Shomda is a county capital which is located about km from Yushu city. Historically, it was the heart of the Nangchen Kingdom and the 25 clans of the Mekong grassland held allegiance. The inhabitants of the town are largely engaged in trade and you may find some interesting Tibetan artifacts here. There are some cultivated barley fields outside the capital.
Present day, Shomda has two parts; the new town and the old town. The new town was built recently where government offices and hotels were situated. In the old town, the local residences, religious sites, and markets were located.
There are some monasteries in Shomda, a few kilometers north of the town on a hill. There is an important Baron Kagyu nunnery, later it was under the Drigungpa. Nearby is the Barom Kagyu monastery of Dzamo Gon which was founded by Lama Tashi Rolpa and further to the northwest about 15km from the town there is a small Sakyapa monastery known as Nyayakyul Gonpa.
Then there is a newly built statue of Buddha and two huge stupas. It is located nearly at the center of the old town. To the northwest of the old town, there is a famous monastery known as Goche Gompa. Every year they host the Molam festival on the behalf of Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhists, which lasts for two weeks. It occurs in winter and this is the most popular gathering in Shomda.
