Mt Kailash has been deemed a holy mountain by different peoples for over 3000 years. In Tibetan, the mountain’s name is Kang Rinpoche, meaning “precious snow jewel”. To Hindus, the mountain is worshipped as the home of Shiva, the Destroyer and Transformer. The Bonpo religion in Tibet is also said to have originated here when the founder of the religion came down from heaven at this spot. Each year, countless pilgrims from India, Nepal and Bhutan as well as those from around Tibetan areas come here to pay homage to the mountain, making this one of the most important religious mountains in Tibet.

On the south face of the mountain, there is a vertical cleft and a horizontal rock shelf that forms a Buddhist swastika symbol, which is holy to both the Buddhist and Banbo religions. The Benbo relgion is a native Tibetan religion based heavily on belief in magic and demons.

The four rivers flowing from the mountain each are said to grant supernatural powers when inbibed. The Indus runs towards the north (inbibing will confer the courage of a lion). The Ganges flows toward the south and grants the beauty of a peacock. The Brahmaputra flows towards the east and grants the speed of a horse. Lastly, the Sutlej runs to the west and confers the strength of an elephant. We, of course, don’t recommend you believe these legends as the reality could be a case of the “runs” (diaorrhea).

Many Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims circumbulate the mountain as one of the holiest acts of their religion. This strenuous and difficult hike (known as a kora) takes around three days and requires you to take your own supplies, including food, bedding, stove, fuel, and clothing. The kora starts in Darchen, a good place to get supplies. The walk has stops at two monasteries, the Drirapuk and the Zutrulpuk, along the path. Be careful of temperature differences on the mountain. It can get cold on the mountain slopes, even on a summer’s day. Be prepared with sufficient warm clothing.

How to get there: If you don’t have hired transport from Lhasa, the best way to get there is hitchhike all the way to Dacheng. From Shiquanhe you can try and take a truck for the 330 KM trip. If the trucks don’t go to Dacheng, then you can get off at the Bage check point, 7KM south of Dacheng, and walk to Dacheng. Dacheng is the last stop to stock up on supplies and hire a few porters and yaks before trekking to the holy mountain.

Accommodation: The only options are the Gangdishi Hotel( RMB25 a night) and the Holy Mountain Guesthouse( RMB25-100).