Nagqu prefecture also spelled Nakchu (那曲地区; Tibetan: ནག་ཆུ།, Nàqū Dìqū) is in northern Tibet. Most travelers just pass through on the bus from Golmud to Lhasa.

Cities

• 1 Nagqu Town — The prefecture capital of the same name. Has little of interest to the tourist, other than practicalities like restaurants, shops and a few internet cafes.

Understand

Climate

Nagqu has relatively warm, humid summers and long, bitterly cold, dry, windy winters. The differences between day and night are severe. It is not uncommon to have nights with temperatures below freezing after days with temperatures of 25 °C (77 °F) or days with temperatures above freezing in winter after night temperatures of −25 °C (−13 °F).

Get in

The main lines of communication includes the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the National Highway G 109, the Nagqu–Chamdo (那曲-昌都公路), and the Nagqu–Shiquanhe (那曲-狮泉河公路) highways. Nagqu Town is 330 km (210 mi) by the National Highway G 109 northeast of Lhasa.

See

• 1 Namtso Lake (Chinese: 纳木错; pinyin: Nàmù Cuò; Tibetan: གནམ་མཚོ). The second largest salt lake in Tibet.  
• In Baingoin County, the Qiduo Cave Paintings are significant, with one cave containing over 200 images of animals, characters and symbols.

Monasteries

• Shodain Monastery (also known as "Shodain Yarba" or "Shadain"), with around 350 lamas, is one of the most significant Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Nagqu. It is governed by Sera Monastery in Lhasa. The monastery was established in 1884 by the Nyingma sect before it was transferred to the Geru sect. The 13th Dalai Lama lived at the monastery for over a month in 1908 during his return journey from Beijing. He inaugurated the Grand Summons Ceremony to be held annually on January 4 in the Tibetan calendar. The Changmo dance, also known as Je Changmo or Jusong Changmo Qin (Changmo means dance or hop, is common practice at Shodain during August. The middle roof of the monastery contains a golden law wheel surrounded by two golden sheep, alikened to that of Jokhang Monastery in Lhasa.
• Tsanden Monastery (also Zanden or Sanden) in Sog County was built in 1668 under the orders of Drepung Monastery. It covers an area of 25,975 m². With its white palace and red palace, it resembles the Potala Palace from a distance. The monastery contains numerous statues of Buddhas, murals, scriptures and works of art.
• Badan Bonner temple, founded by Shichong Garmahan, is in the village of Sechang Village in Sog County, and contains an oratory and traditional Tibetan bleaching room.
• Zhajun Monastery in the southeast of Baingoin County contains a scripture hall, Buddha hall and Sengshe and is dedicated primarily to Shakyamuni.

Do

• Every August, Nagqu hosts the Kyagqen Horse Race, a major event locally attracting tens of thousands of herdsmen to participate in horseracing and archery contests. They set up camp in tents in the southern part of Nagqu Town and participate in horse racing, horsemanship and archery contests on August 10. Hats, mostly made from lamb skins and artificial leather and an "antenna-like stripe of fabric at the top" are worn by women during the festival.
• 1 Siling Co National Nature Reserve (also Selincuo Reserve or Xainza Nature Reserve, Chinese: 色林错; pinyin: Sèlín cuò; Tibetan: སེར་གླིང་མཚོ). A 400,000-hectare reserve around Siling Lake with significant populations of black-necked cranes and some 120 species of birds in total.  
• The Yalong Scenic Area, covers an area of 1,580 km² (610 sq mi) in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River in the vicinity of Zedang Town.