Within a 2 km radius distance from the guesthouse, this tour invites you to immerse yourself in the rhythm of village life, simply by walking. As you move through the landscape, you will follow the riverbanks, pass barley fields, and walk among traditional Tibetan houses, experiencing daily life at a natural pace. The journey itself becomes part of the discovery.
Along the way, you will visit four artisan centers, exploring three major forms of Tibetan craftsmanship. You will meet pottery masters at Dzaken Tsang Pottery Center and Choephak Pottery Studio, thangka painters at Kunga Thangka Studio, and gold and silver filigree artisans at the Gold and Silver Filigree Studio.
The closest center, Kunga Thangka Studio, is just a 10-minute walk from the homestay, while the farthest, Dzaken Tsang Pottery Center, is approximately 28 minutes away. The full experience takes around half a day, depending on your pace.
Dzaken Tsang Pottery Center
Jamyang Gelek (འཇམ་དབྱངས་དགེ་ལེགས།), following his father’s steps and believing in the value of the Tibetan art of making pottery, is the mind and the heart behind Dzaken Tsang Pottery Center. A manufacturing and a teaching place, the Center preserves a centuries-long tradition and have inspired, and continues to inspire, the community through its sense of innovation and its business model based on equal shares. Here, pottery is still made according to traditional methods, using local materials collected from the mountains and transformed by hands into culturally meaningful objects. From food containers to ritual and everyday utensils, each piece carries the memory of Tibetan life, labor, and craftsmanship.
Kunga Thangka
Kunga Namgyal (ཀུན་དགའ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ།) became a disciple of the renowned Master Tsephel and studied at the Dege Dzongsar Karmagatsang Thangka Training Center to preserve traditional Tibetan techniques and arts. He has been recognized with several awards for his exceptional performance in thangka painting. By opening his personal studio and establishing a community-driven workshop, he has organized over 20 young villagers and students for instructional sessions to empower Menshod community. He actively seeks new approaches to innovation, infusing thangka painting with fresh contemporary spirit and modern techniques. His final goal is to showcase a vibrant landscape of artistic creation and produce works of significant academic exploration.
Gold and Silver Filigree Studio
Driven by a desire to preserve and promote this Tibetan traditional art, the artisan Kartsok (སྐར་་ཚོགས།) mastered the traditional craft of gold and silver thread jewelry making and established his own workshop to cultivate numerous talented students. Following in his lineage, his eldest son, Tsering Dorje (ཚེ་དབང་རྡོ་རྗེ།), who inherited his father’s skills under his father’s personal guidance, became the successor and established a handicraft enterprise to carry forward this legacy. Through four generations of dedication and wisdom, his family has upheld this noble tradition, crafting indispensable adornments like Kawu boxes and ritual implements for festivals and religious ceremonies. Remaining steadfast in his mission, Tsering Dorje ensures that this traditional craftsmanship and its intricate patterns are passed down through generations.
Choepak Black Pottery Center
The Choepak Black Pottery Center, founded by Kunga Lobdue (ཀུན་དགའ་བློ་གྲོས།), an inheritor of intangible cultural heritage, is dedicated to preserving and passing on the Menshod black pottery culture. The workshop integrates traditional techniques with modern aesthetics, emphasizing the unity of practicality and beauty. Under the leadership of Master Kunga Lobdue, the workshop has not only trained numerous black pottery artisans but also made significant contributions to local economic development and cultural heritage. Each piece of black pottery reflects the artisans’ exquisite skills and deep understanding of materials and techniques, showcasing unique artistic charm.
Tour Fee
No fee. The tour is designed as a suggested tour for you to enjoy on your own. If you need a personal guide, contact us.