Yumbulagang Palace perches on a narrow rocky ridge above the Yarlung valley, a slim tower of whitewashed stone that has served as watchtower, palace, and eventually monastery over its long history. It is Tibet's oldest surviving building — or at least, the oldest site in continuous use — and the views from the ridge across the barley fields and river below are magnificent.
The climb from the valley floor takes about 20 minutes on a well-maintained path. The interior is small and the rooms sparely furnished with religious images and butter lamps, but it is the setting that justifies the effort: the sense of antiquity here, in a landscape that has changed little in centuries, is unlike almost anywhere else in Tibet. Go early in the day, before group tours arrive.