Destination even more enticing than Samye

There are many ways to reach Samye Monastery, Tibet's first Buddhist monastery that dates back to the 8th century. In the past, pious pilgrims would start from Ganden Monastery in Lhasa and climb the mountains for three days to reach the sacred site in Chanang county, Shannan prefecture.

When a bridge was built in 1995 in the town of Zetang across the Yarlung Tsangpo River, visitors could reach the monastery by taking buses from Lhasa or Zetang. To devoted pilgrims, though, completing the trip in a few hours was akin to seeking instant gratification.

Many travelers favor crossing the river by ferry from a port along the Lhasa-Shannan road. Nowhere else is the Buddhist metaphor "sailing from this shore to the yonder shore" more appropriate.