Tibetan medicine, Sowa Rigpa (གསོ་བ་རིག་པ།), literally meaning “the science of healing”, counts a very long history. Rooted in more than a thousand years of oral tradition, its foundational treatises were first compiled in the 8th century and continue to form the basis of Tibetan medicine today.
This tour introduces you to two important centers dedicated to preserving and developing this ancient knowledge. At Be Dur Ye, a specialized incense center, you will discover the careful preparation of incense made from natural herbs, while visiting the Dzongsar Tibetan Hospital will lead you to an in-depth journey into the history, theoretical framework, vision, and contemporary application of Tibetan medicine.
The tour is an opportunity to understand the core principles of Tibetan medicine, the relationship between mind and body according to Sowa Rigpa’s perspective, and the way nature is considered an essential partner in the healing process.
Be Dur Ye Incense
Tashi Choephel (བཀྲ་ཤིས་ཆོས་འཕེལ།) is the founder of Be Dur Ye, a workshop where Tibetan incense is still produced according to the methods of Tibetan medicine. Combining botanical expertise, medical wisdom, and spiritual practice, the workshop transforms herbs, plants, and minerals into natural incense used for purification, healing, and daily well-being. Here, stupa-shaped incense is still made by hand, while most of the ingredients are locally harvested at very high altitude, shaping the pace of the Center according to the rhythm of nature.
Dzongsar Tibetan Hospital
Established more than 50 years ago by the visionary Lodrö Phuntsok (བློ་གྲོས་ཕུན་ཚོགས།), inheritor of the Dzongsar Tibetan Medical Lineage, Dzongsar Tibetan Hospital is one of the most important centers for the preservation, practice, and transmission of Sowa Rigpa. More than a hospital, it is a living cultural and educational complex where traditional medicine, research, teaching, and community care continue to grow together. The hospital complex includes a Medicine School, a research center, a library, a museum, a Mind Healing Hall, and a factory producing medicines, incense, and other therapeutic products that combine tradition with innovation. Visitors will have the chance to explore Tibetan medicine through the museum’s collection of thangkas and to get a glimpse of the Hospital’s new projects, among which the treatment of mental health through Tibetan yoga stands out.
Tour Fee
1-3 people 300 RMB each; more than 3 people 250 RMB each.
Note: The tour lasts half day and lunch is excluded. For the entire day private car rent and ENG guide, please contact us.