Photo from www. tibtreis.com

The average buildings of the conical rock over which the ruined citadel of Tsaparang is situated, are carved out of rocks and mud brick. The chapels along the winding path to Tsaparang have stood against the ravages of time and stand out distinctly from the surrounding ruins. The Guge temples containing a wealth of statues were destroyed indiscriminately by the Chinese Red Guards in 1967. Thankfully, just before that in 1948, the German Buddhist monk Lama Govinda and his wife had visited Tsaparang and photographed the temples in their untouched glory.

Photo from mckaymc

Along with the Red and White Temples, the smaller temple called Dorje Jigje Lhakhang in Tsaparang and the Tibetan Buddhist Rinchen Zangpo in Tholing are remarkable for their intricate geometric hand-painted patterns. All the three holy abodes are bedecked with a range of natural and imaginary deities that look beautiful despite the notorious vandalism. The 14,000 feet climb to the fortress on top calls for real fortitude, but when you actually go through it and explore the handiworks of the ancient Guge artists with a flashlight, the hard work seems to pay.