Since the 1980s, I don’t know how many times I have walked along the road from Lhasa to Sagya via Yangzhog Yumco, Gyangze Town and Shigatse, so the scenery along the road holds no surprises. It is only when we arrive at Ongren Ngamring that new sights impinge on my consciousness.

 I talk it over with Prof. Nancy about staying another couple of days. The traditional anthropologist only wants to reach our destination as soon as possible to begin an on-the-spot, and is unwilling to delay halfway, so I have to accept her idea.

The reason why I advise to stay another few days is that there are many places deserving of study.

Ongren County is situated in the middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, and lies in the western part of Shigatse. It abuts Xeitongmoin County and Lharze County in the east, Tingri in the south, and Ngari of Coqen in the southwest. The northern part is a stretch of no-man's land. It borders on Nepal taking Gangdese Mountain as the eastern boundary, and is close to Nagqu in the north, as well as being part of the Shigatse area. The county is 397km west of Lhasa and 160km west of Shigatse.

Before the Democratic Reform (1959-1960) it was known as Ongren Zong, but in 1959 this was changed to Ongren County, becoming subordinated to Shigatse, with a total area of 13,000 square km and a population of 35,000.