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Upper Mustang, formerly known as Kingdom of Lo, is the upper part (northern areas) of the Mustang District in the Gandaki Province of Nepal. The Upper Mustang was a restricted kingdom until 1992 which makes it one of the most preserved regions in the world, with a majority of the population still speaking traditional Tibetic languages.
The Upper Mustang comprises the northern two-thirds of the Mustang District of Gandaki Province, Nepal. It consists of three rural municipalities namely Lo Manthang, Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda, and Varagung Muktichhetra.
The southern third (lower Mustang) of the district is called Thak and is the homeland of the Thakali people community, who speak the Thakali language and whose culture combines Tibetan and Nepalese elements.
Tibetan culture of the region has been preserved by the relative isolation of the region from the outside world. Life in Mustang revolves around tourism, animal husbandry, and trade.
Mustang's status as a Monarchy ended in 2008 when its Suzerainty Kingdom of Nepal became a republic. The influence of the outside world, especially China, is growing and contributing to rapid change in the lives of Mustang's people. Mustang: A Kingdom on the EdgeAl Jazeera Correspondent Development work has increased in recent years.
The Kingdom of Lo Manthang supported Tibet and the Qing Empire during the Sino-Nepalese War.
Though still recognized by many Mustang residents, the monarchy ceased to exist on October 7, 2008, by order of the Government of Nepal. China View news The last official and later unofficial king (raja or gyelpo) was Jigme Dorje Palbar Bista (1930–2016), who traced his lineage directly back to Ame Pal, the warrior who founded this Buddhism kingdom in 1380. Wild, windy and harsh, yet stunningly beautiful; The Sunday Tribune; April 21, 2002 Ame Pal oversaw the founding and building of much of the Lo and Mustang capital of Lo Manthang, a walled city that has changed little in appearance since that time period.
In 2007, a shepherd in Mustang discovered a collection of 55 cave paintings depicting the life of the Buddha. Shepherd leads experts to ancient Buddha cave paintings; Guardian Unlimited; May 4, 2007.
The Day and Night Temperature in Upper Mustang according to the months is shown below:
| December, January, February | 0 to 5 °C
32 to 41 °F | -25 to -20°C
-13 to -4 °F |
| March, April, May, June | 16 to 22 °C
61 to 72 °F | -6 to -2°C
21 to 28 °F |
| July, August, September | 20 to 33 °C
68 to 73 °F | -3 to 0 °C
27 to 32 °F |
| October, November | 12 to 20 °C
54 to 68 °F | -8 to -4 °C
18 to 25 °F |
Most of the population of Mustang lives near the Gandaki River River, above sea level. The tough conditions cause a large winter migration into lower regions of Nepal. The administrative center of Mustang District is at Jomsom ( south of Kagbeni) which has had an airport since 1962 and has become the main tourist entry point since Mustang was opened to western tourism in 1992.
Traditional Mustang (the Lo Kingdom) is north–south at its longest, east–west at its widest and ranges from a low point of above sea level on the Kali Gandaki River just north of Kagbeni to at Khamjung Himal, a peak in southeast Mustang.
Mechanized access inside Nepal began with the opening of an Jomsom Airport at Jomsom at the approximate boundary between the southern Thak and northern Lo sections of the valley, which was in operation by the 1960s.
China eventually decided to revitalize trade and in 2001 completed a road from the international border to Lo Manthang. Across the TAR border is Zhongba County of Shigatse Prefecture. China National Highway 219 follows the valley of the Yarlung Tsangpo River some north of the border.
Meanwhile, road-building from the south was inhibited by difficulties along the Kali Gandaki Gorge to the south, but proceeded incrementally. In 2010, a gap remained but the road was completed before 2015 and is suitable for high clearance and four wheel drive vehicles.
Currently, the easiest and only widely used road corridor, from Kathmandu to Lhasa—named Arniko Rajmarg in Nepal and China National Highway 318 in the TAR—traverses a pass. This is some higher than Kora La.
Mustang is rich in Buddhist culture, similar to the area of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. It is an alternate way to experience the Tibetan culture and landscape to the tours provided by the Chinese government. The Tiji festival in Lo-Manthang is another popular destination for tourists in the area seeking to experience the native culture.
The first westerner in Mustang was Toni Hagen, Swiss explorer and geologist, who visited the Kingdom in 1952 during one of his travels across the Himalayas. French Michel Peissel is considered the first westerner to stay in Lo Manthang, during the first authorised exploration of Mustang in 1964.Peissel, Michel 1967. Mustang, a Lost Tibetan Kingdom, Books Faith, 2002
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