Natural Environment in Shigatse

Shigatse Prefecture is located at confluence of Yarlung Zangbo River and Nianchu River, in the southwest part of Tibet Autonomous Region. Noted as the capital city of Tsang Area, Shigatse enjoys an altitude of 3800 meters, is the second largest city in Tibet which only ranks after Lhasa. Shigatse also acted as the political and religious center of Tsang Area and the residence of Panchen Lamas is located in Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse since ancient times. The picturesque natural landscapes and special folk customs in Shigatse made it one of the must-visit regions for tourists planning a Tibet tour.

Natural Environment in Shigatse – Climate Features

Shigatse is situated in the river valley with an annual average temperature of 6.3?. The average temperature in the coldest months is about 2? to 12? while the average temperature in the warmest months is about 10? to 18?. Hence, Shigatse is praised as a region without extremely cold winter or extremely hot summer. Shigatse has distinctive dry season and rainy season. Most of the precipitation here is focused in July and August, and the night rainfall happens frequently.

Shigatse attracts a large number of tourists both at home and abroad with its temperate climate and sufficient sunshine. Actually, Shigatse is a region suitable for sightseeing and traveling all year around for its relatively complete tourism facilities. Tourists making a Tibet tour here could always enjoy pretty different sceneries in different seasons. But tourists especially interested in Mt. Everest are not advised to visit Shigatse in July and August. The period between July and August is the rainy season of Shigatse and the visibility would be pretty low. There would be little chance to witness the real appearance of Mt. Everest in the misty rain. On the contrary, April and May are the best time to witness Mt. Everest for the high visibility.

Natural Environment in Shigatse - Scenic Spots in Shigatse

There is a series of famous natural and cultural spots in Shigatse. The snow-capped Mt. Everest has been one of the most noted spots in Tibet. To take a close look of the highest peak above the sea level, a large number of tourists from different corners of the world would like to pay a visit to Mt. Everest Base Camp to enjoy the amazing sunrise scenery and the sunset scenery. The highest monastery above the sea level – Rongbuk Monastery, which is quite close to the Base Camp, would also impress tourists with its profound Tibetan Buddhism culture.

Tourists making a Tibet tour to Shigatse could not miss the Palkhor Monastery and Tashilhunpo Monastery. These two monasteries played important role in the development of Tibetan Buddhism. Palkhor Monastery in Gyantse is quite noted for its pagodas and murals. Tourists will have the chance to explore the profound Tibetan Buddhism culture through the murals. It is said that Palkhor Monastery was highly respected as the religious center in Tibet in history. Tashilhunpo Monastery is the largest monastery in Shigatse Prefecture. It still enjoys high reputation among the local Tibetans for its important status in Tibetan Buddhism.