Shigatse Travel Guide - Brief Information on Shigatse

Shigatse, referred to also as Xigatse or Rikaze, means "fertile land" and stands at the junction of the Yarlong Tsangpo and Nyangchu River. Shigatse is one of the world's highest cities with an average elevation in the range of 3840 meters (about 12598.4 feet) - 4464 meters (about 14645.7 feet). With its beautiful high plateau scenery, Shigatse is thus a hot spot for Chinese tourism. It used to be the capital of Tsang Region and now is the capital of Shigatse prefecture. With its long history, the city is the traditional seat of the Panchen Lama, one of the two prestigious spiritual leaders in Tibet and the abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery. Thanks to its location, Shigatse has great importance in this area. Only 300 kilometers (about 186 miles) away from the world's highest peak Mt. Everest, 150 kilometers (about 93 miles) away from the Sakya Monastery and situated on the only path to the holy lakes and mountains in Tibet, Shigatse is an important base for people heading to those places.