As I continued my 9-day backcountry tour of Tibet, day 4 brought us through the mesmerizing Yamdrok Lake and onto Kumpa Stupa Tibetan Monastery: the home of 10,000 Stupas!

The weather had been nearly perfect all week and that didn’t change much as we passed through the area.  It was a bit different up near the Goddess of Yamdrok Lake.  Within 15 minutes we saw it go from sunny to rainy, then it became windy & even began to snow only to turn around and become sunny again.  

The weather here was obviously very unpredictable!

But as our vehicle arrived at Kumpa Stupa, we passed under the shadow of Dzong Castle (a previous battlefield where Tibetan’s had fought against the British invasion) and arrived at the tall clay walls enclosing the Stupa.

Excitedly stepping out of the car and grabbing my gear, I made my way through the gated entrance, through the garden and on up to Kumpa Stupa where I went on a photo taking rampage.  Hopping from room to room and lightly jogging up the unstable stairways, I realized that when I reached the top I explored nearly 7 stories of stupas!

Enjoy these 45 amazing photos I took from the surrounding areas as well as inside the Kumpa Stupa Monastery!

Kumpa Stupa Monastery in Tibet

After taking in the beautiful Tibetan architecture and enjoying my glimpse into their even richer culture, the group and I made our way back to the car where we continued our journey to Tashilumo Monastery.  

The entire trip up to this point had been a huge insight to the Tibetan way of life for me but day 5 of the tour would bring it into a whole new perspective as I stood looking upwards at the base of the highest statue of Buddha in Tibet!

What are your thoughts on the stupas inside the Kumpa Stupa Monastery in Tibet?