The Snowland

A sacred mountain recognized by several civilizations, drawing pilgrims from thousands of miles away to circle its slopes.

Holy ground in the eyes of four civilizations; the pilgrimage circuit is an act of faith, not a summit bid.

A sacred range no one has ever summited; one instant of sunrise gilding its peaks is enough to shake the soul.

First among the eight sacred mountains of Tibet, kept wild and holy.

The king of the Shu mountains, rising sheer from the plain — its immense vertical drop is overwhelming.

The main peak of the Hengduan range, a colossal snow mountain hoisted straight from lowland plains.

The shy peak in the clouds, veiled in mist most of the year; glimpsing it whole takes extraordinary luck.

Among the most beautiful snow mountains in China, hidden in cloud for most of its days.

Father of Ice Mountains, mirrored in the lakes at its feet — the romance of the Pamirs.

The Father of Ice Mountains and Lake Karakul, a mountain-and-lake pairing unique on the plateau.

The palace above Red Hill: a thousand years of faith settling into the spiritual landmark of the Tibetan plateau.

A red-and-white palace rising along the Red Hill to a height of 117 metres, once the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. Begun by Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century as a witness to the marriage alliance between Tibet and Tang China, it is the highest great ancient palace in the world.

The palace of faith on the Roof of the World, an emblem of Tibetan civilization.

Three sacred mountains guard this pure land, where Milk Lake and Five-Color Lake lie quietly on the plateau.

The last pure land of the blue planet: three holy peaks sharing the plateau with alpine lakes.