Shannan

Cradle of Tibetan civilisation, birthplace of its first kings

Shannan (also called Lhoka) sits along the Yarlung Valley southeast of Lhasa, traditionally regarded as the birthplace of Tibetan civilisation. It holds Yumbulagang, Tibet's first palace, and Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, together the founding sites of both Tibet as a state and Tibetan Buddhism as an institution. The Yarlung Valley's fertile farmland made it one of the earliest settled parts of the plateau, long before Lhasa grew into the capital, and the prefecture still farms barley and wheat across the valley floor today. Most of Shannan's key sites sit within a day's drive of Lhasa, making it one of the more accessible parts of Tibet to explore in depth.

Curated Experiences

Journeys designed to show Shannan at its best.

Points of Interest

3 places

Culture

People & Culture

Shannan holds two of Tibet's most historically significant sites: Yumbulagang, traditionally regarded as Tibet's first palace and linked to the legendary first king of Tibet, and Samye Monastery, the first Buddhist monastery built in Tibet, laid out as a three-dimensional mandala in the 8th century. Between them, they cover both the founding of Tibet as a state and the founding of Tibetan Buddhism as an institution.

Nature

Nature & Wildlife

Shannan (also called Lhoka) sits along the Yarlung Tsangpo and Yarlung valleys southeast of Lhasa, bordering Bhutan and India along the Himalayan range. The Yarlung Valley specifically is considered the cradle of Tibetan civilisation, the place where organised Tibetan society is traditionally said to have begun.

Activities

Things to Do

Yumbulagang and Samye Monastery are Shannan's core sites, both reachable as a day trip from Lhasa. Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's three holiest lakes, also sits within Shannan Prefecture near its border with Lhasa, usually visited on the drive between Lhasa and Gyantse, a route covered on HSJ's Nepal and Tibet Overland Tour.