Talung valley in North Sikkim is the home of the ethnic Lepcha people of Sikkim and is now a protected area. The Lepcha live in small villages amongst the dense forested slopes high above the Talung valley. The Tholung monastery houses many relics and antiques collected from other monasteries for safe keeping. Many of these relics are displayed on a special day every three years. The trek up this beautifully forested valley leads to the higher alpine valleys where yaks graze below the snow capped mountains of the Kangchendzonga range.