Entry & permits for Tibet (Xizang)
Foreign tourists need Tibet entry approval, commonly called a Tibet Travel Permit, and an organised visit arranged through a specialist travel agency in China. Confirm your approved route before booking transport. Requirements differ for Taiwan residents and for travellers using mainland or Hong Kong/Macao Chinese resident documents; check the document guide before you book.
Check the travel-document requirements →Policy scope verified: 2026-09-06. UK FCDO: China regional travel advice ↗ State Council Taiwan Affairs Office: Tibet entry approval ↗ Xizang Department of Culture and Tourism: Medog border permit notice ↗
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Explore the region
About Xiuba Ancient Towers
Their faceted construction is unusually distinctive: the outside has twelve sides and ridges, while the hollow interior is eight-sided. The former timber floor divisions are damaged, so the strongest visit examines the towers from their authorised exterior route. Their origins are explained through several local traditions, but the stonework itself offers firmer evidence than attaching a precise legendary date or purpose to every structure.
What to look for
- The five-tower group and its twelve-sided external profiles.
- Hollow eight-sided interiors and ruined surrounding walls, observed only from areas where access is allowed.
The surrounding area
Eastern valleys, lakes and canyon scenery around Basum Tso and the Yarlung Zangbo.
Location & getting there
Getting to Xiuba Ancient Towers
Approach Xiuba village (秀巴村), Bahe Town, Gongbo Gyamda County, from the G318 corridor west of Bayi. Use Xiuba Ancient Towers as the specific road destination.
- The official visitor guide notes broken wooden floor divisions inside the towers. Keep to the managed ground-level route and do not assume internal climbing is possible.
Combine your visit
Suggested order for this visit:
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Surviving tower group
Compare the towers' faceted outlines and stone construction.
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Surrounding wall and building remains
Understand the towers as part of a wider settlement rather than isolated monuments.
This is an editorial sequence based on the features described in the sources. Confirm access locally; no walking time, shared admission or guaranteed interior access is implied.
Find Xiuba Ancient Towers
秀巴古堡 · 林芝
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Basum Tso 巴松措
30 km awayBasum Tso occupies a glacially shaped valley in Gongbo’gyamda, with green water enclosed by forested mountains. The small Tashi Island near the southwestern shore holds Tsodzong Monastery, giving the lake a distinct religious…
View guide →Kading Valley Wishing Pond 卡定沟许愿池
45 km awayThe Wishing Pond is a named stop within Kading Gorge, a forested valley near the Niyang River west of Bayi. The broader visit is defined by Tianfo Waterfall and Qianfo Cliff, whose natural rock shapes are interpreted as Buddhist…
View guide →Nyingchi 林芝
66 km awayNyingchi's urban base at Bayi opens onto the Niyang valley, where forested hills and river scenery replace the bare plateau landscape many visitors associate with Tibet. A coherent westward outing follows the G318 corridor to…
View guide →Sources & visit information
The sources below support the place-specific description and arrival information. Suggested combinations are editorial planning ideas; confirm current opening, entry arrangements and transport services for your date.