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 Zanda Earth Forest
Water and weather have cut the old basin deposits into shapes resembling towers and ruined walls; the apparent architecture is geological. A road viewpoint gives the clearest introduction to the layers and branching ravines. Continuing into Tholing adds the river-level perspective, where actual monastery buildings and stupas stand within the same sculpted terrain.
What to look for
- Layered earthen cliffs and deeply cut gullies, exposed across the Zanda basin.
- The contrast between the natural earth formations and Tholing's real monastery and stupa silhouettes beside the Sutlej.
Location & getting there
Getting to Zanda Earth Forest
Use the mapped Zanda Earth Forest Viewpoint (札达土林观景台) on G565 for a defined roadside arrival, then continue towards Tholing/Zanda town if following the river-valley sequence.
- View the eroded formations from established visitor areas. The cliffs and gullies are not an invitation to scramble off the route.
Combine your visit
Suggested order for this visit:
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G565 Zanda Earth Forest Viewpoint
Start with a broad view of the layered cliffs and ravines.
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Tholing river-facing monastery and stupa area
See how the Sutlej valley and historical buildings fit within the earth-forest setting.
These are two views of the same Zanda–Tholing landscape connected by road, not a walking loop through the ravines. Driving time and admission arrangements need separate confirmation.
Find Zanda Earth Forest
札达土林 · 阿里
The pin marks the area, not the entrance.
More places nearby
Approximate straight-line distances between map pins, not travel distances.
Tholing Monastery 托林寺
Less than 1 km awayTholing stands beside the Sutlej in Zanda and was a major centre for the Buddhist revival associated with Guge. Founded in 996 under Yeshe O, it became a base for translators and teachers including Rinchen Zangpo and Atisha. Its…
View guide →Guge Kingdom Ruins 古格王国遗址
13 km awayGuge's former capital climbs a dry earthen hill beside the Sutlej valley at Tsaparang, or Zhaburang. Cave dwellings and the remains of houses occupy the lower slopes, while temples and palace remains rise above them. The White…
View guide →Mount Kailash 冈仁波齐
151 km awayKailash is the distinctive sacred peak rising above Darchen in western Tibet's Gangdise Mountains. Buddhists, Hindus, Jains and followers of Bon attach different religious meanings to the mountain, and pilgrimage focuses on…
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.
- Field account of Zanda earth-forest geology and repeated journeys through the valleys ↗
- Tibet natural resources department: Zanda Earth Forest Geopark opening and interpretation facilities ↗
- Amap: Zanda Earth Forest Viewpoint on G565 ↗
- Ali regional guide: Sutlej earth forest and Tholing's river setting ↗