Kham and Amdo in Sichuan with Horse Racing Festival in Litang
Day 01: Arrive in Chengdu (D)
Upon arrival at Chengdu airport, meet with guide and transfer to hotel. 1N at Chengdu.
Day 02: Chengdu - Danba (B/L/D)
In the morning leave Chengdu for Danba. On the way visit the 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 Siguniangshan 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 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 Danba.
Day 03: Danba – Bamei - Xinduqiao (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 Hamlet. Jiajv, 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 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. Afterwards Head for Bamei and Tagong Grasslands and visit Lhagang Monastery of Sayka Sect, which is surrounded by three hills symbolizing three Budhisattvas. It is said that the blessing of a reserved Jowo Shakyamuni image left by Wencheng Princess in this monastery to the pilgrims resembles that of seeing the Lhasa Jowo Shakyamuni image itself. In the late afternoon reach Xinduqiao, a small but import town at the juncture of the North and South Sichuan-Tibet Highway. 1N at Baijiale Guesthouse.
Day 04: Xinduqiao - Litang (B/L/D)
Cross over Mt. Gaoershi. Have lunch at Yajiang, a small county at the foot of the mountain. Keep on driving to Litang after the crossing of the Mt. Jianzhi Wan and Mt. Kazila. During the first week of August (01/08 - 07/08.) in every year, a grand horse-racing festival takes place on the vast Maoya Grassland here. Upon arrival at the “High City of the World”(4,014 meters), visit Litang monastery lying in the western suburbs of the city. The monastery, also called Changqingchunker in Tibetan meaning Maitreya-Holy Wheel Temple in Chinese. As the most important temple of Gelug Sect in the south of the Kham region, It was originally under the control of the Bon religion but converted into a Gelug Sect monastery in 1580 in the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) by the third Dalai Lama. 3N at Litang.
Day 05 - 06: Litang (B/L/D)
Among all the traditional Tibetan festivals, horseracing is almost a must. It is common to select the group leader by means of horseracing and martial arts competition in ancient times when fights were frequent. The Litang Horseracing Festival is held on the first of August and lasts about 7 days. Currently the traditional festival has further developed. Besides the traditional horseracing, other activities like horsemanship, singing, dancing, national costume show, etc. have become part of the grand festival. Large-scale material exchange also takes place during the festival. During the two days we will take part in the festival.
Day 07: Litang – Xinlong - Garze (B/L/D)
Drive to Xinlong by the zigzag path in Hengduanshan Mountain Ranges, which stretches from north to south at the east edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Out of windows of the vehicle, snow mountains, glaciers and highland lakes, green meadow with little wild animals, herds of cattle and the tents of herdsmen, the remains of primitive forest, lush wild flowers by the river, and the Tibetan villages scattered look like a magic picture. After have lunch at Xinlong, keep on driving to Garze. Upon arrival, visit Garze Monastery of Yellow Sect (Gelug). The temple was built in1552 by Jvji Angwengpencuo, the disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama. 1N at Garze.
Day 08: Garze – Manigango - Dege (B/L/D)
In the morning pass by Managing to visit Xinluhai Lake. Located at the foot of Queer Mountain in Dege County, Xin luhai Lake Scenic Spot is 98 kilometers from Ganzi County and 100 kilometers from Dege County. It is 4040 meters above sea level, with an average depth of 10 meters and a maximum depth of 15 meters. There are plateau spruces, firs, Chinese weeping cypresses, azaleo 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. Upon arrival in Dege visit the 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. 1N at Dege.
Day 09: Dege - Pelyul (B/L/D)
Today drive along the Golden Sand River the upper reaches of Yangtze River to Pelyul. Upon arrival visit Pelyul Monastery of Nyingma Sect. 1N at Pelyul.
Day 10: Pelyul – Garze - Luhuo (B/L/D)
Leave for Ganze 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 Luhuo.
Day 11: Luhuo – Xinduqiao (B/L/D)
Drive to Xinduqiao, and take a walk tour in and around Xinduqiao. 1N at hotel in Xinduqiao.
Day 12: Xinduqiao – Kangding (B/L/D)
Drive to Kangding and visit some little temples in Kangding. 1N at Kangding.
Day 13: Kangding – Chengdu (B/L/D)
Transfer back Chengdu via Ya’an. 1N at Chengdu.
Day 14: Fly home (B)
Transfer to airport and fly home. End of tour in Sichuan.