Shigatse: Exploring the Gateway to Everest
Known as the second-biggest city in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Shigatse, China is a prefecture-level city known as the “Gateway to Everest.” When visiting the town, locals and tourists can reach Shigatse by rail, road, or air.
Best Time to Visit
To celebrate the harvest of the year, Shigatse hosts the annual Gtsang New Year, also referred to as Farmers’ New Year. This is held on the first day of November, lasting for around two weeks and featuring the culture of Tibet. The temperatures during this month can go as low as 17.1 °F, making it comfortable to explore the outdoors. Most of Shigatse, China hotels are still available by this time of year.
What to Do & Area Attractions
Visiting Shigatse is not complete without stopping by the Tashilunpo Monastery. This monastery is considered a culturally important structure in the city as it dates back to the mid-1400s. A few-minute drive from the monastery is the Shigatse Dzong, another historic building in the town, which has been commissioned during the early 1600s. Although the original Dzong was destroyed in 1961, a smaller version was reconstructed in 2007.
Around a 30-minute walk from either attraction is the Shigatse Tashilhunpo Temple Magnolia Hotel. This 2.5-star no-frills hotel serves guests with breakfast. If you prefer to book your suites outside of the city, check out the Zhiwa Ling Heritage and Tenzinling Resort, both in Paro, Bhutan. Guests staying at either hotel are treated to their spa services, in-house breakfast, and laundry service.