A sandy road parallel to the west wall of Tashilhunpo quickly becomes a well-worn path leading up behind the monastery, past prayer wheels and shrines, to the foot of the Thangka Wall, which cannot,however, be entered.
Many paths crisscross Tara's Mountain above, up to the sacred, flag-festooned peak.
The path divides at the Thangka Wall, one branch descending beside the easy wall to make a circle around the monastery, the other continuing level along the flank of the mountain towards Shigatse. After passing an array of carved and painted rocks it emerges below the rocky prominence that dominates the city. Here a hiker can either climb up to the ruins or take a right-hand route down to the market. The dzong, totally destroyed in 1961, was once a small Potala covering the whole hilltop, with up-sweeping white walls that seemed to grow from the crags. It had a central Red Palace and turret-like fortifications at the outer ends.