As we descend from the jagged karst towers of Haxiu and return toward the valley floor of Yushu, the horizon begins to ripple with an unexpected sight: a vast, low-slung city built entirely of stone…

While the lower valleys of the Gyarong are defined by their stone towers and the rugged eastern marches of Kham by their warriors, the high-altitude plateau of Yushu (Gyegu) holds a different kind of prestige…