land of Abundance" for its highly developed traditional agriculture since 2200 years before. Nowadays, Chengdu municipality is defined by the central government as the center of science and technology, finance and commerce, and also the hub of traffic and communications in southwest China, forming a delightful contrast with the industry center of Chongqing, 350 km east of Chengdu. Deep in the west and tremendously rich in agricultural products, life has long been quite easy in Chengdu area, so local people enjoy the most leisurely &. Carefree way of life in this country. Coming here, you can easily find crowds of local people sipping in numberless of teahouses in every corner of the city.
Major Tourist Attractions
Leshan Giant Buddha, a stone statue of the seated Maitreya, 71m in height, is located east of Leshan at the confluence of 3 rivers some 120km south of Chengdu (1.5hr. bus drive). It is carved out of a solid rock right on the cliff of a mountain close to the banks of the three rivers. The work on the statue started in the year 713 A.D. and completed some 90 odd years later. It is now the largest stone-carved Buddha in the world, described as "a mountain emerges as a Buddha, and a Buddha takes the size of a mountain."
A best-loved rare animal, the charmingly naive giant panda is often referred to as "living fossil" &. The "Nation's Treasure" and its image is used as the Logo of World Wildlife Fund. The world has now round about 1000 giant panda, 85% of which live in Sichuan. In northeast of Chengdu, the Giant Panda breeding Base is established. Sanxingdui Ruins is 40km away from Chengdu. The exposure of a large number of spectacular relics stirred the world, making the Sanxingdui site well known far and near. Amongst the hoards of prize antique. The two large sacrificial pits found right here in 1986 boast the most important archaeological findings on ties there are a variety of unique, grotesque bronze works, such as the stately standing figure, the freak bronze masks and the towering bronze holy tree, all of which stand out as treasures unparalleled. In addition, the gold ware represented by the gleaming gold scepter, and jade ware such as the tablets with heavy motifs, turn out to be undeniable jewels never seen before.
The Ruin Museum, 40 km north of Chengdu, opened to the public in Oct. 1997.
BEIJING
Beijing is the capital of oriental civilization, where innumerable cultural relics have been found, including the habitat of the Peking Man, the ancestor of human beings living 500,000-700,000 years ago. Beijing's long history has stretched over 3,000 years. Over time the place we call Beijing today has played a series of roles: a fiefdom; the important face of a unified face of a unified dynasty; a grand imperial capital; the political, economic and cultural center of China; and a world-famous modern metropolis
Highlights of Major Tourist Spots
Forbidden City, also named Imperial Palace, was the residence of the Emperors of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Located in the heart of Beijing, the imperial Palace covers an area of 1012 hec. The entire complex consist of 6 main palaces as well as many smaller buildings with over 9000 rooms.
Tiananmen Square is the largest square in the world. The square witnessed the ceremony of the founding of the People's Republic of china on 1st October 1949. Graced by a yellow tile roof and distinctive red wall.
Temple of Heaven is a place for prayer for the Ming and Qing Emperors. The temple is a masterpiece of 15th century architecture, the main structure found in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest and Circular Mound Altar.
Great Wall is the imposing and ancient Chinese structure, stretching over 6000km of mountain terrain is the only visible man-made structure from the moon. It is certainly every visitor's challenge to climb the great wall.
Ming Tombs is known as Underground Palace is excavated in 1958, the palace consists of five connected chambers constructed entirely of stone without beams or pillars. Back chamber contains coffins of emperor and two empresses and 23 trunks of funerary objects of incredible value of modern and classical Chinese architecture.
Summer Palace contains magnificent lakes and beautiful mountains. The summer palace is the largest and best preserved imperial Chinese garden.
XI'AN
Xi'an used to be the capital of China from the 3rd century B.C. up to the 10th century A.D. when this country's center moved gradually northeast to Beijing area. There were so many emperors coming to the throne here that numberless of the treasures such as the architectures on the ground and the tombs underground were left in Xi'an area, the city itself is said to be the museum of ancient history &. Culture. Today it is also titled as the simplest and the most unsophisticated ancient city, so that it is quite difficult to set to modernize it. The main tourist attractions include: 1.Terra Cotta Warrior and Horse Figurines found inside a magnificent tomb. These wonderous discoveries date back to the time of Qing Shi Huang, the 1st emperor of ancient China. 2.The City Wall completed in 13th century which is the best preserved one of its kind all over the world. 3.History Museum, built in 1991, and the most valuable antiques before the 10th century are just stored and displayed here. 4.Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 8th century for the preservation of Buddhist scriptures introduced in from India.
TIBET
Tibet is habitually called World Roof, with an average elevation of over 4000m. Inside the boundary, there tower aloft 11 peaks 8000m above sea level. Tibet borders with Sichuan, Yunnan within China, and is contiguous to India, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Burma in the south, and bounded by Kashmir on the west. The Tibet Autonomous Region is with a population of two million, mainly of Tibetans, and an area of 1.2 million sq.km. This region is also very rich in natural resources and owns a vast expanse of landforms. People on this land have been creating a glorious culture since ancient times. There are majestic mountains and rivers, regular customs and habits, wonderful natural landscapes with monks clad in robes and yellow hats seen everywhere. If you were to set foot on this virgin land, to follow the steps of pilgrims, to visit the great temples and monasteries, to enjoy the unique culture, to have sips of water from those limpid rivers and lakes, to sight the unique customs and to trek around those mighty snow clad peaks, you would surely be intoxicated with their wonders.
Lhasa is the capital of Tibet, in Tibetan language, Lha means God while Sa means Land. Lhasa has been the political, economical, cultural and religious center and the Holy land in the heart of Tibetan Buddhists since the 7th cen. Different from any other city, the outstanding characteristics is its temples here and there and the religious atmosphere filling the air of the whole city. In Lsaha, temples are not only tourist spots but also an inseparable part of the life of local Tibetans, sacred and mystical. Every stranger here will feel astonished at the magnificent and age-old Potala palace, Jokhang Temple, Sera and Drepung monastery crowded with pilgrims, the picturesque royal garden-Norbulingka, the majestic tent city. Lhasa is a everlasting threshold from which you mean to enter a grand, serene and abstruse world.
Shigatse, also Xigatse, means "fertile land" and stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu River. It used to be the capital of Tsang and now is the capital of Shigatse prefecture. The 600 year old city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, who is one of the two prestigious spiritual leaders in Tibet and the abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. About 300 km from Lhasa, it is an important stop between Lhasa and west Tibet where pilgrims and tourists often wander. Shigatse has a population of over 80,000, of which 97% are Tibetan. It is the second largest city within Tibet has undergone large scale development. Most tourist facilities stand along Jiefang Dong Lu, Beijing Bei Lu, Zhufeng Lu and Shandong Lu. West of the market and below the Dzong is the old Tibetan quarter where many people like to visit.
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Last update: April 13, 2003