Chamdo used to be an important pass along the ancient Tea Horse Path. Here Qiangbalin Monastery, Zezhol Monastery, Karub Ruins and Chamoling Wild Deer Domestication attract more and more visitors and worshippers.

Qiangbalin Monastery

Qiangbalin Monastery is similar with other major Tibetan Buddhist Monasteries, with the well-reserved statues, frescos and Tangkas. The monastery is famous for its religious dance named Guqing which is performed in every Tibetan New Year. Dancers perform in splendid costumes with gruesome masks, all movements in harmony. Such religious dance has high reputation on the whole Tibetan plateau.

Zezhol Monastery

The Tibetans call themselves Bod-pa, which means "people living in the Bod region." It is believed that the name Bod is derived from the name Bon, an animist religion followed by many of the Tibetans prior to the advent of Buddhism. Worshippers of the Bon religion held that everything in the world has a soul. Professional believers held various kinds of sacrificial activities. In the 7th century when Buddhism spread into Tubo, it collided with the Bon religion in both theory and organization. The Bon religion, formerly very primitive, finally grew in terms of theory and organization. The Garma Monastery is 120 km away from Chamdo, standing on the upper reaches of the Zhaqu River. Going to the monastery one has to pass through a place called Let. Legend has it that on the slope of Let there was a monastery of the Bon religion that housed a Bon master, who ordered his servant monks to guard the road and let no outsider pass. One day, a hungry dog came and the servant monk let it pass, as it was an animal. The master panicked on hearing the news and left the monastery thereafter. The hungry dog was an incarnation of Master Garmaba Duisum Qenba, who built the Garma Monastery here. This signified the creation of the Garma Gagyu Sect of Tibetan Buddhism in this part of the world. Statistics show in 1991 there were 55 monasteries in Chamdo Prefecture, including 31 in Dengqen, nine in Zogan, six in Gyamda, five in Lholung, three in Baxoi and one in Chamdo Town. In Chamdo Prefecture today, there are still people who worship the Bon religion. It has 94 monasteries, Zezhol Monastery being the largest. In fact, the Zezhol Monastery is also the largest of its kind in Tibet in terms of size and number of Bon followers. It is kept intact. Located in Joren Township 45 km from the county seat, it is today known for its perfect system in the study of open and secret schools. It has 110 monks.

Karub Ruins

One of the three large primeval cultural ruins in Tibet and from the New Stone Age, the Karub ruins has a 4,000 year history. They are located in Karub Village, Jagka District, and are 12 kilometers to the southeast of Qamdo County seat. The ruins have an elevation of 3,100 meters and cover an area of 10,000 square meters. Studies have provided they were once a large scale primeval village.

No regular buses to go there, tourists have to ask for a lift or take a taxi in Qamdo County seat. It takes about 100 yuan by taxi for going and back.

Chamoling Wild Deer Domestication

This tourist area includes such scenic spots as the Chagyima Grand Hall, Karmardo Pagoda Forest, Norong Valley, Holy Mountain Deqing Photrang, Yiri Hot Springs and highland pastures.

All the scenic spots can be reached by bus and have lodging facilities. Riwoqe County seat has hotels, restaurants and nightclubs. Some 30 kilometers from the county seat, there are the Chagyima Grand Hall and Holy Mountain Deqing Photrang, Chamoling and wild deer domestication center, Norong Valley, Kamardo Pagoda Forest and Riwoqe County seat. You can stay in the county seat for the nights.

Zhongque Festival held on the 15th day of the sixth month of the Tibetan year will combine these scenic spots and activities together.

Sengqen Namzha Holy Mountain

As the first of the 25 holy mountains in the Kham area, it is where Master Padmasambhava and eminent monks with the Nyingma and Gagyu Sects worshipped.

On the 15th day of the sixth month each year, Buddhist followers put on their holiday best, chanted the Six-Syllable Prayer Words, and took a ritual walk around the mountain.

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