Upper Mustang
North of kagbeni lies the land of Lo, the Lo Tsho Dyun, an area closed to forefingers until 1992. It is better known as “Mustang”. Between 1400 and 1600 AD, Lo dominated the salt route trade between India and Tibet. The present residents of Lo share much in common with their neighbours in Tibet, including language and Buddhism.
Lo Tsho Dyun includes a number of villages; Ghiling, Ghemi, Dhakmar, Marang, Tsarang, Dhee, Surkhang, Yara, Ghara, Tangya, Dhey, Lo Manthang, Nhenyol, Chhoser, Nyamdo, Kimling, Thinkar, Phuwa and Namgyal. The fortified city of Lo Manthang, the capital of the region and present home of the MustangiRaja, dates back to the 14th century, when the founder of the dynasty, Ame Pal, established his rule in the vicinity of Manthang. The region’s architecture and artistry mostly date from he rule of Ame Pal and his successors.