Sagya County, also known as “Sakya County” is a county under Shigatse City. Sagya means “grey and white soil” in Tibetan.
Location
Sagya County is located in the south of Tibet Autonomous Region, in the middle of Shigatse City, and on the south bank of Yarlung Tsangbo River.
It borders Shigatse City and Bainang County to east, Dinggye County and Kamba County to south, Lhatse County and Tingri County to west, and Xaitongmoin County across the river to north.
The county seat Sagya of Sakya Town is 4316 meters above sea level, 150 kilometers from Shigatse City, 198 kilometers from Shigatse Peace Airport, 425 kilometers from Lhasa City, and 375 kilometers from Lhasa Gonggar Airport
Best time to travel
From June to October
Local climate
Temperate plateau semi-arid monsoon climate
Most popular sites
Sakya Monastery is divided into two parts of “South” and “North” . The North (Chode Jang) part is located in Benbo Ri Mountain on the north bank of Chongchu River and was founded in 1073 AD. Due to natural and man-made destructive factors, most of the northern buildings had been broken. The South (Chode Lho) part covers an area of about 45,000 square meters and was built in 1268 AD. It is the ancestral temple of Sakya Pa, one of the four major sects of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1962, it was listed as a national key cultural relics protection unit.
Kawu Hot Spring, 18 kilometers away from Sagya county, it is the place where Sakya Dhamar King took bath and leisure in past. The spring water contains 27 kinds of trace elements that are beneficial to humans, and has an auxiliary therapeutic effect on heart disease and high blood pressure;
Chongla Mountain View Platform is 15 kilometers away from the county seat. “Chongla” means “a place where wild yak cries” in Tibetan. Here, Mount Everest is visible; and also it is possible to enjoy the unique landscape of Mount Everest-“the peak flag clouds”
Gangqen Monastery, also known as “Tropu Jamchen Chode“, is located in Chasu Township about 45 kilometers away from Shigatse City, with an altitude of 3800 meters. Founded in 1447 AD, the monastery is a Gelug pa monastery; It mainly worship Tsongkhapa and his two disciples. There is a Lake about 50 meters away from Gangqen monastery, which according to legend, it was dug out with a stick, and the lake can tell the future of people
Geography and climate
Sagya County is located between Himalayas and Gangdis Mountains. The terrain is high in north, south, and low in middle. It belongs to a part of valley area in the northeast of Mount Everest region in southern Tibet, part of the Himalayan fold belt. It is a typical section where Indian plate and Eurasian plate quickly collide with fracture suture zone.
Average elevation of Sagya County is 4400 meters, the highest point is 6092 meters, the lowest is 3906 meters, and the height difference is 2176 meters. The south is high mountains, and the north is Yarlung Tsangbo valley plain. According to topography and geomorphology, it can be divided into three major geomorphology types which are:
Horned mountain
Plain-shaped mid-high mountains
Round-shaped middle and low mountains
Annual rainfall in Sagya County is about 150-300 mm, with a maximum of 400 mm and a minimum of 100 mm, which are mostly concentrated in June, July, and August.
The relative frost-free period is about 70-100 days. Annual average temperature is 5-6℃, the highest is 27℃, and the lowest is minus 20℃.
In winter, it is mostly southwest wind, dry and cold, windy and sandy, with a wind force of 5.1 and a maximum of 9. The summer wind direction is mostly southeast and southwest wind, which is relatively warm.
Population and ethnicity
As of end of 2010, the total population of Sagya County was 47,304, of which Tibetans accounted for 99.53% of total population. Other ethnic groups include Han, Hui, Mongolian, etc.
Brief History
In 11th century, a monastery was built on the hillside of north bank of Chongchu River, named “Sakya monastery”.
In 13th century, Yuan Dynasty supported and established Sakya regime, and it ruled Tibet for nearly a hundred years.
After 14th century, Sakya regime fell, but kept a land, and His Holiness Sakya was passed down hereditary until 1959
In 1960, Sakya Zong and Serenze Zong were merged to form Sagya County, and it was under jurisdiction of Shigatse Prefecture
In 2014, Shigatse Prefecture was abolished and the prefecture-level Shigatse City was established, and Sagya County has been under jurisdiction of Shigatse City since then
