Beyond the 8,000-meter ranges – Annapurna and Dhaulagiri – near the Tibetan (Chinese) border and inside Nepal lies the forbidden Kingdom of Mustang. Mustang stretches deep into the Tibetan plateau. Technically, it is no more a kingdom. In 2008, Nepal abolished the Mustang’s monarchy.
Mustang was opened to tourism only in 1992, which meant it survived on its own for long, making it possible for Mustang to keep its culture almost intact.
Ame Pal founded the Kingdom of Lo (Upper Mustang) in 1380 and built Lo Manthang, a walled city that served as its capital. Lo means south in the Tibetan dialect. The most recent King of Mustang retraced his lineage 25 generations back to Ame Pal.
Around 1795, Mustang became a part of Nepal but retained its status as a separate principality as recently as the 1950s, when it was finally consolidated into Nepal. The records show that David Snellgrove, a British Tibetologist, visited Mustang to study the temples and monasteries in 1956, 1960–61, and 1978.
Even before 1850, Nepal imported rock salt, wool, powdered gold, horses, and yaks from Tibet and exported grain, spices, knives, fabric, and handicrafts. Among these, rock salt was the most important import. Mustang provided the easiest path to Tibet. Thus, this trade route served as a link between Tibet and Nepal. When transportation improved, iodized salt from India entered Nepal, gradually diminishing this trek route.
Mustang has desert-like vegetation, which is most unique in the whole of Nepal. The desert landscape looks red, and through its ocher land flows the Kali Gandaki. Due to altitude, the wind blows consistently throughout the day, and, as a result, you can find red-colored cliffs here. The rocky highlands provide opportunities for rock climbing.
Lo Manthang invested the wealth Lo generated as a salt trade route in Buddhist art and artifacts. Hence, Mustang is home to the most revered and ancient Buddhist monuments. The remoteness of Mustang protected these gompas (monasteries) from modern influences.
