Nyingchi means “Throne of the Sun” in the Tibetan language, which indicates it’s the place where the sun rises. It is located in the southeast of Tibet Autonomous Region, at an average elevation of about 3,100 meters, which is the lowest elevation in Tibet. Nyingchi covers an area of 117,000 square kilometers. The famous Himalayas and Nyenchen Tanglha Mountains in the west are like two parallel dragons protecting this peaceful land with the Hengduan Mountains in the east. The deepest canyon in the world - the Grand Yarlung Zangbo Canyon is also located in Nyingchi. Due to the special geography conditions, the climate in Nyingchi is pleasant for living, which makes the natural scenery is as splendid as the south of the Yangtze. That’s why it is called “the Jiangnan in Tibet”; for western tourists, it’s “Switzerland in Tibet” as well.
Nyingchi is a paradise made by snow mountains, forests, and canyons. You will feel romantic when you are here. There is a famous story that spread widely in Nyingchi. “I have been begging Buddha for five hundred years, for meeting you at my most beautiful age. The Buddha turned me into a tree, growing on the road you will pass by...”
The most famous scenic spot in Nyingchi is the beautiful Draksum-tso Lake which is an alpine lake located at the mid-upper reaches of the Bar River. With a small island dotted in the middle of the lake, Draksum-tso attracts thousands of photographers by its stunning views. The highlight of the lake is the charming Tsodzong Monastery in the southern shore. Nyingchi is also famous for the flourishing peach blossom in April. Besides, Namcha Barwa Mountain, Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, Niyang River, Lulang Forest, and so on are worthy of being visited in Nyingchi.
Currently, there are two main ways for travelers to get to Nyingchi. The first way is to get to Nyingchi by flight. The second way is to get to Nyingchi by overland.
Flying to Nyingchi is the most effective way. Travelers only take less than two hours to get to Nyingchi Mainling Airport from some major Chinese cities such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Xian, and Lhasa. Among those cities, Chengdu possesses the maximum number of flights to Nyingchi. Apart from those cities, connecting flights in Beijing and Shanghai are also available.
Taking an overland tour is the second way to get to Nyingchi. Renting a car or providing a private vehicle by a local Tibet tour company is the only way because there is no direct train to Nyingchi. Normally, there are three overland routes for travelers to get to Nyingchi: from Lhasa to Nyingchi, Shannan to Nyingchi, and Shigatse to Nyingchi. View more >>
There are high mountains sitting in the north of Nyingchi and prevent the cold air flowing from the north. The south side in Nyingchi is low, therefore, the warm and wet air from the Indian Ocean can flow in. That's why the weather in Nyingchi is fine and comfortable. The annual rainfall in Nyingchi is about 650mm. And the average temperature is about 8.7°C. The weather from April to October is warm and humid. While the weather from November to March is really cold and chilly. The temperature between day and night is different.
The best time to visit Nyingchi is in the late spring, early summer, and autumn. During those seasons, there is no chilly weather, and the rainfall is less. You can enjoy the most attractive scenery in Nyingchi under the warm sunlight. Here, the grand Nyingchi Peach Blossom Festival in spring is highly recommended to you. View more >>
Nyingchi's accommodation is usually concentrated in cities and towns with well-developed transportation. Bayi Town is the first choice for most tourists to stay in Nyingchi. Not only because the accommodation here is relatively good, but also there're multiple hotels from cheap to luxury ones, which can meet the needs of different tourists. Among the most popular hotels, we recommend the Nyingchi Mingzhu Hotel and NyingChi Minshan Grand Hotel to our customers for good locations and rankings.
The top cuisine is Lulang's stone pot chicken. Besides the Tibetan chicken, is also supplemented with palm ginseng, Angelica, Tibetan fritillary, wolfberry and other medicinal herbs produced locally, and simmered for two hours with the chicken. Tibetan pork is another specialist, which is also the traditional food of Nyingchi with tender and fat meat but not greasy.
The biggest festival in Nyingchi is the Kongbo New Year, from Oct 1st to Oct 7th of the Tibetan calendar. There is also the Bear Fighting Festival in Bomi Siba Village on May 15th of the Tibetan calendar. All the villagers and young people wear the festival costumes to go to Drolma Mountain to simmer the mulberry, praying for the good weather and so on. In addition, there are some festivals related to tourism such as Peach Blossom Festival, Draksum-tso Folk Cultural Festival, etc.
Tip One: Enough Preparation
You'd better do a good preparation in advance before traveling to Nyingchi. Due to the unique background of Tibet, you need to book your tours with a local Tibet travel agency, prepare the certain permits like Chinese Visa, Tibet Travel Permit, Aliens’ Travel Permits, Military Permit, and take some necessities such as first aid medicine, clothes, dry food, sunglasses, sun cream, etc.
Tip Two: History
Nyingchi is the main site for local Tibetans with thousands of years' history. From the seventh century to the ninth century, Nyingchi belonged to the region of the Tubo Kingdom. Since 1951, Nyingchi was liberated with the help of the Chinese government.
Tips Three: Terrain
Surrounded by the grand Himalayan mountains and Tangula Mountains, Nyingchi is famous for its various shapes of mountains and cliffs. Besides, you must be stunned by the running waters and waterfalls in the deep valley. That's why Nyingchi is also known as "Switzerland of Tibet".
Tip Four: High Altitude Precaution
Compared with other prefectures in Tibet, the high altitude of Nyingchi is relatively lower. While there are still some highlands in Nyingchi where you may suffer from high altitude sickness. For example, before you pass by Mila Pass at an altitude of 5013 meters, you should take some medicine prior. Tell your tour guide when you feel uncomfortable. View more >>
