Tsaparang and Tholing

Tsaparang (12,000-3,000 feet), the ruined capital of the lost Guge Kingdom, was built in the 10th century. In the 17th century, King Yeshe O sent to Goa, in India, for someone to tell him about the new religion he had heard about. In 1624 Antonio de Andrade, a Jesuit missionary, arrived and was so successful in his conversions that Buddhist lamas requested help from their neighbors, the Ladakis, to drive out this interloper. The Ladakis overwhelmed the kingdom in 1630.

Tsaparang is reached by traversing a spectacular area of badlands that often look like ruined citadels as much as the ruined capital itself. Within the citadel are chapels with statues and exquisite murals, some of which record the building of the capital in the 14th and 15th centuries. Many statues are badly damaged but the remnants of faces and limbs in chapels reached by stairs and tunnels reflect the skill of Tsaparang’s artisans.

Tholing, a monastery built in the 11th century, was mutilated by the Red Guards, but its 15th to 16th century murals are extraordinary. The Yeshe O chapel in the shape of a mandala, largely obliterated during the Cultural Revolution, is now being rebuilt by the Chinese. In the chapels are heaps of broken arms, legs and delicate faces gazing up at the visitor. If possible, we will camp beyond the badlands. If not, we will stay in one of the Spartan hotels in town with no private baths.

Our next destination is Everest.