Day01 22.07. THU Arrive in Chengdu
Arrive in Chengdu, capital of province Sichuan, the home town of Panda. Picked up by the local guide at airport and transferred to hotel. 1N at 4*Minshan Lhasa Hotel Day02 23.07. FRI Chengdu – Taoping – Guergou B/L/D
Drive through the Chengdu plain to Taoping, a Qiang People’s stocked village. 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. Late in the afternoon reach Guergou. 1N at 3*Wenquan Hotel Day03 24.07. SAT Guergou – Aba B/L/D
In the morning drive to Aba (Ngawa). Aba means people coming from Ngari in Tibetan. In this area all the sects of Tibetan Buddhism remain and exist in harmony. In the afternoon visit the Ngayul Monastery (Saige Si) of the Gelugpa Sect in Aba. 2N at 2*Nianbaoyuze Hotel Day04 25.07. SUN 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. After lunch drive to 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. Then visit the nunnery Jomo Gompa. 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. Day05 26.07. MON Aba – Rangtang B/LD
Drive to Rangtang. The endless grasslands and beautiful valleys indicate that we are just driving on the vast Northwest Grassland of Sichuan. In Tibetan Rangtang means the Treasure God’s Flat Land. Crossing a moderately high pass into the valley of the Dzi Chu to visit Rangtang (Dzamthang) Monatsery. Rangtang Monastery is the chief institution of the Jonangpa order. Then drive to the nearby Nyingmapa lamasery Bangtuo. The monastery was established during the Mongol Yuan reign of China (1274-1368). Bathong Gompa or Bangtuo Si was already famous for the throngs of choerten built from the 17th century up to 1910. Three of the choerten at Bangtuo Monastery are said to exhibit murals of or near the time of construction. The oldest of the Bangtuo choerten was built in 1618 and shelters a small number of 17th century murals. 1N at simple Rangtang Hotel Day06 27.07. TUE Rangtang - Sethar – Garze B/LD
Drive via Sethar (Seda) 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 the disciple of the Fifth Dalai Lama. 1N at simple Golden Yak Hotel Day07 28.07. WED Garze – Yilhun Lhatso – Chola Pass - Dege B/L/D
In the morning pass by Manigango to visit Yilhun Lhatso (Xinluhai Lake). Located at the foot of Chola Mountain (Que’er Shan, 5,650 m) in Dege County, 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 5,050 meter high pass to Dege. 2N at 2*Chola Hotel Day08 29.07. THU Dege B/L/D
In the morning visit the Dege Printing House (Dege Yinjingyuan) which 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 visit the Dege Gonchen, meaning “big temple”, a monastery of Sakya sect. It was built in 1448, today about 300 monks live here. We’ll visit the hospital of Tibetan Traditional Medicine. Day09 30.07. FRI Dege - Pelyul B/L/D
Today drive along the Golden Sand River (Jinsha Jiang) the upper reaches of Yangtze to Pelyul (Baiyu). Pelyul is a small beautiful city by the river Ding Chu. Upon arrival visit Pelyul Monastery (Baiyu Si) nearby the county seat. This famous Nyingma Sect monastery had played a great role in history and held many subsidiary temples. 1N at simple Baiyu Hotel Day10 31.07. SAT Pelyul – Garze B/L/D
Leave for Garze via Haizi Shan Pass (4237 m). On the way appreciate the snow mountains and vast grasslands. 1N at simple Golden Yak Hotel Day11 01.08. SUN Garze – Xinlong – Litang B/L/D
Drive along the Yalong River via Xinlong to Litang, the “high city (Gao Cheng, 4014 m) of the world”. Visit Litang monastery lying in the western suburbs of the city. The monastery, also called Changqingchunkeer 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. 2N at simple guesthouse Day12 02.08. MON Litang B/L/D
During the first week of August (01.-07.08.) every year, a grand horse-racing festival takes place on the vast Maoya Grassland here. 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. 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. Today we will enjoy the festival. Day13 03.08. TUE Litang – Xinduqiao – Tagong - Danba B/L/D
Drive via Yajiang, Xinduqiao, Tagong and Bamei to Danba (1900 m), the most beautiful village of China. The local people are called Gyarong (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. On the way from Xinduqiao you can see the 7556 m high peak of Gongga Mountain (Minya Konka) if the weather is good. After Xinduqiao we reach the Lhagang Monastery (Tagong Si) 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. From here looking into the distance, we can see the mountain Zhara Lhatse (5.820 m, also Jara or Yala), if the weather is good. In the late afternoon reach Danba. 2N at 3*Dongnvguo Hotel Day14 04.08. WED Danba B/L/D
Danba has long been acclaimed as the Kingdom of Thousands of Ancient Blockhouses. Today hiking from Zhonglu village to Suopo village, visit the ancient block towers in Suopo. They were made of clay and block and look fine from outside with solid thick walls. Day15 05.08. THU Danba - Luding – Yaan B/L/D
In the morning visit the Jiaju Tibetan Residence, 10 kilometers away from the county city Danba, 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 Gyarong (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. Then drive along the Dadu River to Luding, and crossing through the 4.1 km long tunnel of Mt. Erlang Shan to Yaan, the famous Rainy City. 1N at 4*Beite Moon and Star Hotel Day16 06.08. FRI Yaan – Chengdu B/L/D
Visit the ancient town Shangli and the Pandas in Bifengxia near Yaan. Drive along Chengdu-Yaan Express Way back to Chengdu. On the way enjoy the rural scenery in western Sichuan Plain. Late in the afternoon reach Chengdu. 1N at 4*Minshan Lhasa Hotel Day17 07.08. SAT Leave Chengdu B
Transfer to airport and see off.
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Danoe is one of the best guides I ever had in the time I travelled around the world for his excellent guide, euthusiasm and passion to service delivery. He was beyond expection for caring about our health and interest. He has shown a high level of professionalism and enthusiasm.
