Nangchen

Nangchen is actually a county and although the town is called Nangchen on some maps and by minibus drivers the town's actual name is Shorda or Sharnda in Tibetan.

The town itself is not really interesting although there are some nice monasteries near the edge of town away from the Mekong river. And on top of a hill I found a monastery that I found on Google Earth when researching my trip. Actually two, one was clearly unfinished on Google Earth but recognizable by its shape. As in Zadoi some people have made a good deal of money of the Caterpillar fungus trade.

Surmang Namgyaltse Monastery in Modrong

This large monastery is rebuild recently and houses over 500 monks. The main building is a very nice piece of architecture, with its cascading roofs. Reaching the town of Modrong takes a serious drive over unpaved roads.

Gaden monastery

About 10 kilometers east past Modrong is the Gaden Monastery. It is on the top of a small mountain in a hairpin bend of the Dzi River, a tributary of the Mekong. From a hill on the opposite side of the river there is a nice panoramic view.

Gar Monastery

The Gar monastery lies in the southeast of Nangchen county. The monastery houses several hundred monks. This monastery is divided in a lower and an upper part. The upper part is the most lively. The location of the upper part is quite spectacular seen from below. But you can quite easily drive up. The upper part has a prayer hall, some rooms where very old and revered monks live and a room where local people can buy special prayers. The view over the county from the upper monastery is quite special as is the drive from Nangchen, that goes through rural areas with small villages and Nomads, past herds of Yaks and narrow mountain roads.