YU-LING

After spending two days in Lhasa and giving our bodies time to adjust to the high-altitude environment, we set off southward to begin our journey through Shannan and Shigatse. Located south of Lhasa, Shannan borders Nyingchi to the east, Shigatse to the west, and Bhutan and India to the south. Often regarded as the cradle of Tibetan civilization, it is home to many "firsts" in Tibet, including Tibet's first palace, Yumbulakang Palace; its first monastery, Samye Monastery; and Yamdrok Lake, one of Tibet's three sacred lakes.

Tibet has always been near the top of my travel bucket list. During a trip to Nepal two years ago, I visited a Tibetan refugee settlement in Pokhara, where I had the opportunity to meet and talk with Tibetans living in exile. That experience deepened my desire to one day set foot in Tibet. This year, I finally fulfilled one of my long-held dreams.

In the cosmology of Tibetan Buddhism, Hinduism, Jainism, and Bon, there is only one mountain regarded as the center of the world: Mount Kailash, located in the Ngari region of western Tibet.

For travelers from Taiwan, there are two ways to enter Tibet: by plane or by train. I had heard that the scenery between Xining and Lhasa is breathtaking, so for this trip to Tibet and Mount Kailash, I decided to “enter Tibet by train and leave by plane.” I’ve put together seven practical tips about taking the Qinghai–Tibet Railway for anyone planning a trip to Tibet: