Tibetans in Sichuan

Kham

Much of the area known as Kham, the land of the Khampas, lies in western Sichuan province. These Tibetan areas are more varied in landscape than central Tibet, with changing altitudes giving forests, river gorges, high grasslands and snow peaks.

The Khampas are known for their independent character, fine horsemanship, and festivals. The region has many monasteries, including Litang, Ganzi and Dege, and old trade routes linked to Lhasa and Yunnan.

Best time to visit: May to October
Getting there: By air or road from Chengdu, then long road journeys between towns.
Suggested stay: 5 to 10 nights

Places in and around Tibetans in Sichuan

Groups always run in this order. Inside each group, the must-see picks come first; hikes and places to stay follow the order Windhorse recommends.

Sights and attractions in Tibetans in Sichuan

Sight

Denba

Danba or Rongmi Drango (3300m) in Gyarong region of western Sichuan is a small town (Zhanggu Town) with steep crooked roads at the confluence of 2 rivers, deep in the...
Sight

Manigango

The small but bustling town on Manigango (3950m) lies at the junction of three important roads.
Sight

Daofu

Daofu (Dawu) at 3040m is laid out along the Jianshui River and it is a prosperous farming community with fine houses.
Sight

Ganzi

Ganzi (Kandze) at 3,580m is a large provincial town set on a high grass plateau, alongside Yalong river.
Sight

Xinlong

Xinlong (Barshok in Tibetan), Alt: 3050m is a small town and the county capital Nyarong, set alongside the Yalong River, is an area of high mountains cut by deep rivers.
Sight

Shiqu

Shiqu or Serxu or Serhul (4050m) sits just across the Qinghai border in Ganzi Tibet Autonomous Prefecture in northwest Sichuan province.
Sight

Derong

Derong, in Tibetan, means gorge or canyon.
Sight

Xiangcheng

Xiang Cheng (Tibetan: Chaktreng) at 3200m, in Sichuan is used as primarily as an overnight-stop on the route to Yunnan from Litang or Yading or vice versa but it is...
Sight

Baiyu

A Khampa county on the upper Yangtze in western Sichuan, home to the Nyingma Palyul Monastery.
Sight

Dege

A historic Kham town known for its Parkhang printing house and the Gonchen Monastery.
Temples & Monasteries

Chode Monastery

Litang Chode or Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery was founded in 1580 by the third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso on the site of an older Bon-monastery.
Sight

Litang

A high Khampa town at about 4,000m in western Sichuan, known for its monastery and horse festival.