Distance between Lhasa and Zhangmu is 810km and it takes one week for the trip. You should apply for Alien's Travel Permit in Lhasha in advance (within office hours excluding weekends, Sundays and holidays).

Start early in the morning from Lhasa, pass through Qu Shui Bridge and Yarlung Tsangpo River, and go up to Ganbala Mountain, 5,400 meters above sea level which is a watershed between Yarlung Tsangpo River and Lake Yamdrok. While climbing up the mountain, you can enjoy the beauty and quietness of Lake Yamdrok. Lake Yamdrok is one of the three "Great Lakes" in Tibet. With 4,400 meters above sea level and an area of 1,000 km2 the lake is even larger than Hong Kong. After going down from the mountain along lakeside highway, and passing through Lei Ka Zi and Ka Ye mount gap, you then arrive at the ancient town---Jiangzi.

Jiangzi

(1) Bai Ju Temple: Open everyday and the entry fee is USD$3.29. One of Major attractions is a collection of different religious sects in a single temple, which is seldom seen in Tibet. The construction style of the temple is mingled with different Buddhist statues. The other is the Buddhist pagoda, which is the symbol of Bai Ju Temple. The temple is made up of nearly a hundred of temples constructed in duplicate. The number of Buddhist statues in temples and murals accumulated to a hundred thousand.

(2) Zhong Shan Castle: Open everyday and the entry fee is USD$1.32. Jiangzi used to be a large county of Tibet where the local government was located. British colonial army invaded in 1888 and occupied Jiangzi in April 1904. Soldiers and residents in Jiangzi rose against the enemy with spears, knives and stone although they failed to repel the British after ammunition and provisions ran out.

Accommodation : Jiangzi Hotel
Address : Jiangzi, Rikaze
Telephone : 0892-817222
Fax: 0892-8178866
Transport : No direct transport from Lhasa to Jiangji. Travelers should transfer at Rikaze. Jiangzi is 80km from Rikaze. There are buses from and to Rikaze every morning. It takes 2.5 hours and USD$1.32.

Rikaze

Rikaze is the second largest city in Tibet after Lhasa, with a history of more than 500 years. It is 4,000 meters above sea level, even higher than Lhasa. The annual sunshine time reaches 3,233 hours, longer than Lhasa.

(1) Tashilunpo Monastery:Open everyday and the entry fee is RMB3.29. It is situated at Niseri Mountain south-west of Rikaze and was built in 1447.
Qiang Ba Buddhist Hall: Inside the palace, there sits a 22.4-meter-hight sitting statue of the Maitreya Buddha, with lotus base of 3.8 meters in height and 11.4 meters in width, making it the biggest copper Buddhist statue within the country. The construction started in 1914 and completed in 1917, which consumed 2,300 kg of copper, 558 kg of gold and some jewelry.
Jokhang Grand Temple: The oldest building of the Monastery. There are numerous elaborately decorated shrines and rooms at Jokhang. There is a gold statue of Buddha Sakyamuni with the statues of his successors too.

(2) De Qing Ge Sang Por Zhang: It used to be summer palace of the Panchen Lama equivalent to Luo Bu Lun Ka in Lhasa. It is situated at the western part of Rikaze and occupies an area of 500,000m2. Lots of fruit trees and rare species of plants flourish in summer making the place full of scent.

Accommodation : Rikaze Hotel
Address : 13 Jie Fang Zhong Road, Rikaze
Telephone : 0892-8822550
Fax: 0892-8821900
Transport : There are long-distance buses between Rikaze and Lhasa. Single journey covers 345 miles, costing USD$5. There is no fixed schedule for buses from Rikaze to Zhangmu shore, which covers 565 miles and costs USD$9.21. Flag fall for taxi is USD$1.32 within town, without using taxi-meters. Travels are advised to negotiate taxi fares with drivers for journeys out of town.