Upper Mustang

Upper Mustang or Lo Tsho Dyun, 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 closed territory until 1992, off limits to outsiders, making it one of the most culturally-preserved regions in the world, with a majority of the population still speaking traditional Tibetic languages.

The historical Upper Mustang comprises the northern third of the Mustang District of Gandaki Province, Nepal. It consists of two rural municipalities namely Lo Manthang and Lo-Ghekar Damodarkunda.

The region between Cheile and Pandakhola is called Baragau. The people in the upper part of Baragau (Chusang, Tangbe, Tetang, Gyaka and Cheile villages) and Thak retain their original Seke language, the people of the Kagbeni and Muktinath areas speak a West Tibetan dialect. The trekking permit for "Upper Mustang" consists of Lo Manthang and Baragau regions, leading to confusion that Baragau lies within Upper Mustang.

The southern third (lower Mustang) of the district is called Thak and is the homeland of the Thakali 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 kingdom ended in 2008 when its suzerainKingdom 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. Development work has increased in recent years.