Tsetang (3550m), 189km south-east of Lhasa, is the second largest town in the U region and the third largest in Tibet. It is the capital of Shannan Prefecture and an important administrative center. For travelers Tsetang is of interest mainly as a jumping board for exploration of the Yarlung valley area.

1. Samye Monastery
It is the first monastery ever built in Tibet. It was founded by the Tibetan King Trisiong Desen and belongs to the Nyingmapa and Skayapa sects. The construction consists of three styles, namely the Chinese Han, the Tibetan and the Indian. It is said that the monastery was destroyed by fire and was rebuilt three hundred years as the residence of the 6th Dalai Lama. Finally it was completed by Rating Rimpoche.

2.Gangpo Ri (4130m) is a mountain of special significance for Tibetans a it is the legendary birthplace of the Tibetan people (see the boxed text ¡°mythology of the Yarlung Valley ¡® ) The Gangpo Ri Monkey Cave where the monkey meditated can be visited near the summit of the mountain. The walk there and back will take close to a full day. Yarlung Valley is considered the cradle of Tibetan civilization and it was from Yarlung that the early Tibetan kings unified Tibet in the 7th century. The massive burial mounds of these kings can be seen in Chongye. Yumbulagang, another major attraction of the area, is perched on a crag like a medieval European castle and is considered the oldest building in Tibet.

3. Yumbulagang
This fine, tapering finger of a structure that sprouts from a craggy ridge overlooking the patch work fields of the Yarlung valley is reputed to be the oldest building in Tibet. At least that is the claim for the original structure. Most of what can be seen today dates from 1982.It is still a remarkably impressive sight, and should not be missed. The founding of Yumbulagang stretches back to a time of legend :myths converge on the structure bewildering profusion. The standard line is that it was built to accommodate King Nyentri Tsenpo, a likely historical figure who has since been swallowed up by the mythology of Tibet,

4. Trandruk Monastery Around 7km south of the Tsetang Hotel, Trandruk is one of the earliest Buddhist monasteries in Tibet, having been founded at the same time as the Jokhang and Ramoche in Lhasa. Dating back to the 7th century reign of Songtsen Gampo, it is one of the Demoness Subduing temples of Tibet. King Songtsen Gampo¡¯s Chinese wife,Princess Wencheng, divined the presence of a subterranean demoness in Tibet. only by pinning this demoness down, it was felt, could the Buddhist faith take root in the high plateau. The location of Trandruk ¨Cwhich is one of 12such subduing temples that ring the Jokhang in concentric circles like a mandala¡corresponds to the demoness¡¯s left shoulder.