Nyingchi Travel Guide

Nyingchi is situated in the downstream of Yarlung Zangbo River. Its average elevation is 3,000 meters. The lowest elevation is only 900 meters. With Lhasa city in the west, India and Burma on the south, it has pleasant climate.
 

History
 

Nyingchi has a history of over 1200 years. Nyingchi County, named in ancient times as Gongbo, has a long history that can be traced to Tibet's prehistoric period. And its culture--called the Nyingchi Culture by historians--is quite distinctive from the mainstream of Tibetan culture. Nyingchi region became a Tibetan Buddhist Kagyu’s sphere of influence from 13 to 16 century. It was under domination of the Tupo Kingdom for two hundred years. Since its liberation in 1951, it has moved away from its long past as a feudal society.
 

Attractions
 

There are a lot of scenic spots in or nearby Nyingchi County.
Basum Lake: It’s the biggest freshwater lake in the eastern Tibetan. Covering an area of 6,400 acres, the lake is like a crescent in shape. It’s the famous holy lake of Gong Jiao.
Medog: The most renowned part of Medog is known as Pemakö, one of Tibet's most sacred power places.
Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon: Yarlung Zangbo River makes a horseshoe-shaped turn at the foot of Mt. Himalayas. That is one of the best kept secrets of Tibet. In 1994 the Chinese Academy of Science declared the Yaluzangbu Grand Canyon the largest canyon in the world, which was later substantiated by GPS which measured the canyon at 496 km long.
Bayi Town: It’s an important Materials trading center in the southeast Tibet.

Transportation
 

Bus is the most important way when you are travelling in Nyingchi. The earliest regular bus from Lhasa to Nyingchi is at 8:00 am. The mileage from Lhasa to Bayi Town of Nyingchi is 633 km. The ticket costs 155yuan.
Nyingchi Milin Airport is situated in Mainking. There are flights to/from Chengdu. The plane left Chengdu at 7:30 am.
You can rent a car at Bayi Town Post Office to the attractions which cost CNY700 for two days.
 

Weather and climate
 

Dominated by subtropical and cold climate, the climate is various in different parts in Nyingchi. The average temperature is above 8.7��(47.66?). Distribution of the four seasons here is obvious. Summer is not too hot and winter is not too cold. The rainy season is from May to September every year.
 

Food and restaurants
 

In Nyingchi region, restaurant of the most countries serve traditional Tibetan food, also Sichuan and Cantonese cuisines can be found throughout Bayi Town. Meanwhile, corn, rice, buckwheat and jizhuagu (a kind of tropical millet with the ears resembling chicken feet) are the main food staples of Menpa and Luopa peoples who live in the Great Canyon of the Yarlung Tsangpo River.

Accommodation
 

Recommended hotels
Nyingchi Garden Hotel:
Address: No. 2 Zhuhai Road Bayi Township.
Tel: 0894-5821398

Shopping
 

The tourists can buy all the Tibetan daily life utensils in the shops opened by the Kangba People on the 500 meters long "Hong Kong Street" in Bayi.
Bayi is a very important logistic center in the southeast of Tibet. And the Nyingchi trade fair during the Liangbusula Festival is a good choice for shoppers.

Travel Tips
 

1. The advisable time to travel to Nyingchi is from April to October.
2. You’ d better carry long sleeves, sweater, jackets, sunglasses, sun cap, sun blocking cream, lip cream, Aspirin, medicine for cold and digestion etc.
3. Make sure your Tibet Travel Permit is in order.
4. It has only two banks, i.e. the Construction Bank and the Agriculture Bank and both have no ATMs. But you are still advised to carry cash. The foreign visitors should especially take note that they cannot exchange foreign currencies here.