1Sights & Activities
From Gānzī, the terraced hillsides in every direction beckon to avid hikers. Head out in any direction for small village temples and stunning views of the snowy mountain peaks to the south.
For a range of day hikes to the feet of craggy mountains or to a number of temples scattered across rolling grasslands, head out to the Talam Khang Guesthouse for a few nights.
Garzě GompaBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(甘孜寺; Gānzī Sì ¥10; happrox 9am-6pm)
North of the town’s old Tibetan quarter is the region’s largest monastery, dating back more than 500 years and glimmering with gold. Encased on the walls of the main hall are hundreds of small golden Sakyamunis. In a smaller hall down the hill to the west is an awe-inspiring statue of Jampa (Maitreya or Future Buddha) dressed in a giant silk robe, with a tooth of the historical Buddha embedded in the right big toe.
4Sleeping
Hóng Fú GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
(鸿福旅馆; Hóngfú Lǚguǎn %135 5198 0898, 0836 752 5330; 4th fl, 49 Chuanzang Lu; 川藏路49号四楼 per bed ¥40)
In a traditional Tibetan wooden building on the main drag, Hóng Fú has one four-bed dorm just beside the family quarters and smallish twin rooms on a separate floor, all with shared toilets and one cramped shower. But, as the owners say, the hot springs are just up the road.
Turn left out of the bus station, take the first left and you’ll soon see a sign on your right for Long Da Guesthouse (same prices; not as good). Walk towards that and you’ll see Hóng Fú just beside it on the left.
Golden Yak HotelHOTEL$
(金牦牛酒店; Jīnmáoniú Jiǔdiàn %0836 752 5188; 8 Dajin Tan; 打金滩8号 r without/with hot water ¥60/150)
This dependable chain has branches at a number of bus stations in western Sìchuān. This particular one has a main building at the back of the bus station forecourt, with standard doubles discounted to ¥120, and a separate building across the forecourt housing enormous but slightly shabby twin rooms with bathrooms but no hot water.
5Eating
Lake Mamosarovor Tibetan RestaurantTIBETAN$
(玛旁雍措藏餐馆; Măpángyōngcuò Zàngcānguăn %150 8231 6818; Dong Dajie; 东大街 mains ¥15-50; h8am-11.30pm; W)
The friendly Tibetan family that run this restaurant serve a variety of authentic Tibetan dishes and a few local Sìchuān favourites, as well as a selection of tea styles from across the Tibetan cultural regions. It's a few doors down from the turn-off at Chuanzang Lu.
8Getting There & Away
Air
The new Gānzī Gesar Airport (50km north) is scheduled to be completed in 2017.
Bus
Scheduled bus services run to the following destinations:
AChéngdū ¥230, 18 hours, 6am
ADānbā ¥101, nine hours, 6.30am
AKāngdìng ¥134, 11 hours, two daily (both at 6.30am)
ATǎgōng ¥88, eight hours, 6.30am
AYǎ'ān ¥187, 14 hours, 6am
Minivans congregate outside the bus station and head to:
ADégé ¥160, six to seven hours
ALǐtáng ¥180, six to seven hours
AMǎnígāngē ¥50, two to three hours
Additionally, minibuses for two of the prefecture's largest monastic communities leave from a small parking lot on Chuanzang Lu just uphill from Qinghe Lu to:
ASèdá ¥60, four hours
AYàqīng ¥40, three to four hours
Mǎnígāngē 马尼干戈
%0836 / Pop 3850m / Elev 2988
There’s not much going on in Mǎnígāngē (马尼干戈; Manigango) itself, a small transit town halfway between Gānzī and Dégé. The surrounding hills do offer wonderful hiking opportunities, though, and the main draw in town (the magnificent Yilhun Lha-Tso lake) makes it well worth spending a full day in the area.
On hilltops to either side of Mǎnígāngē are the relatively new Yazisi and Lajiasi temples, the views from both of which also take in the mountains that ring the grasslands surrounding the city. The vast monastery and school Dzogchen Gompa (竹庆寺; Zhú Qìng Sì), an important seat of the Nyingma (Red Hat sect), is also within striking distance 58km north on the road to Yùshù.
1Sights
Yilhun Lha-tsoLAKE
(玉隆拉措; Yùlónglācuò ¥30; h7am-9pm)
It is said King Gesar's beloved concubine Zhumu was so taken by these stunning turquoise-blue waters that her heart fell in. This now-holy glacial lake, 8km southwest of Mǎnígāngē, is still awe inspiring. Follow a small dirt track around the north edge of the lake to a marshy plain at the far end, from which you can take in the spectacular views of peaks and glaciers from right up close. Locally, this area is also known as 新路海 (Xīnlù Hǎi).
The water is frigid and the surface freezes solid from September through March. Take it in by hiking among the chörten and mani stones, beneath snowcapped Chola Mountain to the west, whose melt-waters feed the lake. You can walk for a couple of hours up the foothills on the left side of the lake for more breathtaking views and possible glimpses of white-lipped deer (白唇鹿; báichúnlù).
You can also ride horses led by guides (from ¥100). Camping is frowned upon – though some self-sufficient travellers have slept in the caves without trouble. In summer you may also run into local monks setting up colourful tents.
To get here, take a Dégé-bound minibus (¥20 to ¥40), hitch a ride or hike (turn right out of Mǎnígāngē Pání Hotel and keep going for two hours). The lake is a 10-minute walk from the main road, along an easy track. Minivans (¥20) wait to take you back to Mǎnígāngē.
4Sleeping
Travellers' TeahouseGUESTHOUSE$
(旅行茶坊; Lǚxíng Cháfāng %183 8362 8666; r ¥60; h11am-evening; W)
This guesthouse on the 2nd floor opposite Mǎnígāngē Pani Hotel offers private rooms with one shared bath that are sparse but clean, while the teahouse facing the main street (tea from ¥10, open 11am to late) is perhaps the friendliest in town. Both have wi-fi.
Xuĕchéng LǚguănGUESTHOUSE$$
(雪城旅馆 %158 8406 6202; per person ¥60)
The clean single, double and triple rooms at this family-run guesthouse are all priced per person, and all share a handful of bathrooms. From the bottom of the T-junction, turn left and then almost immediately down a small street to the right; the guesthouse is just down on the left.
5Eating
Xĭmălāyă ZàngcānTIBETAN$
(喜马拉雅臧餐 dishes from ¥10; h9am-10pm)
This combined teahouse and restaurant serves up Tibetan favourites on the cheap. There's no menu, so if you get stuck order the momos (牛肉包子; niúròu bāozi) by the piece (¥1 each) and then grab a table by the window overlooking the streets below. It's at the bottom of the main street, across the T-junction, up a small staircase to the left.
8Getting There & Away
Buses depart from the parking lot of the Mǎnígāngē Pani Hotel (马尼干戈怕尼酒店; Mǎnígāngē Pàní Jiǔdiàn %0836 822 2788; dm from ¥30, tw without/with bathroom ¥80/130; W) for Dégé (¥60, three hours, 4.30pm) and Gānzī (¥30, three hours, 7pm). Minibuses congregate at the east end of town at the crossroads of the main drag and the road north to Yùshù (S217). They head to Gānzī (¥50), Dégé (¥80) or Shíqú (¥80) when full.
Buses between other destinations no longer pass through the city now that a bypass road has been constructed on both sides, but it may be possible to find a seat on these from the main highway. A daily bus to Dégé (¥50, three to four hours) passes through Mǎnígāngē between 7am and 8.40am, but is often full. Going the other way, there are usually empty seats on the Gānzī-bound bus (¥50, three to four hours), which passes by at 7am to 8am. A bus from Gānzī to Shíqú (¥70, seven hours) also passes by here at around 8.30am.
Sèdá 色达
Sèdá (色达; Sertar), home to the largest Buddhist academy in the world, offers an incredible glimpse into the life of monks and nuns.
Not
e that the area is occasionally closed to foreign travellers (including at the time of research), with the possibility of fines and compulsory trips to Chéngdū for those caught in the area. There are no official announcements of such closures, but check with other travellers in the area or tour agencies in Chéngdū for the latest updates.
1Sights
Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist AcademyBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(喇荣五明佛学院; Lǎróng Wǔmíng Fó Xuéyuàn )
Of all the Buddhist sights in western Sìchuān, there is none as striking as Larung Gar. The future of Tibetan Buddhism is contained here in this school, the largest of its kind in the world, cradled in a valley some 170km northeast of Gānzī. Some 10,000 students study here, dedicated for six to 13 years to serious monastic study.
4Sleeping & Eating
There is a crowded strip of businesses just outside the monastery, but better options with wi-fi and 24-hour hot water overlook the walking street (步行街; Bùxíngjiē) in Sèdá Xiàn (色达县), 20km northwest. Zàngyuán Bīngguān (藏缘兵官 Buxing Jie, Sèdá County; 色达县步行街 r without/with bathroom ¥120/160; W) has a fantastic Tibetan teahouse downstairs. A gaggle of friendly ladies keep Shūshì Bīngguǎn (舒适兵馆 %083 6852 1850; Buxing Jie, Sèdá County; 色达县步行街 r without/with bathroom ¥158/248; W) particularly tidy. Your hotel may ask you to register in person at the PSB (公安局; Gōng'ānjú) on one end of the walking street.
8Getting There & Away
Minibuses arrive and drop-off at the big parking lot halfway up the hill on the Larung Gar grounds. A ride to the Sèdá Xiàn walking street is about ¥10 with other passengers, ¥70 privately. Minibuses to and from Gānzī (¥70 to ¥100, 4½ hours) arrive and depart from here as well. From Sèdá Xiàn, regular buses to Chéngdū (¥239) and Kāngdìng (¥53) depart at around 6am from the east end of town, less than 1km from the walking street.
Tǎgōng 塔公
%0836 / Pop 8984 / Elev 3718m
The Tibetan village of Tǎgōng (塔公; Lhagang) and its surrounding grasslands offer plenty of excuses to linger.
On the road from Kāngdìng is a sea of mani stones carved (and spray-painted) with ཨོཾ་མ་ཎི་པདྨེ་ཧཱུྃ (om mani padme hum), the mantra of Buddha's path. Explore this terrain on horseback or foot, sip real yak-butter tea, then fall asleep in tents under the stars like a Tibetan nomad.
1Sights & Activities
Horse riding (per person per day for one/two/three people ¥415/390/360 with meals and homestay) and guided grassland hikes (per person per day ¥200) can be arranged through Khampa Cafe and Khampa Nomad Ecolodge for single-day/overnight trips (bespoke itineraries available).
You can hike into the grasslands on your own. One popular option is the two-hour hike south to Ser Gyergo (ask Khampa Cafe for directions).
Ser Gyergo NunneryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(和平法会; Hépíng Fǎhuì )F
Known locally as ani gompa (‘nunnery’ in Tibetan), Hépíng Fǎhùi is home to around 500 nuns and more than 100 monks. Lama Tsemper was a revered local hermit who spent much of his life meditating in a cave about two hours across the grasslands from Tǎgōng. Local nuns would bring him food and look after him, so when he requested a temple be built here just before his death in the 1980s it was decided that a nunnery be built too.
Lama Tsemper’s remains are in a chörten inside the original cave; you may have to ask a nun to unlock the door to look inside. Below the cave is the temple and a huge mani wall as big as the temple itself, which has its own kora that attracts many pilgrims.
Getting to the nunnery is half the fun. Heading south out of town, turn left after about 40m into an alleyway beside a large yellow house. Follow the dirt track to the top of the hill, from which you can see the stupa-topped walls and shining gold roofs of the monastic college (shedra) in the distance. Trace the dirt track along a fence line until crossing a bridge, then head off through the grasslands on a pathless walk to the base of the shedra. Interact with the students of Hépíng Dàxué Fǎhuì (和平大学法会) and explore the new temple halls of the Mùyă Dàsì (木雅大寺) before continuing to the bottom of the hill to the left of the college towards Ser Gyergo Nunnery, where a small village surrounds the main temple halls.
Lhagang MonasteryBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(塔公寺; Tǎgōng Sì Tagong Guangchang; 塔公广场 ¥20; h5am-6pm)
The story goes that when Princess Wencheng, the Chinese bride-to-be of Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, was on her way to Lhasa in 640, a precious statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha toppled off one of the carts in her entourage. A replica of the statue was carved on the spot where it landed and a temple built around it.
Golden TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(木雅金塔; Mùyă Jīntă ¥20; h6am-6pm)
The glimmering roof and stupa-lined walls of this temple are set against the fantastic backdrop of the snowy mountains across the grasslands. Inside it's a more sedate affair, but the prayer-wheel-lined walls and central temple hall are worth a wander for those with spare time in town.
4Sleeping
Jya Drolma & Gayla’s GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$
(%0836 286 6056; Tagong Guangchang; 塔公广场 dm ¥30, tw without bathroom ¥60; W)
Bedrooms here – even the dorms – are a riot of golds, reds and blues, with elaborately painted ceilings and walls. There are common toilets on each floor and one shower with 24-hour hot water. Some basic English is spoken. From the entrance of Lhagang Monastery, walk to the back right corner of the square. Down a short alleyway is the guesthouse.
Khampa CafeGUESTHOUSE$$
(康巴咖啡; Kāngbā Kāfēi %183 0287 9858; www.khampacafe.com; Tagong Guangchang; 塔公广场 r ¥100-200)
A Czech/local couple run this popular guesthouse and cafe overlooking Tǎgōng's main square. There is just one shared bath, but the double and triple bedrooms are comfortable and clean. The top-floor cafe (open 8.30am to 11pm; dishes ¥15 to ¥90) is also the most popular hang-out in town, with a selection of Western and Tibetan dishes plus real coffee.
Khampa Nomad Ecolodge & Arts CenterLODGE$$$
(康巴牧民环保艺术客栈; Kāngbā Mùmín Huánbăo Yìshù Kèzhàn %136 8449 3301; www.definitelynomadic.com; r ¥400; W)
Tibetan/American couple Djarga and Angela have left Tǎgōng behind to open a new ecolodge out on the grasslands. With a sauna and hot tub in the works, this is a true luxury experience in the middle of rural Kham. Angela can advise on hiking routes and nomad homestays in the area, and rents tents and sleeping bags for ¥30 each.
From Tǎgōng the lodge is a 30-minute taxi ride (¥60; mention Angela and most local drivers know where to go) or a three-hour hike. Contact the lodge for details on either.
5Eating
Rinchen Wangmu Tibetan RestaurantTIBETAN$$
(仁青旺姆藏餐; Rénqīng Wàngmŭ Zàngcān %139 9048 9067; across from Tagong Guangchang; 塔公广场马路对面 mains ¥20-80; h8am-10pm)
Run by a friendly Tibetan owner/chef, this Tibetan cafe just across from the main square is one of the tastiest in town (and one of the few with an English menu).
8Getting There & Away
Buses pass through town en route to Gānzī (¥109, eight hours, 9am) and Kāngdìng (¥40, two hours, 9am). If these are full, minibuses leave from the main square to Lǐtáng (¥150, seven hours), Gānzī (¥100 to ¥150) and Kāngdìng (¥50 to ¥70).
For destinations north it's also possible to take a shared minivan to Bāměi (八美; ¥20, one hour), where you'll have your pick of minivans to places such as Dānbā (¥30, two hours) and Gānzī (¥50 to ¥70, seven hours).
For self-ride day trips, rent motorbikes in town (per day from ¥100).
Yàqīng 亚青
%0836 / Pop 11,000 / Elev 3975m
Centred around the Yarchen Gar Buddhist Institute and the massive community of monks and nuns that live here as students of the Dharma, Yàqīng (亚青) offers an in-depth look into monastic life. The deeply spiri
tual atmosphere, combined with the privations those in residence endure, provides some evidence as to the importance of religion in the lives of the congregation.
Travel here is not for the squeamish, however, as living conditions are quite basic. Without running water, the residents of the improvised shelters that dominate the area make do with hauling buckets from taps near the temples for all their basic needs. Sanitation facilities are minimal, and during heavy rains the pit toilets on the outsides of the encampment often overflow and pour through the streets of the floodplain on which it is built.
1Sights & Activities
Rolling grasslands dotted with small temples surround Yarchen Gar in every direction. From the encampment simply pick a direction and start walking, though be sure to pack food and water as facilities are sparse away from the one road.
oYarchen Gar Buddhist InstituteBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(亚青邬金禅林; Yàqīng Wūjīn Chánlín Yaqing Si; 亚青寺 )F
On a quiet bend of the Dzin-Chu River in the remote grasslands of Garzi Prefecture, this 10,000-strong Nyingma (Red Hat) community of nuns and monks living in improvised housing under the shadows of magnificent golden-roofed temples is rivalled only by the better-known Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy to the north. The encampment is split into a monks' residence to the east of the river and a much larger housing area for the 7000 nuns who live to the west (closed to visitors).
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