Category: Kham Towns

Kham Towns

Kham towns offer a myriad of opportunities for travellers to explore the Tibetan culture, learn of the history, and enjoy the scenery of this region. For those interested in rural villages and natural beauty, Kham Tibet has a lot to offer. This area is geographically known for everything from wide grasslands to large mountain ranges which means travelling to and from these towns will allow you to encounter a variety of different landscapes. This is a definite highlight of traveling through Kham!

Gateway to Kham

At the eastern edge of Tibet, travellers will inevitably find themselves travelling through Kangding as this is one of the main gateway cities. Most people choose to make the one day trip to Kangding from Chengdu, while others fly directly into Kangding to start their journey. Beyond Kangding, it is a 45min climb by car to cross Zheduo pass and arrive on the plateau with all of Kham stretching before you.

Nomadic Towns in Kham

After leaving Kangding, one of the first towns you reach in Kham is Tagong, one of the many nomadic areas in Kham. In addition to Tagong, the Kham region contains many stunning grasslands, including the areas of Litang, Manigangou, Shiqu (Shershul), Yushu, and Axu. According to legend the Tibetan King Gesar was born in the grasslands area in the north part of Kham. It is common to see an image of King Gesar on a horse in various towns which all claim to be his birthplace. In the summertime, these pastoral areas are known for their horse festivals and races, and travellers and locals alike enjoy watching the myriad of other festive games that are included.

Farming Towns in Kham

Even though Kham is one region, there is a diverse mix of architecture in the area. Some of the more notable styles in Kham are the stone construction used north of Kangding like the stately homes near Xinduqiao, Daofu’s folk houses which use a lot of wood, and mud construction as seen in places like Batang and Yushu. World renowned Shangri-la, thus named to lure tourists by using the name of the fictional Tibetan paradise created by James Hilton in his novel Lost Horizon, is found in southern Kham. And the town of Danba, “Beauty Valley”, is known for their attractive women, deep canyons, and ancient watchtowers built on the mountain ridges where they have defied the steep slopes and cultivated crops for centuries.

Kham Monasteries

The Kham town of Seda (Sertar) is home to Larung Gar, the largest Buddhist community in the world. The community is said to have as many as 40,000 monks and nuns, making this a very spiritual town. Other Kham towns known for their monasteries include Ganzi – with a restored Tibetan-Chinese style monastery – and nearby Yachen Gompa which also features a massive monastic community. Further north and west over the Chola mountain sits Dege, known around the world for the Dege Barkhang (Parkhang) Scripture Printing House.

Travelling to Kham? Check out our Kham Tibetan Business Highlights

Xinduqiao

Xinduqiao ( ར་རྔ་ཁ།) is a small busy Tibetan town in the Wild West of Sichuan. It is a two-hour drive (81 kilometers) from Kangding city and roughly a one-hour drive from Kangding airport. Xinduqiao is an impressive 3,300 meters above sea level and lies along the Sichuan-Tibet 318 National Highway.

A Mix of Tibetan cultures

Ninety percent of denizens are Kham Tibetan. Xinduqiao is a unique blend of grassland and farmland, meaning it is a mixture of two distinct subsets of Tibetan culture—nomad and farmer. But in the last ten years, a new industry has exploded and has changed the face of Xinduqiao: tourism. Hotels, guesthouses, restaurants, and bars now line the main artery through town. Other small business selling Tibetan handicrafts, clothing, and souvenirs have popped up on the back of the tourism wave. The two-or-so-kilometer stretch of new businesses and hotels bustles with noise and activity—a very new vibe from a town whose nightlife for millennia has consisted mostly of yak noises under quiet starlight.

A Paradise for landscape Artists

Xinduqiao is recognized as “paradise for photographers and painters”. The best time to travel Xinduqiao is from May to November. On the Tibetan plateau, the summer months are green and the weather is pleasantly warm. Billions of flowers are in full bloom. Locals set up tents and picnic on the grassland to enjoy the weather and community life. In the Fall, the trees, the grass, and the barley change color. Everything is decorated in shades of gold and auburn. Breathtaking. Meanwhile, Tibetans are busy in the fields gathering in the harvest.

Sun Raising In Xinduqiao

Be Prepared for All Seasons

Weather can change quickly on the Tibetan plateau and it’s hard to depend on the forecast. Therefore, we encourage you to bring a versatile range of suitable clothing for your adventure. The sun can be very intense, and the temperature can drop rapidly when it’s raining.

An Insider Recommendation

There are many guesthouses and commercial hotels with cheap and reasonable prices. But if you want a 5-star experience, we don’t think anything compares with the Gongkar Dzong Castle Lodge. It has a perfect view of Mt. Gongga and the surrounding area, because it is perched atop a small hill off of the main road in town.

Road From Xinduqiao to Tagong

A Short Drive to Tagong

If you want more a nomad grassland experience, catch a ride up to Tagong, only 35 kilometers away to the north. There are many interesting places around Tagong to explore: the renowned Tagong monastery, the Golden Pagoda, and the Tashi Nunnery. The Tashi Nunnery houses more than 500 nuns and nestles on a hillside next to an impressively large Mani stone temple. In Tagong town, people offer horse riding for visitors starting at the Golden Pagoda.

June 18, 2019
Pelyul County

Pelyul County (or Pelyul- དཔལ་ཡུལ་རྫོང་།) is located in Kham Tibet and is one of eighteen counties of Ganzi Autonomous prefecture in Western Sichuan Province. In Tibetan, Pelyul means “a holy and happy place.” Pelyul is on the border with the Tibet Autonomous Region and is roughly 3,000 meters above sea level. There are over 50,000 people here with 94% being Tibetan and the rest are Han Chinese and other ethnic minorities.

Getting to Pelyul

Traveling to Pelyul from Chengdu is very doable with a little bit of patience. It’s roughly a 900km journey and takes around 18 hours by bus. A new highway from Ya’an to Luding is now open to private vehicles and will be available to public bus traffic in June of 2018. This cuts at least four hours off the journey, making the total ride possible in one day. This is still not recommended though, as it is always best to ascend elevation slowly with regular periods of acclimatization. We suggest spending at least a night or two in Kangding on the way up.

Well Worth the Trip

The landscape and scenery are so worth the trip: nomadic grassland, glaciated peaks, deep river valleys, stunning mountain lakes, diverse Tibetan architecture, and the unique culture. Pelyul is only 97 kilometers (a 2 hour drive) south of Dege. Dege is the center of culture, art and medicine in Kham area. It’s one of the best places to experience Tibetan religious culture and learn Kham Tibetan history.

Sights to See around Pelyul

You can easily spend two to three days in Pelyul visiting monasteries and nunneries. Pelyul and Katok Monasteries are one of the three biggest Nyingma-tradition monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in the Kham Tibetan region. Pelyul monastery was founded in 1665 by Kuchen Sherab in Pelyul County. After Pedma Norbu Rinpoche’s death, Karma Kuchen Rinpoche became the monastery’s twelfth leader. The monastery is located in a hillside above the county town and is within walking distance. From the monastery you can get the whole view of the town.

Katok Monastery was founded by Katok Dampa Deshek in 1159. It’s located on a hillside in a town called Horpo 51 kilometers away from Peyul county. It has a nearly 850 year history and the greatest scholars in Tibet have come out of Katok. Katok is a must-see if you want to dive deep into the history of the Nyingma sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Yarchen Monastery was founded by Achuk Rinpoche in 1985. It lies in an isolated valley 4000 meters above sea level. The monastery is associated with the Nyingma traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. It’s the largest concentration of nuns and monks in the world. Nuns drastically outnumber the monks, so much so that Yarchen is also known as “The City of Nuns.” The place is covered with thousands of small huts where nuns do their meditation. Yarchen is an amazing place to learn about Tibetan Buddhist nun’s lifestyle and religious customs. Yarchen is between Pelyul County and Ganzi County, roughly equidistant from both. Traveling from either Pelyul or Ganzi to Yarchen takes about three hours by private vehicle.

April 4, 2018
Dartsendo (Kangding)

Dartsendo (དར་རྩེ་མདོ། ) or Dardo (དར་མདོ། ) is a major gateway city on the eastern side of the Tibetan Plateau. Also known as Kangding (康定) in Chinese, it rises 2,600 meters above sea level and is the first Tibetan city you come to when traveling west from Chengdu. Kangding teeters on the Eastern edge of Tibet and, historically, has been a trading post between Tibetan and Han Chinese cultures. Bricks of tea came by horse over the mountains from Ya’an – the center of westward tea distribution in ancient China – while Tibetans bartered their nomad wares and yak milk products with the Chinese tea merchants.
Kangding is also the seat of political power for the majority of Kham Tibet. It is the county seat and prefectural capital of the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan known as Garnze (甘孜 “Ganzi” in Chinese). Unlike most other towns further west and higher on the Tibetan plateau, Kangding is a turbid mixture of Tibetan and Han cultures with an approximately 50/50 split population of 100,000 people, with a small population of other ethinic minorities.

Fed by nearby Gongga Mt and Zheduo Mt, the river cuts Kangding in half and fills the streets with a constant roar

A small, but rapidly moving river divides the narrow valley city into Northwest and Southeast halves. The noise from the rushing waters echoes throughout the city streets. Summertime is accompanied by higher volumes of rainwater and thus higher volumes of river noise. Wind rips through the valley bringing with it a significant wind chill. Thus, even many Tibetans consider Kangding a colder place to spend the winter months than in their high plateau hometowns. Towering over the Southeast part of the town is the famous Paoma (“Running Horse”) Mountain. Residents and visitors regularly climb to the top of the hill for a view of the city, or for festivals or cultural events that the city hosts.

While in Kangding there are several places that travelers may wish to explore. With multiple monasteries, the Nanwu Monastery to the west side of town is the most active in the area, but the Ngachu Monastery might be one you wish to visit as it is conveniently located in town and has less traffic. The Lhamo Tse Monastery is about 2 kms from downtown, and Dentok Monastery lies at the top of Mt. Paoma, with travelers either taking the cable car or hiking to the top. Those wandering People’s Square in the morning are likely to find Tai Chi, but at night the square is filled with Tibetan or Western-style dancing. Most travelers enjoy joining in on the community fun.

There are plenty of options for day hikes around Kangding. A good source for information on nearby activities is Zhilam Hostel which is located on the west side of the valley on the hillside above Kangding Hotel. Outside of Kangding there is plenty to do as well. For active travellers there is the option of arranging a trek in the incomparable alpine wonderland of Mt. Gongga (Minya Konka in Tibetan) south of the city. The area around Gongga Mountain can accommodate any length of trek from one day to multi-day, and even extended backcountry treks for up to two weeks or more. For those who prefer a less active adventure, 40min by car west of the city sits a gorgeous alpine lake known locally as Mugecuo. Though the lake area has become commercialized with tourism in recent years, it still remains a good option for a scenic day trip.

Camping within one day’s trek of Kangding, near Gongga Mt. (Minya Konka)

Mugecuo is a local alpine lake about 40min drive from Kangding

There are multiple transportation options in and out of Kangding. The bus station sits at the northeast entrance to town just before the road drops toward Chengdu. There are multiple daily departures from Kangding to Chengdu and most major travel nodes in Eastern Tibet (Litang, Ganzi, Dege, etc.). Private vehicles are also for hire around the bus station. Travelers are now also able to fly into and out of Kangding via the recently built airport on the plateau, a 45min drive from the city. Leaving Kangding it is a 30km drive of nonstop climbing to the top of Zheduo Pass to reach the third highest airport in the world at 4,280m. On a clear day the airport has breathtaking views of the nearby Gongga and Yala mountain ranges.

Zheduo pass (4200m) between Kangding and the airport

June 20, 2016
Yulshul (Yushu)

Mostly inhabited by Tibetans, Yushu (ཡུལ་ཤུལ།) is located in the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the southern Qinghai province of China. The town, also referred to as Jyekundo (སྐྱེ་དགུ་མདོ།), Gyêgu, Gyêgudo or Jiegu is a multi-ethnic town with Tibetan nomadic residents and Han Chinese traders. Yushu lies at an elevation of 4,000 meters and has the fountainheads of Asia’s three great rivers – the Yellow River, the Yangtze River, and the Mekong River. The rivers are part of the Sanjiangyuan National Nature Reserve in the region. Besides the Tongtian River Bridge, a stone column inscribed with the reserve’s name was given by the former president, Jiang Zemin.
Jyekundo Dondrubling Monastery

The Jyekundo Monastery is found on a hill overlooking Yushu Town and belongs to the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In the past, a Bon Temple was present on the site, but later in 1398, Jyekundo Temple was constructed in its place. It consisted of 16 temples and was home to around 500 monks before the earthquake of 2010 hit the area.

Gyanak Mani Temple

About 6 kilometers east of Jyekundo Town is the Gyanak (Jiana) Mani Stone Field which has an enormous collection of carved prayer stones depicting Buddha sculptures ad mantras. There are over 2 million prayer stones stacked on top of each other spread across a square kilometer and reaching a height of 3 meters. Pilgrims from across the region pay a visit to the temple and make koras of the stone pile.

Temple of Princess Wencheng

Located 20 kilometers south outside of Yushu Town, the temple honors Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty when she was on her way to Lhasa in the 7^th century. Every Tibetan New Year, devotees visit the temple and perform a kora. The area surrounding the temple consists of thousands of prayer flags and offers picturesque views of the grasslands below and snowy mountains far away.

Row of stupas in Yushu

Qinghai Yushu Horse Racing Festival

Every year on 25th July, a Horse Racing Festival is held in the grasslands of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the Qinghai Province for sturdy Khampas to display their sportsmanship. The Yushu Horse Racing Festival is attended by Tibetan nomads across the Kham region, who set up tents for the week-long festivities. The warm weather transforms the valley into lush green spaces ideal for camping and horse racing. Apart from the traditional horse races, there is also folk singing and dancing, Buddhist ceremonies and various other sports and activities as part of the festival. Tibetan herbs and handicrafts are also widely sold during the event. Women dress in their best traditional gowns and ornaments, while monks are seen clad in red robes. The tribal men wear robes with tiger stripes or panther skins.

May 27, 2016
Nyiden (Yading)

Yading Village is small rural establishment in Daocheng County of the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province of China. Located on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Yading village is 3,700 meters above sea level. Yading village and its surrounding sights are part of the Shangri-la Natural Tourist Zone. Yading in Tibetan is referred to as Nyiden (ཉིན་སྟེང་།), which means ‘facing the sun’. Yading Village serves as base for exploration to the breathtaking Yading Nature Reserve.
Field found in Yading with beautiful landscape of the mountains in the background, untouched by industrialization.

Yading Nature Reserve

Honored as the last Shangri-la, the last pure land on earth and the holy land in the sun, Yading Nature Reserve is characterized by snow-covered mountains, vast green meadows, crystal clear rivers, glacier-fed lakes, and dense forests. It occupies an area of 1,344 square kilometers and has an average altitude of well over 4,000 meters. This mountain sanctuary comprises of the three holy mountains that have an altitude of around 6,000 meters – Chenrezig, Jampayang, and Chenadorje. The Yading Reserve serves as an important Tibetan pilgrimage location as the Fifth Dalai Lama sanctified the three mountain peaks.

The three holy mountains are in a triangle formation cradling clear rivers, forested valleys, pristine lakes and exquisite wildlife. The area surrounding the three mountains is called Rigsum Gonpo. The highest of the three is Mount Chenrezig at 6,032 meters and signifies the Bodhisattva of Mercy. At the foot of the mountain is the clear Pearl Lake (Zhenzhu Hai). Mount Jambeyang, with an altitude of 5,958 meters, represents the Bodhisattva of Wisdom while Mount Chanadorje, with similar height, represents the Bodhisattva of Power.

Gongga Chonggu Temple

This 800-year old temple built during the Yuan Dynasty is now just fragments of broken walls as it has been severely damaged over the years. The remnants of Chonggu Monastery lie at the foot of Mount Chenrezig and consist of a Shijia sculpture in the chapel. Nevertheless, lamas can be seen reading Buddhist scriptures and murmuring religious songs at the Chonggu Monastery.

Luorong Pasture

Luorong Grassland is an elevated plateau (4,150 meters) that offers a spectacular vantage point of the three sacred mountains. It consists of lush green grass and winding streams and ponds. Not only does it offer a place for cattle and sheep to graze, but also lodging facilities to visitors.

Wusu (Five Color Lake) and Niunai Lake (Milk Lake)

The jewel like lakes in Yading are fed by glacier run-off. This one is known as “milk lake”

Milk Lake is created from a glacier runoff and boasts a milky turquoise color. It is bordered on one side by mountain-sized cliffs. Close to Milk Lake is the Five Color Lake which is surrounded by mountains on three sides and flows into the Zheduo River. Both these lakes are between Chenrezig and Jambeyang mountains and in sunlight, present an awesome burst of kaleidoscope colors.

May 27, 2016
Chaktreng (Xiangcheng)

Located in the Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Region of Sichuan province in China, the town of Xiangcheng (乡城) is in a scenic valley which stands at an altitude of 3,200 meters. Xiangcheng Town is also referred to as Chaktreng Town (ཕྱག་ཕྲེང་།) in Tibetan, which means ‘rosaries in Buddha’s hands’.
From a Small Village to a Bustling Town

Previously, Xiangcheng was a small village up in the highlands of northern Tibet. Relying heavily on agriculture, Xiangcheng Village was nestled between wheat paddy fields, and produced dairy products to sell across the county. Local Tibetans built large, cubical stone houses with white walls and colorful decorations around the windows, located alongside the Shuqu River. These small castle-like houses are very different from traditional Khampa houses and radiate a North African flair.

Today, Xiangcheng Town still has acres of wheat fields and traditional square houses, but has seen heavy development converting it into a bustling rural town. Hotels, restaurants, outdoor cafes and stores selling essentials and Tibetan artifacts have sprung up in town. Xiangcheng Town, is a beautiful valley village with a modern Chinese downtown.

History of Xiangcheng Village

Xiangcheng was regarded as the White Wolf State during the rule of Eastern Han, Three Kingdoms, Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Since the Xiangcheng region is surrounded by huge mountains from all sides, it remained as a remote location along the ancient caravan route that connected Yunan with Sichuan and Tibet. Strategically located, Xiangcheng people had firm characters displaying ruthlessness and unfriendliness to outsiders. When Joseph Rock came to see the area more than 80 years ago, he found Xiangcheng difficult to access as it was ruled by Sashatimba, who was an outlaw chief living at the Sangpiliang Monastery.

Chaktreng Monastery

Chaktreng Monastery, also known as Chaktreng Gompa or Xiangcheng Monastery, was originally built in 1669 and belongs to the Kagyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The Chaktreng Monastery stands above the town and provides great views of the agricultural valley and stone houses. The Chaktreng Gompa overlooks the Chinese Martyr’s Cemetery. The Chaktreng Gompa has been reconstructed beautifully by painters, carvers, and carpenters to reflect the original temple.

Bamu Mountain

Bamu Mountain falls just outside the two to the west and is an impressive peak of many granite spires. There are a lot of waterfalls, the famous Bamu Lake, bizarre stones, protected animals, and rare flora in the Bamu mountainous area. Bamu Mountain and Lake are spread over 432 hectares. Bamu Mountain is considered to be holy as the spirit Jawarenga is said to dwell in the mountain.

May 27, 2016
Lhagang (Tagong)

A small, picturesque town located in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan Province, Lhagang (ལྷ་སྒང་།) is home to scenic grasslands, devoted monks and Tibetan nomads with their thousands of thick-coated yaks. Lhagang, also known as Tagong (塔公) in Chinese, is situated in the ancient Kham region in southwest China at an altitude of 3,700m. This treasured place in the foothills of the Tibetan plateau is around 110 kilometers from Kangding city. The town of Tagong features traditional Tibetan-style houses built from stone.

As a tourist attraction, Tagong is a Wild West town offering an insight into the local Tibetan Buddhist culture with its monasteries, as well as horse riding, hiking, and Tibetan homestays.

Historical Temples

Tagong, meaning ‘favorite place of bodhisattva’ in the local language, is home to Tagong Monastery and Lhagang Monastery. The historic Tagong Monastery (Lhagang Gompa) is right in the town center while the Lhagang Monastery is at a ten minute walk south of the town center.

Tagong Monastery (Small Jokhang Temple)

The famous Tagong Monastery was built during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) to honor the journey of Princess Wencheng on her way to Lhasa for her wedding to Tibetan King, Songtsen Gampo. It houses the replica of the sacred statue of Jowo Sakya-muni Buddha at Jokhang Temple in Lhasa along with scriptures of the Sakya Buddhist sect and other cultural relics more than 10,000 years old. A major three-day Buddha event is held at the end of June every year at the Monastery.

Lhagang Monastery

At the foothills of the sacred snowcapped mountain lies the Lhagang Monastery. The Lhagang Monastery consists of the Muya Golden Pagoda, which was built in 1997. The Muya Golden Pagoda was gifted by a Living Buddha of Zhuqing Monastery. It has a 100-kilogram pure gold roof in the center of the monastery’s four towers and honors the Living Buddha 10th Panchan.

Meeting at the monastery to learn and pray.

Tagong Grasslands

Tagong Grasslands are a vast expanse of meadow covering an area of 712.37 square kilometers. These beautiful grasslands are home to Tibetan nomads grazing their herds of yaks and living in traditional black yak wool tents. A Horse Race Festival is held in the grasslands every year at the beginning of the eight month of the lunar calendar. Local Tibetan herdsmen in great numbers get together to watch the sport and attend the Tibetan opera. These festivities are witness to the authentic Kham Tibetan culture.

Yaks travelling across the grasslands of Tagong

Mount Yala

Mount Yala is located at an altitude of 5,820m in the midst of Danba, Kangding and Daofu and is covered with snow all year round. With the magnificent Golden Padoga and captivating grasslands, Mount Yala presents spectacular views and hiking opportunities. Mount Yala is worshiped by Tibetan people as the area’s patron saint. The Yala river sprouts from the Yala Mountain and merges with the Dadu river up ahead.

May 26, 2016
Sershul (Shiqu)

Shiqu Town (石渠), also known as Sershul (སེར་ཤུལ།), Serxu, Dzachuka, or Shiquis, is a town in Shiqu County in the Garze Autonomous Prefecture in the northern part of the Chinese Sichuan Province. Shiqu County is spread over 25,000 square kilometers and lies approximately 4,200 meters above sea level on average. Mostly covered by green pastures and grazing yaks, Shiqu is home to a majority of ethnic Tibetans with most of them being nomadic herdsmen.
Shiqu has become an important center for trade for nomads who regularly arrive in town to buy and sell goods. The town now also has restaurants serving local food and decent hotels for visitors.

Sershul Tekchen Dargyeling Monastery

The Sershul Monastery is large monastery in Shiqu which belongs to the Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddism. The monastery, housing the Buddhist Monastic University, has authorization to teach the highest Tibetan Buddhist Geshe Degree. The monastery consists of six main temples, several halls and a residential building housing hundreds of monks. Two huge chanting halls with artifacts dedicated to the founder, Je Tsongkhapa, are present in the largest temple. There are also other rare and sacred Buddhist pieces in the monastery, some of which date back to 2,000 years. Every year, a Molam Festival or Prayer Festival is held in the monastery in October which is heavily attended by nomads from Dege, Yushu and Nagchu.

Shiqu Horse Festival

Every summer in July, a Horse Festival is held in Shiqu where nomads from across the region gather to show their sportsmanship and engage in several different sporting events. The Shiqu Horse Festival creates a festive atmosphere for Tibetans who dance, drink and enjoy horse races. During the festival, Tibetan women are seen wearing colorful robes and decorative waist bands, huge necklaces, amber hair decorations and fancy embroidered hats.

Shiqu statue showing King Gesar.

The Legend of Sershul

According to legend, when King Gesar defeated one of King Hal’s brothers i.e. the King of Yellow Tent, he let some of his previous followers stay in the region. Although they lived peacefully, they felt the need of a place of worship. A man named Sershul suggested them to build a monastery after seeking permission from the descendant of King Gesar, the Derge King. The former followers of Hal Kingdom sent Kagyu Lohrong Dondeng to convince the King of Derge to allow a religious site to be set up. The local people named the monastery as Sershul Monastery once it was built to laud the person who proposed this idea.

May 25, 2016
Shangri-La

Shangri-La (སེམས་ཀྱི་ཉི་ཟླ།) is a name that conjures images of an idyllic paradise: cloud-carpeted sunrises with grassy outcroppings in a utopian society that lives in perfect harmony with nature. Zhongdian, Yunnan (now known as Shangri-La) is definitely some of those things. It has snow-capped mountains, clouds, sunrises (and sunsets), a mighty river, and remarkable gorges. It stands at an elevation of 3,000 meters in the northwestern corner of Yunnan, China.
Farms in Shangrila, on the outskirts of town

Shangri-La is the capital of Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is sandwiched between the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) to its west and Sichuan to its east. It is about 315 kilometers to the north of Dali and 659 kilometers from Kunming. Shangri-la town is at the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and is a door to the UNESCO World Heritage Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas. These three major rivers include the Salween, the Yangtze, and the Mekong. They all flow in the same north-to-south direction among the mountains.

From Zhongdian to Shangri-la

Once known as Zhongdian, the town’s name was changed to ‘Shangri-la’ to attract tourists after James Hilton’s famous novel The Lost Horizon featured a lost paradise in the Tibetan highlands. Every town in the region rushed to claim to the title. But after much effort by Zhongdian’s mayor, it won the right to wear the crown: Shangri-la. In Tibetan, Shangri-La translates to the Land of Peace and Sacredness. Originally, its Tibetan name is Gyaitang or Gyalthang which means Royal Plains. Shangri-la town is home to mostly Tibetan and Han residents. Small pockets of Yi, Naxi, Lisu, and Bai minorities also hail from here. Outside the city, the countryside is dotted with Tibetan nomads.

Shangrila old town

Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Monastery)

The Songzanlin Monastery is perched on a hill a few kilometers to the north of Shangri-La town. Being the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, Songzanlin is home to about 700 “Yellow Hat” monks. This impressive structure represents Tibetan culture and was built in the style of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. This spiritual center hosts images of Tsongkapa and Sakyamuni. It also contains portraits of the revered tenth Panchen Lama, an important religious figure in Tibetan Buddhism. The Songzanlin Monastery was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution but has been rebuilt to reflect its past glory.

Pudacuo National Park

Pudacuo National Park, a treasure trove of flora and fauna, is 20 kilometers east of Shangri-la town at an elevation of 3,500 to 4,000 meters. It is one of the first National Parks in China and is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Three Parallel Rivers Scenic Area. The Pudacuo Park has diverse topography and a variety of wild animals and plants. Lakes Bita and Shudu are nestled there between forest-covered mountains.

May 25, 2016
Sertar (Seda)

Seda (色达) is located at an elevation of about 4,000 meters in a remote valley on the Tibetan Plateau, in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the western part of Sichuan province in China. The Tibetans know Seda by the name of Sertar (གསེར་ཐར།), which means Golden Horse.

Though Sertar is located in the historical Kham region of the Garze Prefecture, it is traditionally part of the Golok region where natives speak Amdo Tibetan language. This is why Sertar is referred by to by Tibetans as Golok Sertar. The Setar region, a treeless remote valley, has gained immense popularity because it is home to the largest Tibetan Buddhist school in the world.

Seda Larung Wuming Tibetan Buddhist Monastery

At a distance of about 780 kilometers from Chengdu, this monastery in Larung Gar, Sertar, is home to 40,000 Tibetan monks who have devoted their lives to studying Buddhism. The institute, belonging to the Nyingma sect (red sect) of Tibetan Buddhism, is where tens of thousands of Lamas (local male Buddhists) and Juemus (local female Buddhists) practice monastic study. They practice in red houses, thousands of which look like red dots scattered around this spiritual valley.

The surrounding hills of the monastery are also sprinkled with tiny, red, wooden houses built close together. The monks and nuns are separated by a massive wall right across the middle of Larung Gar. Monks and nuns are required to stay in their designated area. Only the area in front of the main monastery assembly hall is open to both.

View of both the Monestary and the population of monks coming to live and study in Seda

Establishment of the Buddhist Academy

The living Buddha, Jinmei Pengcuo, founded this Buddhist Academy in Larong, Seda in 1980. Back then, this Bhuddism sect had only 32 followers and was approved by the Seda government in 1985. The academy received its official name of Seda Larung Wuming Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in 1997. Since then it has developed into the largest Buddhist institute in the world.

The Larung Buddhist Monastery in the highest grassland plateau is open to all devotees from various sects of Tibetan Buddhism: Gelug, Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya unlike other monasteries. Buddhism is taught at the Monastery in both Tibetan and Mandarin languages because students come here not only from Tibetan areas but also from across the rest of China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore. It takes six years of study to complete formal training while higher levels of Monastic study require up to thirteen years. Apart from monks, nuns and students, the Monastery attracts thousands of pilgrims across Tibet. Visitors to the institute can watch readings in the morning and student debates in the evening.

Note

As of 2017 Sertar Monastery is not open to western travellers. We don’t have exact information of an opening date. But we will update once we know the opening date.

May 25, 2016
Manigangou

Located in Ganzi Prefecture in Sichuan Province in southwest China, Manigangou (མ་ཎི་གད་མགོ།)is a small yet active town at an elevation of 3,950 meters. It is a town exhibiting typical nomad culture with Tibetan herdsmen riding on horses, Khampas on flashy motorcycles passing by and people enjoying drinks in wooden Tibetan houses. Manigangou is a single-street cowboy town at the edge of the grasslands near Chola Mountain, which has a lot to offer within and around its surroundings.
Strategic Location of Manigangou

This small nomad town lies at the intersection of three main roads: Kandze at 85 kilometers to the southeast, Derge at 110 kilometers to southwest, Yushu and Serxu 429 kilometers to the northwest. Truckers coming from and to Tibet make a stop at Manigangou to take a sip of Yak buttered tea and unwind before moving ahead on their journey. In the past, Manigangou was regarded as an important transfer and hiatus station on the Tea Horse Road where caravan fleets would stop.

Locals gather to trade yaks in Manigangou.

Yilhun Lhatso Lake

Yilhun Lhatso, also known as Xinluhai or Yulong Lake, is a gorgeous lake at an altitude of around 4,200 meters, just 11 kilometers west of Manigangou town. This sacred and beautiful glacial lake is nestled amidst the rocky, snowy Chola Mountains of Trola range. Offering beautiful sceneries, Yilhun Lhatso Lake is a protected nature reserve. On the shores of this lake one can find dozens of religious, carved prayer stones, as this is a holy lake. The stunning alpine lake is said to provide meditation opportunities for those who wish to achieve enlightenment. Several monks come from the nearby monasteries to meditate. The grasslands around Yilhun Lhatso Lake are perfect for hiking, camping and horse riding.

Dzogchen Gompa Monastery

About 30 kilometers from Manigangou is the Dzogchen Gompa Monastery. Dzogchen Monastery is among the largest Monasteries of Nyingmapa School in Kham region, and is an active center of spiritual study and practice and a major pilgrimage site. Dzogchen Gompa was built in the late 16^th century by First Dzogchen, Pema Rigdzen on the order of the Fifth Dalai Lama. Dzogchen Monastery has been home to many great masters including Khenpo Pema Vajra, Khenpo Shenga, Patrul Rinpoche and Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso. The monastery was destroyed by fire in 1936 and was later rebuilt but destroyed again by the Chinese in 1959. As per the directions of the 14th Dalai Lama, the Dzogchen Monastery was re-established in South India in the late 1950s. Since the early 1980s, the original monastery has been undergoing reconstruction.

May 25, 2016
Lithang (Litang)

Lying at the edge of a vast grassland valley, Lithang (ལི་ཐང་།) is the administrative hub of Litang County. Also known in Chinese as Litang town (理塘) , the town is situated in the southwest of Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. Litang is a historic town at an altitude of around 4,000 meters above sea level, even higher than Lhasa, which is why it is even known as a ‘town up in the air’.
This town in the midst of grassy hills is a major center of Tibetan culture in Kham and bustles with trading activities of Tibetan people and nomadic shepherds. The population of Litang town is around 60,000 with the majority being ethnically Tibetan. Litang town is a blend of tradition and modernity with fortress-like brown stone houses, satellite dishes and power lines.

A stupa is seen surrounded by thousands of inscribed stones in a mani pile.

Significance of Litang

Litang town has been home to several important and renowned Buddhist personalities including the seventh Dalai Lama, the tenth Dalai Lama, four Pakpalhas, Zebutsundaba Lama of Mogonia, the 7th Gyamuyang Lama, and the first three Xianggen living Buddha.

Litang Horse Race Festival

For hundreds of years, Litang is famed for its horse racing festivities where Khampas gather together from all across Tibet and Southwest China. The festival not only gives a chance for Kham Tibetans to display their sportsmanship skills, but also provides opportunities for trading supplies, singing and dancing. The Horse Race Festival usually takes place in the first week of August and lasts for about a week. Tibetan nomads set up tents on the grasslands and wait anxiously for the big event. The horse festival is not a mere race, but a matter of socio-economic hierarchy, and honor and prestige in the participating Khampas. At the festival, people and horses dress to impress. Women wear their finest robes with impressive jewelry and head gear while participating horses are adorned with colorful fabric.

Litang Monastery

The Litang Chöde Monastery lies at the north of the town and was built in 1580, honoring the third Dalai Lama (Sonam Gyatso, 1543-1588). The Litang Monastery is the biggest Gelukpa monestary in the Kham region making it important to Tibetan Buddhists. In 1956, a major portion of the Monastery was destroyed when resistance erupted to communist reforms in Kham. Over time, many buildings of the Monastery have been reconstructed. It is said that the seventh Dalai Lama had resided in one of the chambers of the Monastery.

May 25, 2016
Garze (Ganzi)

Lying in the vast expanse of the beautiful Ganzi Valley (甘孜) at an altitude of 3,800 meters, surrounded by the majestic Chola Mountain, green hills dotted with yaks and rocky ridges, is the active Ganzi town. Ganzi town (also known as Garnze, Ganze, and Kandze (དཀར་མཛེས་རྫོང་།)) is the capital of Ganzi County situated in Garze Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan Province of China. The town, about 385 kilometers northwest from Kangding town, overlooks the stunning snow-peaked mountains of Minya Konka (Mt. Gongga / Gongga Shan) range and has Rongcha River passing through it.

Ganzi Town

The lively market town is populated by a majority of Tibetan people, and is an interesting area in terms of landscape and culture as it is traditionally part of the Kham Tibetan region. The town radiates a strong sense of Tibetan tradition and culture as tough Khampas (the name given to the people of Kham) and yaks can be seen roaming around town. The main intersection is crowded with people, trucks, cabs, motorcycles, and even a few horses. A central street in the town is Chuanzang Road, which is lined with small shops selling traditional Tibetan clothing, jewelry and others accessories. There are also shops that display antiques, traditional Tibetan hand-carved furniture, as well as monk’s garments, and religious artefacts. The town also features modern supermarkets selling food, beer, Chinese wine, music CDs, and DVDs.

Ganzi Monastery

Ganzi Monastery, known as Ganzi Gompa in Tibetan, is found at the north of the town and belongs to the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism. This large monastery was built in 1642 by Mongols after they took control of the area. During the Chinese Revolution, the monastery was partially destroyed, but was later rebuilt in Han Chinese style with white tiles and plastic window panes.

Therefore, when compared with other monasteries, Ganzi Monastery has lost its original Tibetan charm and is now a fusion of Tibetan and Chinese architecture. With over 1,500 monks, the Ganzi Monastery is the largest Gelugpa religious site besides the Litang and Chamdo Monasteries in the Kham region. The halls and terraces of the monastery offer amazing views of the surrounding beautiful valley with its lofty hills and the bustling Ganzi town.

This 540-year old monastery is adorned with a considerable amount of gold. The walls of the grand main hall are lined with hundreds of small golden Buddha statues (Sakyamunis) while an inspiring, large statue of Jampa (Maitreya or Future Buddha) clad in a silk robe stands in a smaller hall to the west of the main hall. With many resident monks and devotees from the town and nearby areas circling the little chapels with giant prayer wheels, the temple is bustling throughout the day.

May 25, 2016
Derge (Dege )

Derge (སྡེ་དགེ ) in the native tongue which means land of mercy in Tibetan, is located in the Garze Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in the Kham area of the Tibetan Plateau. The town is regarded as the cultural hub of the Kham region in the northwest of Sichuan province, close to the border with the Tibetan Autonomous Region. The town of Dege sits in a valley close to the Tibetan border and is made up of a mix of traditional Tibetan colorful houses and modern Chinese concrete buildings.

History of Dege

This town, along with Lhasa and Xiahe, was a historic center of Tibetan culture and the seat of kings of the Dege Kingdom. Being an influential kingdom in Kham, the Kingdom of Dege was recognized as a hub for politics, religion and industry. In the 15^thcentury, the town became the kingdom’s capital under the rule of Lodro Tobden. The Chinese government took control of the kingdom in 1727, and in 1733, its king was elevated to the status of Hsuan Wei Ssu. In 1895, the town was taken over by forces sent by the Governor-General of Szechuan, and the king and his family was taken as prisoners to Chengdu. By the time China intervened, the king died leaving behind two sons who struggled to take over the throne. From 1908 to 1918, China had direct control over Dege.

Barkhang (Parkhang) Scripture Printing House

The Dege Parkhang Printing House is a cultural treasure in Tibet, housing publications of different sects of Tibetan Buddhism and culture as well as works of science and technology, medicine, history, mathematics and language among others. With over 250,000 hand-engraved wooden blocks of knowledge, the Dege Barkhang is home to 70% of Tibet’s literary heritage. Even today, artisans continue to carve wood to preserve Buddhist scriptures, and expert printing staff handprint books.

Derge Sutra Printing Temple, as it is also known, was established in 1729 by the fortieth Dege King, Kemba Tsering and took about 21 years to be constructed. Surprisingly, the Dege Parkhang remained unaffected during the campaigns of Gonpo Namgyal, the early twentieth century succession struggles and religious and cultural suppression under the Chinese Communist Party.

The Barkhang also holds religious significance to Tibetans who come here from across the region to walk holy koras around it.

Gonchen Monastery

Gonchen Monastery, also known as a Derge Monastery, is a huge Sakya sect Tibetan Buddhist Monastery. It was built in 1448 by renowned Buddhist polymath and physician, Thang Tong Gyalpo. Derge Monastery came under attack during the Cultural Revolution but was restored in the eighties and is now home to about 300 monks. The monastery boasts a unique design and is adorned with white, dark red and gray colors linked with the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

May 25, 2016
Dawu ( Daofu)

An agricultural region dotted with big, beautiful Tibetan houses, Dawu (རྟའུ།) lies in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Sichuan Province, China. Dawu, known as Daofu (道孚) in the Chinese language, is accessible by road from Kangding (219 kilometers) and Chengdu (585 kilometers). Daofu region lies at an average altitude of 2,560 meters above sea level at the southeastern edge of Qingzang Plateau. It is nestled between the counties of Kangding and Yajiang to the south, Xinlong to the west, and Jinchuan, Zamtang, and Luhuo to the north. It is known for its high-quality Tibetan architecture displayed in its folk houses as well as furniture.
Traditional Daofu Folk Houses

In Daofu, Tibetans have built their houses on mountains surrounded by green woods. These rows upon rows of white and brown houses are built with wood, stone, and earth. Apart from the white exterior walls, the houses have a gold-painted roof that shines brightly under the sun. The roof is constructed in shape similar to the Chinese character “井”. The window frames and eaves of the houses are intricately carved with complex, amazing patterns of dragons, phoenixes, giraffes, cranes, flowers, birds, and clouds.

The interior of the houses consist of spacious and bright rooms providing a comfortable living environment. Representing a folk art museum, exquisite and classic Tibetan paintings are adorned on the doors, girders, pillars, and walls. Adding to this, hand-carved, colorful Tibetan furniture and décor add a unique charm to the rooms. Every Tibetan house has a meditation room, which is decorated with Thangka and colorful lights, and Buddhist sculptures surrounded by pretty flowers. The rooms carry a relaxing aroma in the air to reinforce the meditation process.

Daofu is known for their unique style of architecture.

These Tibetan houses are built close to the rivers and mountains facing east towards the sun so that they are cool in summer and warm in winter. Because of the solid, simple structure of the houses, they are also earthquake resistant. In Daofu today, these Tibetan villas on the hills stand together with modern hotels, shops, and restaurants downtown.

Referred to as ‘Double Wonder’, the local Tibetan residential houses display the rich ethnic culture of Daofu and their local customs. Even the local Daofu food is very different from Chinese regions and has traditional rich flavor.

Nique Gompa Monastery

Located at the center of town, Nique Gompa belongs to the Geluk sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It offers a good vantage point of the three sacred mountains in the surrounding area. It was built in 1662 and houses famous sculptures made from Highland Barley Butter (tsampa).

May 25, 2016
Dabpa (Daocheng)

Dapba (འདབ་པ།) is located in Daocheng County in the Garze Autonomous Prefecture in Southwest Sichuan, close to the border of Northwest Yunnan. The town is at an altitude of 3,750 meters and is the best starting point for the Tibetan areas of western and southern Sichuan. Dapba is known as Daocheng Town (稻城) in Chinese.
The town itself is a thinly populated, dusty two-street town that lives off agriculture, where farms with crops, tractors, and livestock are commonly seen. The area around the town consists of wild countryside with lofty hills, and winding rivers and valleys. The local Tibetan residents consider their hills and mountains sacred.

Daocheng town offers a passage to the famed Yading’s Nature Reserve.

Yading is known for the land’s natural beauty.

Yading Nature Reserve

The famous explorer, Dr. Joseph Rock, on his exploration journey of the southeast Tibetan Plateau, stumbled upon the nature and beauty of Yading and photographed the entire area. Later in 1931, an issue of National Geographic detailed Dr. Rock’s exploration of the area together with incredible photographs of Yading. Tibetans have cherished Yading Nature Reserve for a long time and associated the three majestic peaks of Yading – Chenresig, Jampelyang, and Chanadorje – with the abode of their gods. Even today, local Tibetans make a Kora of the highest peak, Mount Chenrezig, at least once a year.

Daocheng Yading Airport

The Daocheng Yading Airport is situated 50 kilometers north of town and about 130 kilometers from Yading Nature Reserve. It holds the record of being the world’s highest civilian airport at an altitude of 4,411 meters – making Qamdo Bamda Airport in Tibet (4334 meters) the second highest airport. It was built in two years and cost around $255 million to build. The airport can handle up to 280,000 passengers annually and is serviced by Air China, China Eastern Airlines, and Sichuan Airlines.

Mount Haizi (Mountain of Lakes)

Mount Haizi or Mount Zhara Lhatse peaks at an altitude of 4,500 meters and boasts an amazing number of lakes – 1,145 in total. Mount Haizi is a national nature reserve that is covered with unique geological formations as a result of glacial erosion. On way to town, Mount Haizi can be seen in parallel with the Daocheng River. Mount Zhara Lhatse is also known as the ‘old ice cap of Daocheng’.

Other Sights around the town

Gonggaling Lamasery was constructed in the 15th century and is located 62 kilometers south of the town along the road to Yading. It is the biggest monastery in the county, and it holds an exquisite bronze statue of Maitreya (the Future Buddha) given by the Fifth Dalai Lama. Also in the area, about 4 kilometers outside of Daocheng are the famous Rubachaka Hot Springs.

May 25, 2016
Rongtrak (Danba)

Rongtrak (རོང་བྲག), also known in Chinese as Danba County (丹巴), is situated around 350 kilometers west of Chengdu, in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of western Sichuan Province. As the county seat, it is a bustling town that sits in a tight canyon on the banks of the Dadu River at the convergence of three valleys. ‘Kingdom of Watchtowers’ and ‘Beauty Valley’ are two titles given to Danba County because of its many watchtowers and beautiful Tibetan women!
Danba Villages

Tibetan villages on the slopes above the valley below are culturally rich places that have been dubbed as paradise on earth. The famous among these include Jiaju, Zhonglu, and Suopo – littered with watchtowers and traditional Tibetan fortress houses. Each of these villages is on a separate mountain a short distance from one another. All three Tibetan villages have their own unique architecture and culture depicted in their housing style.

Ancient architecture still dots the landscape in Zhonglu Village, Danba County

Watchtowers

Danba County is scattered with stone watchtowers ranging from 300 to 1,500 years old. These watchtowers were constructed in different polygonal shapes and with differing heights up to 60 meters using refined construction techniques. Some are clustered together while others stand alone on hills. The majority of these watchtowers are found in the villages of Zhonglu and Jiaju.

A view of Danba’s Watchtowers.

Their Historical Uses

Moreover, different types of watchtowers at different locations served unique purposes. These include Yao’ai (Strategic Pass), which was erected at strategic places such as mountain passes to deter entrance. Jia (Dwelling) was built within villages to connect houses and served as storage during peace and as defense during war. The Zhai tower (Village) was set up at the entrance to villages for protection. Lastly, Fenghuo (Beacon-Fire) watchtowers were positioned at hilltops for communication purposes using flames/fires.

Current Day Usage

Danba’s towers were not only used for protection from enemies but also signified a family’s influential status. Today these watchtowers are used by farmers to store equipment on the ground floor.

Farms in Zhonglu Village, Danba County

Valley of Beauties

Tibetan women in the villages of Danba County have gained the reputation of being attractive and graceful. Their stunning beauty thus gives the valley its name – Beauty Valley. Many women have now left the villages for better job opportunities as hostesses, office assistants, and models in bigger cities. According to a myth, a phoenix that flew to Mo’erduo Mountain (Holy Mountain) transformed into thousands of pretty women, which is why women are blessed with beauty in the area. Every three years, a beauty contest is held in the County to select the prettiest girl. Danba girls are usually seen to be wearing a headdress, turquoise and coral ornaments into their plaited hair, and an ethnic style red dress.

May 25, 2016
Bathang (Batang)

Lying in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province of China, Bathang (འབའ་ཐང་།) also known as Batang Town (巴塘) in Chinese , is a fertile area at an altitude of 2,700 meters. The town is located on the main road between Lhasa and Chengdu, overlooking the Jinsha River (translated as Golden Sands River which is the Upper Yangtse River) to its west. This valley town relies mainly on agriculture because of its highly fertile soil. In the past, Batang was an important element of the horse and tea trade between Tibet, China, and India. It functioned as a stopover point on the Tea Horse Road between Lhasa and Ya’an. The houses in town are close to the river at the mountain’s base, and are made of mud rather than wood or stone.
Horses graze near town.

Etymology of Batang

Historically, the town was called M’Bah in Tibetan language. The word Batang comes from ‘ba’ which is the noise that sheep make and ‘tang’ which means plain. Therefore, the town name implies wide grasslands where sheep can be heard from everywhere.

History of Batang

After the Great War between Tibet and China, the boundary between the two was defined in 1726 between the head-waters of the Yangtse and Mekong Rivers. A stone monument was erected to the southwest of Batang to signify boundaries. The area to the west of the pillar including Litang, Derge, Nyarong, five Hor and Batang counties belonged to Tibetans, while that to the right came under Chinese control. An earthquake in 1871 heavily damaged Batang. In 1904, the Qing government tried to regain control of Kham and Amdo by sending in Zhao Erfeng, Governer of Xining. The area was heavily destroyed with monasteries and sacred texts being violated and aiming at populating the area with the poor farmers of Sichuan. By 1932, Tibetans had lost much territory and asked the Indian government to intervene. A ceasefire agreement was signed in 1934 whereby all areas to the east of Yangtze River were given to Chinese control.

A rainbow over Batang.

Chöde Gaden Pendeling Monastery

The Gelugpa Chöde Gaden Pendeling Monastery is located at the southwestern end of town near the bank of Batang River. The Chöde Pendling Monastery comprises of dramatic structures is encompassed by a high white wall, and nestled within beautiful willow and cypress trees. Similar to the Litang Monastery, Batang’s Monastery also boasts two huge golden roofs and a number of towers. The Chöden Gaden Monastery houses about 1300 to 1700 monks or lamas and is constantly thronged by priests who come in for pilgrimage. Every year, around the 26^th of the ninth Tibetan month, a performance of colorful cham dances is held near the bank of River Batang which is attended by lamas as well as the town’s residents.

A cham dance is performed.

May 25, 2016
Axu

Axu (ཨ་ཕྱུག)Town and Axu Grasslands are situated in Dege County in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, China. It is an isolated region in eastern Tibet that includes green pastures dotted with sturdy yaks, snowy, lofty and rugged mountains and crystal clear lakes. The small Axu Town and its surrounding grasslands are inhabited by nomadic herdsmen and their grazing yaks.
Axu Grasslands

Axu Grasslands are located about 230 kilometers northeast of Dege Town. Axu Grasslands cover an area of 800 sq. kilometers, and have the Yalong River flowing through it. These grasslands not only provide picturesque sceneries, but are also known for their harsh climatic conditions. The Chinese government plans to initiate projects of large-scale farming of wheat and barley, and gas exploration in Axu Grasslands. Since the grasslands are at an altitude of over 4,500 meters, they thus remain frozen for six to nine months a year. Nonetheless, this harsh and inhospitable area is believed to be the hometown of the famous Tibetan, King Gesar.

The Legendary King Gesar

A famous hero and warrior, King Gesar is said to have been born in the Axu Grasslands and was the ruler of Ling Kingdom in east Tibet during the 11^th century. He is considered to be a fearless leader who waged war against all the enemies of the kingdom and protected the poor. Different versions of King Gesar and his life exist across Tibet and Central Asia including a number of Tibetan versions, a Mongolian version, a Buryat version, a Lower Ladakhi version, a Salar version, and a Bhutan version.

The Famous Temple

The temple of King Gesar was constructed in the Axu Grasslands in 1970 by Ling Cong and was later renamed Memorial Hall of King Gesar. An enormous statue of King Gesar riding a horse stands in the main hall of the temple. The heroic tales of King Gesar are widely told by the inhabitants of Axu Grasslands in the form of stories, songs and dances. The ‘Epic of King Gesar’, the greatest literature work on the life of King Gesar, is popular in Tibet, Sichuan, Inner Mongol, Gansu, Qinghai and other places. In the Axu Grasslands, celebrations to honor the legendary warrior take place often.

The Epic of King Gesar

Similar to Iliad of Greeks and King Arthur of medieval Europeans, Tibetans have the Epic of King Gesar. Rooted deep into folklore, stories of King Gesar had been passed down generations orally while its written beginnings are found back in 1716 when it was, upon Qing Emperor’s order, translated from Tibetan. This Oriental Iliad covers important reigns of Tibetan social development and also descriptions of countless tribes and regions. The Epic of King Gesar is the longest work of literature in the world with over 120 volumes and 20 million words in more than 1 million verses.

May 25, 2016