Zanda County is especially attractive for nursing the Guge Kingdom ruins within its boundaries. However, I was more impressed by the expanse of the mesas that stretched for tens of kilometers en route. The clay forest formed as part of massive geological events that gave rise to the Himalayas; what once was the bottom of a lake was pushed skyward and mesas formed over time through exposure and erosion. Driving through this forest felt like passing through the hands and feet of many giants.

An ancient, powerful kingdom with more than 1,000 years of history, the Guge Kingdom was built on one of the mesas. Records suggest that it was established by a descendent of the king of the Tubo Kingdom. During its zenith its influence reached every corner of Ngari, not only carrying on the Tubo royal lineage, but also reestablishing an environment for Buddhism to reach the zenith of its expansion.

The ruins of the kingdom extend for about 300 meters from the base to the peak, with some 600-odd houses, pagodas and caves spread densely across the surface of the whole mountain. While standing at the king's palace hall on the hilltop and taking it all in, it was really difficult to imagine how people built such a huge complex more than 1,000 years ago. What did they eat? How did they keep out the cold and fend off diseases at such a high altitude? How did they spend their days in such small caves on the hill-side? Did those female figures in silks and satins depicted in the rock paintings really exist? How did they make their gorgeous dresses? What kind of life had they led to form such graceful and elegant mannerisms? Later I consulted an expert who had been engaged in archaeological studies on the Guge Kingdom for many years. He told me that during the kingdom's prosperous times, many merchants from Nepal, India and China's hinterlands recognized Guge as an important trade zone, bringing various goods such as cloth and grains to the kingdom. However, it was suddenly and completely destroyed by wars.

Appreciating Nature in Rutog

Rutog County is the home of famous Pangong Lake. Long and narrow, just like the long neck of a swan winding among the mountains, its name in fact means "a long-necked swan" in the Tibetan language. Situated between the Karakorum Mountains and the Gangdise Mountains, the lake extends from Rutog County in the east to India's Kashmir in the west. What is amazing is that the part of the lake in China is a freshwater lake abundant in fish and shrimp and an important breeding ground for a variety of birds, but the part in India contains brackish water where only shrimp survive.

Pangong Lake is a paradise for birds. There are countless seagulls, wild ducks and other species of birds either hunting for food near, or playing on, the water. The interesting thing is that they are not afraid of humans at all; only when visitors get as close as one meter away do they slowly take wing. The lake teems with a kind of scale-less carp and it is also home for some other precious species of fish currently under national protection.

The cliff paintings are another major attraction in Rutog; they are mainly found in an area within 200 to 300 square kilometers east and south of Pangong Lake. An archeological expert in rock art told me that the images in Rutog are on a large scale and of high artistic value. The images, engraved with sharp tools and featuring strong but unsophisticated lines, bold figures and simple, bright colors, mainly reflect daily life on the plateau in ancient times, including hunting, sacrificial rites, herding, farming, dancing and fighting.

Wandering on the streets of Rutog Town, seat of Rutog County, I felt the same tranquility as I felt in other towns of Ngari. In the open air of the roadside were rows of billiard tables. Traditional yak-head trophies loom over the front doors of every household while ceramic tiled floors show the domestic adoption of modern conveniences. Telecom and bank buildings are the most imposing structures in the town, but at the gate of a large modern bank, I saw a local herder tie his horse to a tree before heading inside. The charm of these borderlands is both geographical and social.

WANG YING is a travel lover, photographer and freelance writer.