Xigaze

One of the most colorful areas in Tibet with spreading grassland, rich bottomland, subtropical forests and glacial plateau, etc. There’re five peaks which are over 8,000 meters above sea level, in this county, so famous for mountain climbing.

Thousands of travelers, most of them are experienced climbers, come from every corner of the world to see and climb these beautiful mountains per year.

Xigaze is also a city with long history and flourishing culture, it’s the seat of the Panchan Lama. Just as in other counties, there’re many religious seats, some of them here are Baiju Monastery, Zhaxi Lhunbo Monastery, Xialu Monastery, Sakya Monastery. “Xiga” means manor in Tibetan, once there was a palace, which was called Potala.

It was the second one built on the Jiong Mountain where the center of the manor. It’s said that when the seignior of Xigaze heard Potala Palace was quite grand, he decided to build a similar palace immediately. But there was no blueprint of the Potala palace.

A craftsman, after visiting the palace, made a model of it with a big radish. Subsequently, a palace was built using the radish as the model. The result did not seem as grand as the Potala Palace. The radish had dried out and shrunk after the long journey and the palace built using it as a model, was a great disappointment. It’s just a joke, but the ruins of the palace are still there today.