Ngari Dark Sky Park draws stargazers to Xizang's night skies

When Ge Yixiao stepped out of her car at Ngari Dark Sky Park in the Xizang autonomous region, she was stunned to see the Milky Way stretching across the night sky.

"It was the first time in my life I had seen the Milky Way this beautiful," she said.

A travel livestreamer, Ge discovered the park through a recommendation from one of her followers. So impressed was she by the experience that she returned two days later.

She is among a growing number of tourists discovering a different side of Ngari, where spectacular night skies are adding another dimension to journeys traditionally centered on mountains, lakes, and vast plateau landscapes.

Another visitor, Zhou Zhanglong, returned this year after unfavorable weather prevented him from seeing the Milky Way clearly during his previous trip. "We wanted to make up for what we missed last time, so we specifically included the park in our itinerary," Zhou said.

Located about 25 kilometers south of Senge Khabab township in Ngari, the park sits at an altitude of approximately 4,700 meters. It was established as China's first dark-sky park dedicated to stargazing, astrophotography, and night-sky conservation.

Yu Jiang, deputy director of the Ngari Museum, said the region's high elevation, dry climate, and limited light pollution provide favorable conditions for astronomical observation.

Local authorities have designated a dark-sky conservation area covering around 2,500 square kilometers around the park to protect its night skies.

The park received about 6,000 visits in 2025, according to Guo Qiang, who works at the park. Visitors can observe the night sky through telescopes, attend astronomy lectures, and enjoy immersive astronomy films.

Guo said vehicle headlights are a major source of visitor-related light pollution. The park uses downward-facing lighting to minimize interference with astronomical observation and preserve the dark-sky environment.