Journey West

I was about to change jobs, so I hurried to use my marriage leave. My partner was unavailable, so I went with my mom. Originally we thought about Macau, but later I felt I must visit Tibet at least once in this lifetime. I’d also wanted to see the Terracotta Warriors for a long time. Checking flights, most from Shanghai to Xi’an stopped over in Xi’an or Xining, so I booked right away.

The travel itinerary is shown in the picture below.

First, we’d spend one day in Xi’an, then fly to Tibet.

Important! Start taking Rhodiola rosea (hongjingtian) at least a week in advance, and also buy some headache medicine. Stock up on local oxygen tanks too.

Probably because we flew directly to Lhasa, we both felt very dizzy for four days after landing—the altitude sickness was quite severe. The travel experience wasn’t great.

When we visited the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties, it was a bit hazy. But seeing city walls and ancient architecture everywhere still made us very happy.

Unfortunately, Xi’an’s subway wasn’t very convenient. We spent a lot on transportation because we had to take taxis everywhere.

This time I signed up for several local group tours. Xi’an’s museums all require a guided explanation, otherwise you simply can’t understand them. In Tibet, it was because the distances are huge.

Our first stop was the Shaanxi History Museum.

We’d only set aside three hours, which was far from enough because there were so many treasures inside.

One exhibition hall displayed items unearthed from two large jars, but the owner of the jars remains a mystery.

Finally, on Sajin Street, I got to eat the long-craved yangrou paomo (lamb soup with bread). It was extremely filling. The lamb slices in Xi’an are thick and fragrant—simply incomparable to Shanghai’s.

On the way there we passed Xi’an Bell Tower.

After resting in the evening, we went to the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever-bright City. We walked around a lot before finally spotting the internet-famous Miss Tumbler, but since we couldn’t queue up, we could only watch from a distance and join the fun. The trees in the Ever-bright City were adorned with many red lanterns, really beautiful.

In the morning, we went to the Terracotta Warriors.

Pit 1 is the main excavated area. The other pits have only been partially dug because they fear current technology might damage unearthed artifacts.

The Terracotta Warriors site is surrounded by rivers and mountains, with truly excellent feng shui.

Then we headed straight to Tibet. The view from the plane was truly stunning.

I specially booked a hotel with oxygen in the room. But when I woke up the next day, my head still ached badly.

Originally, we thought Nyingchi’s lower elevation would make it more comfortable, but in fact the altitude was not that different from Lhasa. On the way, unable to bear it, we bought oxygen tanks—they’re sold everywhere in Tibet.

The scenery along the way was still very nice, but the distances were really far—each scenic spot was far apart.

We arrived in Nyingchi a few days before the Peach Blossom Festival, so we only saw flower buds.

On the first day in Nyingchi, we went to the Basum Lake scenic area.

Under the sunlight, the water glowed green.

Actually, the group also included a hike to Xincuo. But it was very cold and we were still dizzy, so we just took photos and didn’t go deeper.

The best part of this local tour was the food! We had two hotpot meals, absolutely delicious.

Kading Valley has many naturally formed Buddha images.

It took a long drive to reach the snow-capped mountain top.

Locals call it the Sacred Peak, because it’s rarely seen—usually hidden behind clouds.

We didn’t see sunsets or stars these days because it was always cloudy.

But along the road, we kept seeing yaks walking on the highway. Cars could only honk to shoo them away.

Accommodation in Tibet was just so-so. But for beautiful scenery, you have to stay in mountain villages.

After visiting a few viewing platforms, we drove six hours and finally arrived in Lhasa. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel; its basement had an oxygen lounge, and we’d go inhale oxygen every day, which made us feel much better.

We had planned to go to Namtso, but heard it was frozen over and the round trip was too long. So we gave up.

In the morning, the hotel manager told us that Norbulingka was right next door—a Tibetan-style garden with the Dalai Lama’s former office.

We went to inhale oxygen ions.

Later, we changed plans and visited the Potala Palace and Barkhor Street.

Barkhor Street was bustling, filled with devout Buddhists circling the Jokhang Temple over and over. They turned prayer wheels as they walked. Prayer wheels can also be turned by wind or water, so I saw large ones on mountains and in rivers.

The Potala Palace by day and by night.

The driver who took us said that gold is the least valuable thing in the Potala Palace. It’s true. One stupa housing a lama’s remains is made of over three tons of gold and studded with gems.

Travelogue Itinerary 1. Day 1: Fly to Xi’an 2. Day 2: Fly to Tibet 3. Day 3: Lhasa – Nyingchi 4. Day 4: Nyingchi 5. Day 5: Nyingchi – Lhasa Travel Information Hotel Index Guide Index Flight Index Website Navigation Travel Index Cruise Index Corporate Travel Index Franchise Cooperation Distribution Alliance Friendly Links Corporate Gift Card Purchase Insurance Agent Agent Cooperation Hotel Franchise Destination & Scenic Spot Cooperation More Franchise Cooperation About Ctrip Ctrip Hot Topics Contact Us Careers User Agreement Privacy Policy Business License Security Center Ctrip Content Center Intellectual Property Trip.com Group Algorithm Disclosure