The Zanda Basin is situated in the southwest corner of Tibet, being a late Cenozoic graben
at an altitude of 4,500 m lying between the Himalayan mountain range and the Ayilariju range
(Ladak Mountains).

Ancient Cave Ruins Found in Tibet

Recently, many cave ruins dating back to early times were found in 21 places around the 3,000-square-km area in Tibet with the unusual land form of an "earth forest" in Zanda, Ari Prefecture. This is the largest group of cave ruins ever found in the country according to Chinese archaeologists.

A large-scale investigation since the beginning of 1998 revealed the locations of many caves with murals, including some famous ruins with documented history. They are distributed throughout the area and some distance apart.

According to early Tibetan documents, the area was called "Guge Basin". It has an average elevation of more than 4,000 meters. Within the area, valleys are deep and hills rise steeply. Ring upon ring of valleys and earth forests stretch unbroken into the distance.

Ancient Tibetan people used the land form as a natural barrier and built shelters, castles and palaces.

The find has provided precious material for the study of old Tibet, in addition to attracting even more tourists to the area.