Tsaparang

Tsaparang, the ruined capital of the ancient Guge kingdom in western Tibet's Ngari Prefecture, rises on a pyramid-shaped rock at the end of a narrow spur above the upper Sutlej River valley. The fortress complex — destroyed by Ladakhi invaders in the mid-17th century — contains carved tunnels, caves, two surviving temples (the Red Chapel and White Chapel), royal quarters, and a summer palace at the summit. The English historian Michael Wood proposed it as the historical origin of the Shangri-La legend.

• Nearest water from center 1.6 km1.0 mi
• Nearest mountain from center 47 km29 mi