Hidden Lotus Sanctuary Motuo, an impromptu journey to the secret realm of Tibet
🌟Travel Plan🌟
Embark on a journey to Tibet, and Motuo is an unmissable secret realm! It is recommended to arrange 5-7 days to deeply experience the dual shock of nature and culture. Starting from Lhasa, feel the plateau scenery along the way and reach "the last county in China accessible by road".
🎒Travel Essentials🎒
- Waterproof hiking shoes👟: Motuo is rainy, a good pair of shoes is crucial.
- Warm clothing🧥: The temperature difference on the plateau is large, warm clothing is essential.
- Sunscreen🧴& Sunglasses🕶️: Strong ultraviolet rays, sunscreen is a must.
- Emergency medicines💊: Altitude sickness medicine, band-aids, etc.
🚗About Transportation🚗
From Bomi to Motuo, you need to cross the Galongla Snow Mountain. The road conditions are complex, so it is recommended to charter a car or join a local tour group for safety first. The scenery along the way is stunning, remember to ask the driver to stop at several spots for photos!
🛡️Safe Travel🛡️
- Respect local customs, do not touch religious items casually.
- Be wary of altitude sickness, move slowly, and drink plenty of water.
- Pay attention to landslides during the rainy season, and follow the arrangements of the guide or driver.
🏞️Must-Visit Attractions🏞️
- Guoguo Tang Grand Bend🌊: The magnificent turn of the Yarlung Zangbo River, breathtaking.
- Motuo Hiking Trail👣: Traverse the primeval forest, challenge yourself, and encounter stunning waterfalls.
- Menba Village🏡: Experience unique ethnic customs and taste authentic Menba cuisine.
📸Photo Spots📸
- Galongla Snow Mountain Pass🏔️: Leave your footprints at the top of the snow mountain.
- Primeval Forest Light and Shadow🌳: Capture the interplay of natural light and shadow, every frame is a masterpiece.
🍜Local Delicacies🍜
- Stone Pot Chicken🍲: Cooked in pots made from local stones, the chicken soup is incredibly delicious.
- Tsampa Yogurt🥛: A traditional Menba delicacy, sweet and sour, a perfect palate cleanser.
💡Tips💡
- Book accommodation in advance, it's hard to find a room during peak season.
- Keep your phone charged, signal is intermittent.
- Respect nature, take your trash with you, and protect this pure land.
Come to my homepage to unlock more beautiful secrets and travel tips of Motuo, Tibet!👇
EmilyDonovan95
Challenging the limits, entering Medog, a secret realm on earth, truly as said, the 84th day of the self-driving tour around China
June 6, 2023, the 84th day of the self-driving tour around China, from Ranwu Town in Tibet to Medog County in Tibet, crossing the Galung La Snow Mountain. Medog, the last county in China to be connected by a highway, is also the most mysterious place in Tibet. Due to complex geological conditions, the Medog Highway is difficult to navigate and maintain, plagued by avalanches, landslides, and other natural disasters. Entry into Medog is allowed on even-numbered days, and exit on odd-numbered days.
The Medog Highway has been upgraded to G559, also known as the Zhamog Highway because it starts from Bomê Town. Although it is a national highway, geological disasters occur frequently, making each segment of the journey an adventure. Shortly after leaving Bomê Town, you will come to the Galung La Snow Mountain. The mountain marks the boundary between Medog and Bomê counties and is the confrontation zone between the warm and moist air from the Indian Ocean to the south and the cold air from the Tibetan Plateau to the north, with a highly variable climate that is daunting. The Galung La Glacier is an interweaving of ice and snow, a blend of cold and beauty. The glacier cascades down from the mountain top, forming huge icefalls. Passing through the Galung La Tunnel, you enter a winding downhill road, from the top of the glacier to the valley forest.
The Medog Highway, with its magnificent scenery and challenging terrain, is a fascinating route. The road, like a dragon, winds through rugged gorges and steep mountains. Amidst the mist, green mountains and clear waters appear intermittently, beautiful and mysterious. As the altitude decreases, the scenery of the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon unfolds in its entirety. Ancient trees tower into the sky, and numerous rivers of all sizes cross the road.
The Medog Highway is known for its unique and numerous waterfalls. The falls seem to descend from the sky, flowing straight down the mountainside like silver chains, sparkling in the sunlight, with a grandeur that seems to swallow mountains and rivers. The road is famous for its narrow lanes and many sharp turns, combining scenery with challenge. Perseverance and courage are the most touching footnotes to this road.
The Guoguotang Hairpin Bend is a hallmark of Medog, located in Dexing Township of Medog County. The Yarlung Tsangpo River rushes by here, forming a horseshoe-shaped bend. Like a dragon winding through the high mountain canyons, the bend is majestic. The ninety-degree turn is breathtaking, rivaling the grandeur of the Jinsha River Bend. Overlooking the Guoguotang Hairpin Bend from above can deeply shake one's soul.
The town of Medog County is perched halfway up the mountainside, with layers of green hills, a secluded paradise. You can arrange a visit to the Lotus Pavilion, to encounter the wonders of Medog. You can also climb high for a distant view and meet the most beautiful Yarlung Tsangpo River. At sunset, the mountain peaks are tinged with crimson, a blurry and ever-changing spectacle, indescribably magnificent. Finally, in the night, watch the town of Medog County reflected in the lake, intoxicated amidst the colorful lights.
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Is Motuo, recommended by Hu Ge, really worth visiting?
It was once the only county in China that required a ticket for entry, and it is also the last county in China to have roads built to it—Tibet's Motuo🏞️
How to get to Motuo?
🚗Self-driving: The current route to Motuo is the Zhamo Highway, but the road is not open to traffic after 8 p.m., and Motuo implements a system where you can only leave on odd-numbered days and enter on even-numbered days.
🚌Bus: Currently, there is only one bus route from Nyingchi to Motuo, which you can take from Bayi Town in Nyingchi (departs at 8 a.m.)
⚠️Attention:
✔️You need a border pass to enter Motuo, as well as an ID card, otherwise you cannot enter
⏰Best time to travel: April to May and September to November each year
About Motuo
Motuo, which means 'flower' in Tibetan, is a county under the jurisdiction of Nyingchi City in the Tibet Autonomous Region, and it is the only county in China that hangs on the southern slope of the Himalayas. For a time, there was a fee to enter, but since March 16, 2023, Motuo has announced the cancellation of the entrance fee.
🔥Must-visit attractions
Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon
The world's largest canyon, with dense rivers and lakes, marshes, snow-capped mountains, and glaciers, offers many magnificent and strange sights. Every year from March to April, the banks of the canyon are filled with dense wild peach forests, and from above, you can see the endless torrent of the river and the peach blossoms🌸, which is incredibly beautiful.
Guguotang Big Bend
This is a landmark of the Yarlung Zangbo River, and because it looks like a lollipop from above, it has this cute name. From the viewing platform, you can see the banana groves and the Yarlung Zangbo River, with very picturesque scenery.
Galongla Snow Mountain
Known as the 'sacred mountain,' its majestic peaks and snow-covered summit are breathtaking.🏔 There is also a Galongla Heavenly Pond on the snow mountain, like a pearl set at an altitude of 4700 meters, very clear. The Galong Temple near the Galongla Tunnel is also worth a visit.
Namjagbarwa Peak
With its steep peak shape, sharp mountain tips, and huge, sharp triangular peak body soaring into the clouds, it is awe-inspiring.
Mirage Viewing Platform
Here you can witness the sunrise over the Yarlung Zangbo River🌅, view the sea of clouds in Motuo, enjoy the mist over the Yarlung Zangbo River, and take in the panoramic view of Motuo County.
Gelin Village
Motuo's popular village, a must-visit! It's like spring all year round here, as if it's a 'Shangri-La' hidden deep in the canyon. Not only is it the best angle to view Namjagbarwa Peak, but it also has China's tallest Bhutan pine, a must-visit spot.
When you arrive in Motuo, you can't help but exclaim: 'There are such beautiful places in this world!'😍
LEVI MAXWELL
Galongla | I was shocked before even reaching Motuo
🔵 Galongla is the essential path from Bomi to Motuo.
🔵 On the way there, it was an overcast day, the road was narrow and rugged, shrouded in clouds and fog, with the snow gleaming white (pictures 2~4). Upon reaching the Galongla Pass, the view suddenly opened up (picture 5 landscape), and all the companions in the car were shocked into exclaiming 'Wow~' 😲. The sky and cosmos were wrapped in white, creating a small universe. The unique light and shadow rendered the atmosphere here solemn and serious, as if entering another planet, much like the North in 'Game of Thrones', where the White Walkers roam.
🔵 This is the gate to Motuo. If you don't go to Motuo, you can return the same way to Bomi. Once you pass through the Galongla Tunnel, it's one-way traffic only (Motuo Road implements a system of dual entry and single exit, meaning vehicles with even-numbered plates are only allowed to travel from Bomi to Motuo, and those with odd-numbered plates from Motuo to Bomi).
🔵 The snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and temples here are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression, whether or not you visit Motuo, you will feel the trip was worthwhile.
🔵 On the return trip, it was a sunny day. After exiting the Galongla Tunnel, we stopped the car in front of Galong Temple and played in the snow to our heart's content. At the same location, we experienced different sceneries under two types of weather, each one stunningly beautiful.
🎫 Ticket: None
🥣🏨 Food and Accommodation: None, need to be arranged in Bomi County
🚙 Transportation: It is recommended to charter a car or drive yourself, preferably a four-wheel-drive SUV, two-wheel-drive vehicles need to be equipped with anti-skid chains
ALEXANDER BROCK
I have finally arrived at the place I've dreamt of for so long! This is Motuo!
By chance, I came to Motuo. Motuo is the last county in China to be connected by a highway, with an altitude difference of over 7000 meters, and is extremely rich in natural resources. It is often said that 'There is only one Motuo in the world, and Motuo has the whole world'.
To get to Motuo, one must travel through the Motuo Highway. Near the Galongla Tunnel on the road, it is still covered with snow and ice, a vast expanse of white. But once you cross over the Galongla Mountain, a lush greenery awaits, a completely different new world. The vegetation is rich, the rivers are rushing, and it feels more like being in the mountains of the south. I even saw banana trees on the road, which I found quite magical.
I originally thought that the county town of Motuo would be quite old-fashioned, but the reality is completely different. The county is full of shops, brightly lit, bustling and lively, no different from any other city. Whether it's accommodation or dining, you can be satisfied.
The surprises that Motuo brought me did not stop there. Here, I saw the great bend of the Yarlung Zangbo River from my childhood textbooks—the Guoguotang Great Bend. When the textbook images entered reality, I deeply understood the saying 'Reading thousands of books is like traveling thousands of miles'.
I was in a hurry and did not take many photos. Except for the last one of the Guoguotang Great Bend, the rest of the photos were taken near the tourist center. It's okay, Motuo, we'll meet again next time!