Chengdu

Panda base in Chengdu

Chengdu is the main gateway city to Tibet, meaning that most travelers will spend some time here before heading onwards in their journey. Located in Sichuan province, this city is also the biggest and most important city in Southwest China.  With a population of 14 million in the greater Chengdu …

Dolma La Restaurant

Stepping inside the Dolma La Tibetan restaurant, one is immediately taken by the richly coloured wooden walls and furniture. I spied the stairs leading up to the second floor dining area and couldn’t resist climbing them to discover what lay above me. Upstairs the  natural light filters in through the …

Bollywood Restaurant

Tucked away in the city of Chengdu, Sichuan, is the Bollywood Restaurant. Run by a local Tibetan named Wanjia, you will find this bustling eatery with a colorful flare serving up Indian rice bowls and nam bread. Yet don’t be fooled, as some of these dishes, while authentic to Indian …

Tewaga Tibetan Restaurants

There are two Tewaga Tibetan Restaurants for travellers to enjoy. One in Tiewu (Amdo Region), and the other in Chengdu, operated by the same management. One of the owners, Asang, is from North East Tibet. He was born a small village in a stunning valley called “Zhagana”. It is considered …

Charu’s Coworking Space

If you make your way to the 16th floor of a seemingly unspectacular office building, you will discover a unique space that appears to be a cafe, but doubles as a shared coworking space for those looking to escape the office. Filled with books and artwork, an extrovert might find …

A Re’s Restaurant

A Re is the name of a very well known chain of restaurants in Chengdu, but also that of the business owner. The namesake herself was born in a very alluring and remote Tibetan valley, Danba, in the Kham Tibetan Region. A Re didn’t get the chance to attend school …

Dancing Yak Handicrafts

Dancing Yak Handicrafts was founded in Chengdu in 2012. Inside locals and tourists alike stop to browse the beautiful selection of yak and sheep wool materials, carefully crafted into bags, pillows, and more. The owner of the company is a Swiss lady named Katja. She realised that traditionally Tibetan women worked …

Blue Sheep Handicrafts & Giftshop

Tucked away in the streets of Chengdu shoppers can find Blue Sheep Handicrafts & Giftshop. Surrounded by restaurants and other stores, the locals frequent this area as well, telling me that we have come to the right place. Continuing inside the store, I am surprised by how spacious the shop …