Northern Tibet Prairie

Northern Tibet Prairie refers to the endless grassland in northern Tibet. It is also widely noted as the Qiangtang Prairie in Nagqu Prefecture. Qiangtang Prairie is one of the five largest prairies in China. It is located between the Kunlun Mountains, Tanggula Mountains and Gangdise Mountains. It is not only the paradise for the wild animals and plants, but also a fertile land with deep culture.

Pay a visit to Northern Tibet Prairie, visitors could witness the crowds of sheep, cows and yaks. The Tibetan style tents of the herdsmen's are also beautiful decorations of the spare grassland. The Tibetan herdsmen have created a special and mysterious nomadic culture in the past years. In the remote areas of Northern Tibet Prairie, there are ancient cliff paintings and historical relics which could be dated back to the ancient Shangshung Kingdom Period. It is said that the tracks of the hero Gesar covered most areas in the Northern Tibet Prairie. In addition, visitors here could also see the flying colorful prayer flags, devout marnie piles and mysterious towers. It is recorded that the famous Tangbo Ancient Road (the ancient road between Tubo Kingdom and Tang Dynasty) stretched across the Northern Tibet Prairie from the south to the north.

Nagqu is widely regarded as the place which could represent the Qiangtang Prairie. Nagqu means Black River in Tibetan. The Black River is the upper reach of Nu River. It got its name for its water looks a little black. The Black River cultivated the whole Qingtang Prairie. The holy mountains and holy lakes in the endless grassland attract numerous devout pilgrims here for worshipping every year. It is reported that the grass here is of rich protein. Hence, the sheep and cows cultivated are stronger than those in the other regions. The mutton and beef produced in Qiangtang Prairie enjoy high reputation among local Tibetans.

The herdsmen's tents have been the most attractive landscape on the Northern Tibet Prairie. Except for the ancient yak-skin tent, there are also nylon tents chequered with red, blue, yellow, green and white. There are even prayer flags flying on the top of the tents. Tourists making a Tibet tour and pay a visit to the Northern Tibet Prairie will have the chance to witness the colorful festal suits during the celebration of the important festivals, such as the annual Horse Racing Festival. The exquisite Tibetan robes are only being worn on during the solemn festivals. The splendid decorations on the local Tibetans' head, neck, hand and waist are also important parts in the special local clothing culture.

The blue sky, green grassland, snow-capped mountains and running flocks of herds at Northern Tibet Prairie compose a peaceful and attractive landscape in spring and summer. Tourists join the Tibet train tours will have the chance to take a glance of the Northern Tibet Prairie.