Kham and Amdo in Sichuan

Zengke Si MonasteryAdventure in Kham and Amdo – Ganzi and Aba.

Gyarong Tibetan and Qiang-Minority.

Tibetan Buddhismus: Gelug Sect, Sakya Sect, Nyingma Sect, Karma-Kagyuepa Sect, Jonang Sect.

Bon monastery.

Panda in Wolong.

The First Bend of the Yellow River.

During this journey, you experience Kham and Amdo Tibetan region, culture and people as well as beautiful natural scenery in Garze and Aba prefectures, the Kham and Amdo Tibetan areas in province Sichuan.

Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is located on the South-eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, in the western part of Sichuan Province. It has 18 counties covering an area of 153,000 square kilometers with a population of 890,000. The capital is Kangding. Garze Prefecture is the center of the Kham region-one of the three branches of Tibetan Culture. It is also the center of the Shangri-La ecological travel region, which include parts of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. As Wei Ciao’an says, “In this place the very best of natural sights and national cultures of China are collected. It is a world class travel destination.” Garze is the center of tea trade, the hometown of the famous Kangding Love Song, and of Tibetan cultural hero King Gesar. It is a gallery of local cultures and history.” As Fei Xiaotong says, “This gallery is located between the Tibetan and Yi Cultures. There are many exciting historical artifacts. The area should be considered a precious preserve of history and linguistic.” Garze Prefecture is the closet Tibetan area to Chengdu, and the easiest travel to.

Aba Tibetan and Qiang prefecture lies near the east southern edge of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, in the northwest of Sichuan province, at 10031’-104027’E and 30°25’-34°19’N, mastering 13 counties: Wenchuan, Li, Miao, Jinchuan, Xiaojin, Ma’erkang, Aba, Ruo’ergai, Hongyuan, Rangtang, Songpan, Jiuzhaigou,and Heshui, with an area of 83,426 square kilometers and a population of 820,000. It enjoys the charming natural landscape, the exotic minority custom and the rich tourism resources. It boasts for its numerous hot spots including Juizhaigou Valley - the Fairy Land, Huanglong Scenic Spot, both of which have been recognized as the Natural Heritages of the World by the UNESCO; the state-level scenic spot Siguniang Shan Mountain in Xiaojin County; Miyaluo Red Leaves and hot springs scenic spot; Kalonggou Valley scenic spot in Heishui County; Hongyuan Grassland, Diexi - Songping scenic resort, the natural preserves of Baihe, Wujiao, Baodinggou, Baiyang, Xiaman; Zhuokeji tusi (local chieftain) official village; Zhibuo blockhouses; Songpan ancient walls; the relics of Lianghekou Meeting in Xiaojin, Mao’ergai Meeting in Songpan and Baxi Meeting in Ruo’ergai, all of which are important meetings in the history of the CCP; Hongyuan martyr graveyard; the Long March Monuments Garden of the Red Army in Songpan, and so on. And it is famous for its colorful festivals and unique Tibetan and Qiang lives and customs, including Yellow Dragon Temple Fair, festivals on Tibetan calendar, Walking Around Mountain Festival, Lighting Lanterns Festival, festivals in Qiang calendar, Worshipping Mountain Festival, Girls Festival, and many other pageants. Many rare animals live there, including giant pandas, golden monkeys, roes, deer, bears and panthers.

Itinerary (15 days):

Day01 Arrive in Chengdu (D)

Upon arrival of Chengdu airport, meet with guide and transfer to hotel. 1N at 3*Xinliang Hotel

Day02 Chengdu – Wolong - Danba (B/L/D)

In the morning leave Chengdu for Danba. On the way pass by Wolong Giant Panda Natural Reserve where about 50 giant pandas are bred in a semi-natural environment. After lunch at Wolong, drive to cross the foggy Balang Mountain (4,523 meters) and reach Rilong Town which is located at the foot of the Siguniang Shan (Four Girls Mountain). If it is clear, far view the four peaks of the Siguniang Shan Mountain, the highest one Forth-Girl Peak of which is acclaimed as the "queen of mountains in Sichuan” with an altitude of 6250 m. Via Xiaojin County, head for Danba County (1900 m.) The local people are called Jiarong (Gyarong) Tibetans. It is said that they are the descendants of the people of the ancient Xixia Kingdom, who merged with the local people after they fled from Gansu and settled here. Danba has long been acclaimed as the Kingdom of Thousands of Ancient Blockhouses. 1N at 2*Danba Hotel

Day03 Danba - Bamei (B/L/D)

In the morning visit the ancient block towers in Suopo. They were made of clay and block and look fine from outside with solid thick walls; and then visit the Jiaju Tibetan Residence. Jiaju, 10 kilometers away from the county city, is one of the rare places in China that has preserved complete Tibetan style residences. More than one hundred buildings keep the same architectural style with a complete and unique character of Jiarong (Gyarong) Tibetan residences. Under the blue sky, the Tibetan residences decorated in red, white and black are strewed at random but also in order from the bottom to the middle slope of the valley. Reach Bamei in the afternoon. 1N at Zhuoma Guesthouse

Day04 Bamei - Garze 1N at 2*Golden Yak Hotel (B/L/D)

Drive to Garze (Ganzi), the real cultural and religious center for the Tibetans living in Sichuan. In Tibetan "Garze" means "white and beauty", named after the famous temple in the county. Upon arrival, visit Garze monastery of yellow sect (Gelug). The temple was built in1552 by Juji Angwengpencuo the disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama.

Day05 Garze – Manigango - Dege 210 Km (B/L/D)

In the morning pass by Manigango to visit Xinluhai Lake. Located at the foot of Queer Mountain in Dege County, Xinluhai Lake Scenic Spot is 98 kilometers from Garze County and 100 kilometers from Dege County. It is 4040 meters above the sea level, with an average depth of 10 meters and a maximum depth of 15 meters. There are plateau spruces, firs, Chinese weeping cypresses, azalee trees and meadows around the lake. It is also a preserve for wild animals like white-lipped deer. Afterwards get across the steep Chola Mountain, the highest peak of which is 5,650 meters. In the afternoon reach Dege. 2N at 2*Chola Hotel

Day06 Dege (B/L/D)

Today visit the Dege Printing House has always been well reputed as the “Cultural Treasury at the Foot of the Snow Mountain.” As the national leading protected entity of cultural relics, it is the biggest printing house in Tibetan area. Another program is Gengqing, meaning big temple in Chinese. In 1445 (the thirteen years of Emperor Zhengtong’s reign in Ming dynasty), Bota.zhaxishenggen, the first tusi of Dege family which had been in a long line of hereditary of Dege rulers, and Tangdongjiebyu the famous monk with great achievement built a Buddhist chapel in Gengqingshigengnon. The chapel was called Tangjia in honor of Tangdongjiebyu’s merits and virtues. As completed, the chapel became more and more popular with the utmost support of the Dege tusi.

Day07 Dege - Pelyul (B/L/D)

Today drive along the Golden Sand River (Jinsha Jiang) the upper reaches of Yangtse to Pelyul. Upon arrival visit Pelyul Monastery nearby the county seat. This famous Nyingma Sect monastery had played a great role in history and held many subsidiary temples. 1N at 2*Shaluli Hotel

Day08 Pelyul – Garze - Luhuo (B/L/D)

Leave for Garze via Haizi Shan. On the way appreciate the snow mountains and vast grasslands. In the afternoon reach Luhuo, which was called "Huoer zhanggu" in the past. In Tibetan, "Huoer" means Mongolians and Zhanggu on the mountain rock. 1N at 2*Kasa Hotel

Day09 Luhuo - Rangtang (B/L/D)

After breakfast head for Rangtang. After crossing the high Laowozeshan Mountain visit Sirin Kar Monastery (Zeng Ke Si) of the Karma-Kagyuepa order, having more than 300 monks under one incarnate lama's guidance. With an elevation of 3,285 meters above sea level and covering an area of 6,600 square kilometers, Rangtang County has a population of about 30,000. Of the total population, Tibetans accounts for 80 percent and the rest are Han people, Huis and Qiangs. In Tibetan Rangtang means the Treasure God’s Flat Land. 1N at 2*Rangtang Hotel

Day10 Rangtang - Aba (B/L/D)

In the morning drive on gravel road to Aba. On the way visit Rangtang Si 60 kilometers away from the county seat, the biggest monastery of the Jonang Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. Belonging to Dadanpingchuo Monastery in U area, it is composed of three monasteries: Quji, Zhebuji and Zangwa built separately in 1307, in 1367 and in the 17th century. Though being close to each other, the three small temples have their own scripture halls, sermon halls, practice halls, printing houses and monk quarters and carry out activities independently. Another program is Bangtuo, a monastery pf Nyingmapa Sect under the Provincial level protection. Originally built in Yuan Dynasty, the temple has preserved the stupas built in Ming and Qing dynasty. No. one stupa of the five ones in the temple is 32 meters high covering an area of 90.25 square meters. Another wonder of the temple is its stone carvings of scriptures, about 500,000 pages of Tibetan Buddhist sutra carved on flat stones. The endless grasslands and beautiful valleys indicate that we are just driving on the vast Northwest Grassland of Sichuan. Aba means people coming from Ngari in Tibetan. In this area all the sects of Tibetan Buddhism remain and exist in harmony. 2N at 2*Jingu Hotel

Day11 Aba (B/L/D)

In the morning visit Kirti Monastery (Ge’erdeng Si) of Gelug Sect. Originally built in 1870, it has become the biggest monasteries in Kham-Amdo region of Sichuan after more than 100 years of development. Covering an area of 1.8 square kilometers, this monastery is well famed for its seven-storey white pagoda, 39 meters high with a square base 25 meters long each side. After that visit Nangshig Monastery, located at a hillside to the northeast of the Aba County. Nangshig Monastery is one of the biggest Bon monastery in China and has a history of about 900 years after it was built in 1107. The monastery is very strong in economy and the temple halls are built and decorated magnificently. Besides, its differences from Buddhism in religious rituals and taste of art have a great appeal to people. In the afternoon visit Aba Nunnery. Located at the Mami Mountain of Siwa Town six kilometers to the west of the county seat, the nunnery of Gelug Sect is the biggest one of its kind in Amdo-Kham regions. It was built in 1894 and has a history of more than 100 years.

Day12 Aba – Tangke - Ruo’ergai (B/L/D)

After breakfast drive (230 Km on gravel road) to Ruo’ergai County (3500 meters). The boundless grasslands on the way present beautiful landscape. As arriving at Tangke 68 kilometers from Ruo’ergai, go sightseeing the First on the Nine Bends of Yellow River and Suokezang, a small temple of Gelug Sect standing by the river. The Yellow River originates from the Geladaindong lying in the middle section of Tanggula Shan. As coming over the Mengtang of Qinghai Province, it changes its northward direction but rushes southeastward. Upon arrival at Tangke, it turns back and flees northwestward. Thus, the First Bend of the Yellow River comes into being. The border river separates Gansu and Sichuan Province. Hequ Horse, one of the three famous horses is just produced in this area. Ruo’ergai is called as the “Oasis on the Highland” famed with its grasslands, swamps and natural reserves. 1N at 2*Dazang Sunshine Hotel

Day13 Ruo’ergai – Miyaluo – Gu’ergou (B/L/D)

Drive via Miyaluo to Gu’ergou. In the hotel in Gu’ergou you’ll enjoy bath in hot spring. 1N at 3*Wenquan Villa Hotel

Day14 Gu’ergou - Chengdu 263 Km (B/L/D)

In the morning leave for Chengdu.On the way visit Taoping Qiang People’s Stocked Village, 16 kilometers far away from Lixian County. The ancient Taoping Village has a great appeal for the numerous experts and tourists with its odd and wonderful fortress buildings. The bottom parts of these tower-shaped buildings are in width and length, and then upon them the main bodies become contracted storey by storey, which makes the building operated by means of centripetal force and become firm. These blockhouses are over ten floors and can be regarded as the skyscrapers of the old times. Built by lying stones, the outside edges of every stone are sharp while every side of the tower looks flat and straight. Though they have had experienced as long as one thousand years, they do not collapse and keep steady. That is why people acclaim them as the peak of perfection among the same kinds of buildings. Afterwards drive to Dujiangyan City to visit the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, which was built around 250 BC by Libin, a governor of Shu Prefecture in Qin State. The great project still works well today after more than two thousand year’s function, which not only puts an end of the water disaster to the local people but also makes Chengdu Plain “the land of abundance”. While visiting the water conservation work, you may find that the methods of harnessing the river the ancient people used are so simple but effective. In the afternoon reach Chengdu. 1N at 3*Xinliang Hotel

Day15 Chengdu - home (B)

Free until transfer to airport, fly back home.