Shangri-La

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Throughout Tibet, yak butter preparation is a daily chore. Even with modern conveniences like television, the yak butter is s...
Silhouetted against an early morning sunrise, a Nomad encampment is situated along route 109, near the sacred Namtso Lake.
The white canvas tents provided by the Chinese government are increasingly preferred to the traditional black yak-hair tents ...
Tibetans call these multi-colored flags "wing horses." They are hung to protect travelers crossing through the often-treacher...
The dri (female yaks) still need milking, despite an early snow, and the job falls to the woman of the tent.
Nomad camp at Heitushan Pass, 4450m. Heavy snow today makes collecting yartsa gompo impossible. Everyone sleeps in except for...
White canvas tents are brighter and drier than traditional yak-hair tents. Though sparsely furnished, there is always an alta...
The dri (female yaks) still need milking, despite an early snow, and the job falls to the woman of the tent.
Tibetans are never without their tea and drink an average of 40 cups a day. Ten-year-old Tsering Dolna, slathered a lotion to...
Keen eyesight and patience are required to spot the well-camouflaged Yartsa Gombu, which protrudes only a half-inch above the...
Replacing herding as a livelihood for nomads, harvesting Yartsa Gombu involves the entire family. Using handmade spades and t...
Motorcycles, purchased with the profits from Yartsa Gombu sales, are replacing horses for families like the Tuptens, who are ...
A motorcycle built for two does double the duty for these nomads on the trail of the Yartsa Gombu, which translated literally...
Nomads gather in Serxu, the world's highest town at 13,600 ft (4,150 m) to clean and display their wares, their trusty Tibeta...
Like ladies at an old fashioned quilting bee, workers begin the task of cleaning the mushrooms brought in by nomad traders to...
Muslim uighurs control the mushroom trade, employing women are like these their millinery finery, to sort, clean and dry the ...
Zaduo, the end of the road, On Mekong River, the staging town for expeditions headed further west to the sources of Asia'c gr...
Carrying virtual fortunes in plastic bags, these traders angle for he best prices for their yartsa gombu from uighur dealers....
Fresh from foraging for yartsa gombu on the grasslands, t his nomad shows some prime specimens to traders.
Local market selling Yartsa gompo, Mostly Tibetan nomad traders.
A hundred years ago, Tibetan horses would have been tied up in front of these storefronts in Serxu, but today, the motorcycle...
Gandze town pics.
Devout pilgrims proceed at a snail's pace performing the Chak Tsal, the Tibetan name for ritual prostration. Their journey fr...
A lone horse grazes on land near the mountain pass west of the nomad town of Manigango, where the Tea Horse Road split into i...
A Mani Prayer stone sits on the shore of Lhamo Latso, a lake sacred to Tibetans, at the foot of the Trola Mountain Range.
Summer means time for the annual bath for these young monks soaking in the Rombatsa Hot Springs. Due to the harsh climate, mo...
Once a common sight, it is now rare to see herds of Tibetan horses on the grasslands of the plateau.
There are still those who transport their goods the old fashioned way, like this woman toting brick tea from the market in Ro...
A woman adds her prayers to the growing mountain of more than a billion mani stones at Gyanamani Temple, in Yushu, an area ro...
A woman adds her prayers to the growing mountain of more than a billion mani stones at Gyanamani Temple, in Yushu, an area ro...
These men show that one needn't be standing to receive the benefits and good karma of a clockwise turn of a prayer wheel.
Prayer flags inscribed with Buddhist sutra (prayers) frame Namtso Lake in primary colors, representing the five basic elements.
Summer sun turns the sloping mountains above Namtso Lake a golden hue. The vast tracts of grazing land nearby make Namtso, th...
With trucks and motorcycles taking over the jobs of herding and transport, Tibetan cowboys like these in Chiusang, an hour la...
Nakchu, at the crossroads of route 317 and the Qinghai-Lhasa Highway, holds one of the largest horse festivals in Tibet. Doub...
Vermillion-colored balloons announce that the equine festivities are about to begin.
Tibetan cowboys in their long coats called chubas and stetson hats wait their turn to show off their horsemanship.
Young women in typically colorful Tibetan costumes primp before their upcoming traditional dance performance at the festival.
Chamadao, Route 317, Nakchu Horse Festival, Biggest ever we are told. Last year's was cancelled due to Tibet's uprising. Nakc...
Young women in typically colorful Tibetan costumes primp before their upcoming traditional dance performance at the festival.
Chamadao, Route 317, Nakchu Horse Festival, Biggest ever we are told. Last year's was cancelled due to Tibet's uprising. Nakc...
A young girl's finery comes out for the festival, from red fox fur hat to layers of ornate jewelry.
A cowboy's one wardrobe essential is his western-style felt hat.
Every part of Tibetan's traditional costume, from colorful robes to fur hats to necklaces and earrings, carry centuries of me...
Not to be outdone by the ladies, these men wear heirloom costumes made with leopard and tiger skins and red fox fur hats.
They're off for the main event: Boy jockeys on surefooted mounts tear away from the starting line at breakneck speed.
Kawagebo, the highest peak in Yunnan, lords over the mist-shrouded Meili Snow Mountains around it, looming as a symbol of Sha...
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang captured the passions of legendary explorer Joseph Rock, whose work inspired James Hilto...
Benzilan Village lies along the banks of the Yangtze River. Not far from here is the first major bend in the Yangtze, where i...
Benzilan Village lies along the banks of the Yangtze River. Not far from here is the first major bend in the Yangtze, where i...