It is said that circumambulating Mount Kailash once can cleanse all the sins of a lifetime, doing it ten times spares one from suffering in hell for five hundred rebirths, and completing 108 circuits leads to enlightenment.
It is said that Buddha Sakyamuni was born in the Year of the Horse. Circumambulating in the Buddha’s birth year, the Horse Year, means one circuit is equivalent to thirteen in ordinary years, granting twelve times the merit.
It is said that during the early conflicts between the Bon religion and Buddhism, several relics remain from the spiritual contests between the Buddhist sage Milarepa and the Bon follower Naro Bönchung on Mount Kailash.
It is said that at first you may not believe. But the people of the Tibetan region do believe, and through their unwavering faith, we begin to believe as well.
This is a sacred power—not one that drives, but one that strengthens resolve. With heart and faith, we prostrate ourselves along the road…
As one of the world’s premier tourist destinations, the Ali Mountains and Sacred Lakes scenic area attracts numerous visitors each year, including many devout Buddhists who come to trek. The Horse Year, which occurs once every 12 years in the Tibetan calendar, is regarded as a “grand religious year.” Legend has it that Buddha Sakyamuni was born in the Year of the Horse, making the Horse Year also the birth year of Mount Kailash, the sacred mountain. Therefore, trekking around the mountain in the Horse Year is equivalent to completing 13 circuits in other years and grants twelve times the merit—making it the most spiritually efficacious time to do so.
During the summer and autumn of the Tibetan Horse Year, the Mount Kailash trekking route sees a great influx of pilgrims. This year, authorities estimate that the number of international pilgrims alone will exceed the 50,000–60,000 officially recorded in 2012 and 2013. In addition, the number of Tibetan and local pilgrims, as well as domestic tourists visiting for sightseeing, is also expected to rise.
Located within Purang County in Ngari, adjacent to the sacred Lake Manasarovar, Mount Kailash is one of the four sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. Though not the tallest, it is renowned worldwide and universally acknowledged as a holy peak. Buddhists across the globe regard it as the center of the world and the abode where deities descend to Earth.
Mount Kailash is the main peak of China’s Gangdise Range and one of the ten most beautiful and breathtaking mountains in China. With an elevation of 6,721 meters at its summit, it is the second highest peak in the Gangdise Range. It is situated in the northern part of Purang County in the southwestern region of the Tibet Autonomous Region. In Tibetan, its name means “Mountain of the Gods.” Its southern ridgeline drops down to the valley of the Xiangquan River and the basins of Lakes Manasarovar and Rakshastal.
The trek around the mountain covers a distance of 51 kilometers, with eight monasteries located along the route. Though not the highest peak in the region, Mount Kailash is the only one whose snow-capped summit shines with a magical glow under sunlight, catching the eye. The mountain’s four faces are distinctly and symmetrically shaped, resembling a round-crowned pyramid (Tibetans liken it to “the handle of a stone mill”), and its unique form sets it apart from surrounding peaks, evoking both religious reverence and awe.
Mount Kailash is globally recognized as a sacred mountain and is considered the center of the world by Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, the indigenous Tibetan Bon religion, and the ancient Jain religion.
Indians call this mountain Kailash and also regard it as the center of the world. Shiva, the most powerful and highest-ranking of the three principal deities in Hinduism, is believed to reside here. Moreover, the headwaters of both the Indus and Ganges rivers in India originate here, which is why large numbers of Indian pilgrims can be found at Mount Kailash.
For centuries, Mount Kailash has been a place of longing for pilgrims and explorers, yet no one has ever been able to climb this sacred mountain—or perhaps no one has dared to offend the center of the world.
Devout Tibetan Buddhists firmly believe that pilgrimage can cleanse the sins of both past and present lives, accumulate boundless merit, and ultimately lead to liberation from the cycle of rebirth and ascension to bliss. Thus, countless Tibetans continuously journey toward the sacred site, prostrating themselves in a unique ritual. Without a physical body, there would be no pilgrimage; without the dust and hardship, there would be no pilgrimage path; without enduring untold suffering and traversing real space and time, there would be no spiritual devotion. For a believer, pilgrimage is a sacred act that deserves a lifetime of dedication. It might even be said that pilgrimage, transcending the meaning of “ascetic practice,” is the only way to push the journey of individual life to its ultimate extreme.
Trekking around the mountain is the most common method undertaken by pilgrims from various regions. There are two main trekking routes:
1. Outer Circuit: The larger kora (circumambulation loop) centered around Mount Kailash.
2. Inner Circuit: The smaller kora centered around Mount Yangelha (also known as Ingle Dzong) south of Mount Kailash.
The outer circuit is 53 kilometers long, taking about three days to walk or 15–20 days if prostrating the entire way. Most trekkers complete 13 outer circuits before attempting the inner one. The Horse Year, according to the Tibetan calendar, sees the largest number of pilgrims. It is said that Buddha Sakyamuni was born in the Year of the Horse (Tibetan zodiac signs, influenced by Han Chinese traditions, are similarly ordered: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster [sometimes Crow], Dog, Pig. However, the Tibetan calendar differs slightly in some years and solar terms due to the integration of yin-yang and Five Elements theories, resulting in slight variations in zodiac assignments). Trekking one circuit in the Horse Year is equivalent to thirteen circuits in other years and is believed to be the most auspicious and meritorious.
Trekking Route Map
For those with less physical endurance, the trek can be done over three days with the following itinerary:
Day 1 (22 km, approx. 10 hours): 5 km west from Darchen (a 20-meter-high prayer flag pole stands at the square near the entrance) → 6 km → riverside (a monastery on the opposite bank offers accommodation) → 15 km → monastery (overnight stay).
Day 2 (22 km, approx. 8 hours): Monastery → 4 km → sky burial site → 4 km → mountain pass mani stone pile (altitude 5,700 m) → 4 km → riverside → 10 km → monastery (overnight stay).
Day 3 (9 km, approx. 5 hours): Monastery → 6 km → exit toll gate → 3 km → Darchen
The resting place for those coming to Mount Kailash is the small village at the mountain’s base — Darchen (also commonly called Tarchen or Taqin). Many buses traveling between Lhasa–Shiquanhe and Shiquanhe–Purang pass by the village entrance. There are five routes to reach here; aside from the two pilgrimage routes from Nepal and India, travelers from China typically use one of these three:
1. Northern Ali Route: Lhasa – Lhaze – Coqên – Ge’gyai – Gerze – Shiquanhe – Darchen. Distance from Lhasa: 2,021 km; from Lhaze: 1,670 km.
2. Southern Ali Route: Lhasa – Saga – Zhongba – Pagri – Darchen. Distance from Lhasa: 1,338 km; from Lhaze: 847 km.
The southern route is the most direct path to the sacred mountain. Traveling up the upper reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River, you’ll pass the majestic snow-capped peaks of the Gangdise and Himalaya ranges, and occasionally spot Tibetan antelopes. The first half of this route follows National Highway 318, while the latter half follows National Highway 219 leading to Yecheng in Xinjiang. By the early 21st century, the road had mostly been paved with smooth asphalt, allowing vehicles to reach Darchen from Lhasa in just over 20 hours.
3. Xinjiang-Tibet Route: Kashgar – Yecheng – Mazar – Jieshan Pass – Duoma – Rutog – Shiquanhe – Menzi – Darchen. Distance from Kashgar: 1,671 km.
The main way to reach Mount Kailash from the north is by taking a bus or truck between Shiquanhe and Purang, a distance of 330 kilometers, which takes about three to four hours. If the vehicle does not go into Tarchen, you can get off at the fork on National Highway 219 and hike for just over half an hour to Tarchen for accommodation.
Note:
A border permit is required to visit Mount Kailash. There are checkpoints in Baga where the border permit will be checked. Both the route from the southern part of Ngari to Tarchen and from Tarchen to Purang pass through these checkpoints, and there may also be mobile inspection posts at times.