Sagya County, also known as “Sakya County” is a county under Shigatse City. Sagya means “grey and white soil” in Tibetan.
Sagya County is located in the south of the Tibet Autonomous Region, in the middle of Shigatse City, and on the south bank of the Yarlung Tsangbo River.
It borders Shigatse City and Bainang County to the east, Dinggye County and Kamba County to the south, Lhatse County and Tingri County to the west, and Xaitongmoin County across the river to the 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 the 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 the 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 the 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 the Himalayas and Gangdis Mountains. The terrain is high in the north, south, and low in the middle. It belongs to a part of the valley area in the northeast of the Mount Everest region in southern Tibet, part of the Himalayan fold belt. It is a typical section where the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate quickly collide with the fracture suture zone.
The 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 the Yarlung Tsangbo valley plain. According to topography and geomorphology, it can be divided into three major geomorphology types, of which are:
Horned mountain
Plain-shaped mid-high mountains
Round-shaped middle and low mountains
The annual rainfall in Sagya County is about 150-300 mm, with a maximum of 400 mm and a minimum of 100 mm. The season of concentrated rainfall is June, July, and August. The relative frost-free period is about 70-100 days. The 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 the end of 2010, the total population of Sagya County was 47,304, of which Tibetans accounted for 99.53% of the total population. Other ethnic groups include Han, Hui, Mongolian, etc.
Brief History
In the 11th century, a monastery was built on the hillside of the north bank of the Chongchu River, named “Sakya monastery”.
In the 13th century, Yuan Dynasty supported and established the Sakya regime, and it ruled Tibet for nearly a hundred years.
After the 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 the 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
