Mustang, one of the last outposts of Tibetan culture, is so isolated and protected, no Westerner set foot inside its borders for centuries. But in the early 1990s, this untouched society set high in the Himalayas opened its borders for the first time, exposing an ancient world's dazzling sacred relics long damaged by the elements and neglect. Today, outsiders are working with local townspeople to rescue priceless masterpieces dating back to the 13th century - but can these efforts preserve history in a way that is acceptable to the local culture? Mustang lies on "the roof of the world", in the north of Nepal and surrounded on three sides by Chinese-held Tibet. Foreigners were forbidden to enter the territory and virtually nothing was known about its people and their civilisation until 1964.
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The kingdom of Mustang - Tibet. Video hosted on Youtube. Join the race against time as art and restoration experts mix history, science and politics in a complicated and daunting mission to preserve these religious works of art. Travel to a remote part of the world for a remarkably rare look at the spectacular art created by a clandestine Buddhist culture. See astonishingy intricate and expressive Medieval wall paintings, woodcarvings, and a gravity-defying monastery built atop a cliff. And watch as science helps reveal vibrantly colored treasures from the past. With gods literally peeling off the walls, will outsiders be trusted with saving the sacred art of Mustang? Mustang is from Tibetan Mun Tan (Wylie smon-thang) which denotes fertile plain. Mustang, (former Kingdom of Lo), is part of Nepal and one of its districts (see Mustang District), in the north-east of that country, bordering China (Tibet) on the Central Asian plateau between the Nepalese provinces of Dolpo and Manang. It is roughly 80 km long (north-south) and 45 km at its widest, and is at an elevation of over 2500 m. Mustang is also known as a "Tibet outside the Tibetan Border" for it survived the Chinese invasion of 1951 and hence it fosters the original Tibetan culture, although now politically in Nepal. Life in Mustang meant animal husbandry and trade. The region being the easiest corridor through the mighty Himalaya linking the Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia with the tropical Indian plains, it enjoyed a trans-Himalayan trade. Because of its strategic importance it went through many wars, and hence various cultural and religious practices thrived in parallel in Mustang. "Mustang is one of the few places in the Himalayan region that has been able to retain its traditional Tibetan culture unmolested… authentic Tibetan culture now survives only in exile and a few places like Mustang, which have had long historical and cultural ties with Tibet." The small kingdom of Mustang, closed to westerners until 1992, is an enchanting land of windswept vistas, red walled monasteries, and feudal towns. This tiny kingdom was not only a major corridor of trade from the 1400's to before the Chinese occupation of Tibet, but also figured importantly into early Buddhism in Tibet. Local legend tells the tale of the great founder of Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava, who before building Samye (the oldest monastery in Tibet) came to Mustang to stand guard against and do battle with the evil powers out to destroy Buddhism. The temple of Lo Gekhar in eastern Mustang was built by Padmasambhava after his triumphant battle and still stands guard today.
Our route will take us across the vast Kali Gandaki riverbed, up over windswept passes at 14,000 ft. and across the 'Plain of Aspirations' to the walled capital city of Lo Manthang. All this through a landscape of indescribable vastness and beauty, home to the infamous snow leopard, the endangered bharal (blue sheep), and the mythical mehti (abominable snowman). Rimmed by 20,000+ snowcapped peaks and bathed in hues of orange and red rocks with sporadic fields of vibrant green, yellow and red of barley, maize, and buckwheat, Mustang is a step back to a simpler time. This is a special trip with many extra days to explore the rarely visited East Side of Mustang and the annual Tiji festival, one of the last great Himalayan festivals not inundated by westerners
"On the trans-himalayan trade route, between the massif snow capped mountain range."
Mustang is the extension of the Tibetan plateau has an average elevation of over 3,000m. Located to the north of the highest mountains Dhaulagiri and Annapurna and to the north of the main Himalayan range and geographically part of the Tibet highlands. Mustang is the old kingdom of Lo. Officially the capital of the Mustang district is Jomsom, but the natural and original Tibetan customs, which is situated north of Kagbeni and is known as Upper Mustang. It is a vast high valley, arid and dry, characterized by eroded canyons, colorful rock formations and has a barren, desert like appearance. One of the most fascinating features of Mustang is literally thousands of cliff dwellings, some of which look completely inaccessible. Mustang was once a much greener land in theory way back 8-10,000 BC. The most when well known, intrepid explorers such as Professor David Snellgrove and the Italian scholar Guiseppi Tucci visited Mustang in the 1950’s and it has largely been their tales of a Tibetan like arid region that has fuelled interest in the area. Recognizing the special nature of this old, tiny kingdom, the Nepal Government has imposed a surcharge for anyone wishing to trek past Kagbeni, the border of Upper Mustang. Only the organized trekking groups are allowed in for the first time since March 1992, an opportunity for you to be a part of a small privileged minority to visit this remote frontiers of Nepal. Our Mustang program, gives you an excellent options to visit the main town, Lo Manthang, and one or two of the villages beyond in this harsh, arid beautiful landscapes.
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