Racheltu's blog

Thousands of people travel to Tibet every year to experience the unique culture and visit some of the highest, most remote areas of the world. However，If you want to experience an authentic Tibetan lifestyle, please don’t just visit some attractions in a hurry. Try to as a Tibetan local, Eat the Tibetan food, drink the butter tea. Do you know, what Tibetan cuisine that you can’t miss when you visit Tibet?
Due to the Tibetan landscape of mountains and plateaus and the difficulty of growing vegetables, and includes influences from neighbors who live in India and Nepal, In Tibet most important crop is barley. Tibetan cuisine includes culinary traditions have their own special charm. Among the variety of Tibetan cuisine, noodles, goat, yak, mutton, dumplings, cheese, and soups are the most famous.
 
1.Tibetan Noodle
 
Due to the difficulty of growing vegetables, Flour milled from roasted barley, called tsampa, is all the staple food of Tibet. So, Tibetan noodle is the most important food for the Tibetan. It one of the favorite foods of Tibetans. Of which Thukpa back is a common Tibetan noodle soup made with little bhasta noodles.
 
2.Tibetan Yogurt
 
Tibetan yak yogurt has a history of thousands of years as an indispensable food and offering to Tibetan people. The biggest Tibet festival, Shoton Festival, is named after yogurt. If you are planning a Tibet tour, it is worth a try during your Tibet trip.
 
3.Butter tea
 
Butter tea probably originated in the Himalayan region between Greater Tibet and the Indian subcontinent .it is usually made from tea leaves, yak butter, water, and salt. Drinking butter tea is a regular part of Tibetan life. drink a couple of butter tea, you will experience an authentic Tibetan.
4.Highland Barley Wine(Chang)
Highland barley liquor, called “qiang” in Tibetan, is made from highland barley, the main grain produced on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. It is the most popular wine of the Qinghai-Tibet people. It is an essential drink for celebrating the festival, getting married, having children, and greeting friends or relatives.
The highland barley wine is fragrant and mellow, sweet and clear. The original barley wine had no complicated process. In Tibetan areas, almost every family can make it. Later, the brewing technology of barley wine was gradually improved. Over the past 1,300 years, the Tibetan wine culture, with barley wine as the carrier, is well known at home and abroad for its unique charm and stands out among the hundred gardens of liquor culture in China and the world at large.

MORE ABOUT Tibet travel info：Xining to Lhasa train

Tibet located on a massive plateau and owns countless natural and cultural sites. To have a Tibetan vacation, you can’t miss the must-see sites is the Tibetan buddhist monastery.

While some stories depict Buddhism in Tibet before this period, the religion was formally introduced to Tibet during the Tibetan Empire (7th-9th century CE). Tibetan Buddhism has a long history. If you want to know the true Tibet, you must learn Tibetan Buddhism. The Tibet temple is the best place to understand Tibet.

Among the many Tibetan temples, I recommended the three temples I have been to.

 Jokhang Temple

Jokhang Temple is located at Barkhor Square in Lhasa, and It is known to that it’s recognized as the holiest temple in Tibet.

The first floor of the Buddha hall was built in Tang Dynasty, you can find bricks, carvings, frames, and columns which was made during the 7th century. This temple houses a precious statue of Sakyamuni at the age of 12, which is recognized as the holiest item in Tibet. This holy statue was brought by Princess Wencheng from the Tang Dynasty, and no it’s enshrined in the main hall of Jokhang Temple.

The most attractive feature of Jokhang Temple is its golden roof. For photographers, the best time to shoot this temple is in the morning, when the golden roof will shine under sunlight.

Drepung Monastery

Stands in the western suburb of Lhasa, Drepung Monastery is the largest monastery in Tibet. Along with "Sera Monastery" and “Ganden Monastery”, they are also famous as the “three greatest Gelug monasteries of Tibet”.

This large monastery covers an area of about 200,000 square meters and houses 10,000 monks during its peak period. It was built in 1416, and plays a role as not only a monastery but also a college.

During Shoton Festival, which will be celebrated on July 1st of the Tibetan calendar, thousands of people come to Drepung Monastery to worship a giant thangka of Buddha. It’s also the best time for travelers to visit Drepung Monastery.

 Sera Monastery

Sera Monastery is a famous monastery located in the northern suburb of Lhasa. Its name, “Sera”, means “wild rose” in Tibetan literally. The legend goes that when this monastery was built, wild roses were blooming on the hill behind it. Also been founded by Jamchen Chojey, it’s another famous Gelug monastery and houses precious collection of relics. In this monastery, you can enjoy sutras, Thangkas, paintings, and statues.

Sera Monastery is also famous for Buddhism debate. You’re suggested to visit it in the afternoon from Monday to Friday since monks in traditional red robes will debate about Buddhism in the courtyard during that period. Don’t miss it.

Norbulingka

Norbulingka Palace is situated in the west of Lhasa, a short distance to the southwest of Potala Palace. Norbulingka covers an area of around 36 hectares (89 acres) and is considered to be the largest man-made garden in Tibet.

With 374 rooms, the main parts of the entire Norbulingka complex are Kelsang Phodrong, Golden Linka, and Takten Migyur Phodrong. Walking into the flower garden, the plants are so luxuriant that the buildings seem to be covered by tall trees. Walking along the flagstone path, you can enjoy the tranquility around you, which is really hard to see in Tibet, especially in such a high altitude area.