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 ↗
About Qilin Gorge
Qilin Gorge sits beneath Kangchenjunga and was carved over millions of years by glacial meltwater erosion, cutting and weathering; it is roughly 7-8 km long, 100-200 m wide and up to 200 m deep, with earth-forest pillars rising from the canyon floor and a snowmelt stream running through it year-round. Qing-dynasty records, cited by a Qingdao Daily reporter, describe a late-Qianlong-era border battle in which a Chinese general pursued Gurkha invasion remnants into the gorge, defeated them there and died of his wounds; his body was interred in a hidden cave, and more than 40 years before a 2023 account was written, local people found the tomb and recovered armour pieces, arrowheads and swords, which are still kept locally as valued objects.
What to look for
- the earth-forest pillars along the canyon floor
- the hidden cave associated with the Qing-era general's tomb
Location & getting there
Getting to Qilin Gorge
Use an authorised visitor route. Cave sections, geological sites and access roads can close independently, so confirm the area that your ticket covers.
- Search for 奇林峡 with 日喀则市 and 定结县.
Find Qilin Gorge
奇林峡 · 定结县
No reliable map pin yet: search by the Chinese name.
Sources & visit information
The linked sources support the identity and background described in this introduction. Opening hours, admission, activity availability and exact arrival arrangements have not been comprehensively checked. Confirm current visitor information with the venue; the original catalogue locality and editorial review flag are retained.