Sichuan Kham & Lhasa

A epic journey through the heartland of Kham to the holy city of Lhasa on the trail of the
masters.

Kelsang Gyatso, the Seventh Dalai Lama, was born in Lithang (Chinese: Litang), Kardze
(Chinese: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, the Tibetan area of Kham.

Overview

Kham is a historical region of Tibet covering a land area largely divided between present-
day Tibet Autonomous Region and Sichuan, with smaller portions located
within Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces of China. The natives of the Kham region are
called Khampas.

Ganzi/Garze/Garnze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in western Sichuan covers an area of

151,078 square kilometers (58,331 square miles) and is located in the traditional Tibetan
region of Kham. It is approximately the same size as the US state of New York and about
half the size of Italy. It has a population of 1 million people, with Kham Tibetans making up
78% of the population.

Of the 5 prefectures that make up the Kham region of Tibet, Garnze has highest number of
Tibetans. Garnze is covered with high snow-capped peaks, alpine forests and deep river
valleys. It is easily one of the most scenic parts of the Tibetan Plateau. Farming
communities are found throughout the prefecture, though yak herding nomads can also be
found in the higher elevation counties of Lithang (Litang), Sershul (Shiqu) and Nyarong
(Xinlong). Elevation varies in the prefecture. The high grasslands of Sershul county sit

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between 4000 meters and 4500 meters while the fertile farmlands of Derong county lie at
only 2300 meters.

Garnze prefecture used to be part of the now defunct Xikang province. In 1939 the
government of the Republic of China created Xikang province with Dartsendo (Kangding) as
the capital. Xikang covered the far eastern region of Kham. After the Communist People’s
Republic of China took control of the region from the Republic of China (Kuomintang) in
1950, Xikang was divided with everything west of the Yangtze River becoming Chamdo
Territory and everything east of the Yangtze remaining Xikang province.

In 1955, Xikang province was merged into Sichuan province and renamed Garnze Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture. In 1965, Chamdo Territory became part of the newly formed Tibet
Autonomous Region and was renamed Chamdo Prefecture. While the capital of Sichuan
province is Chengdu, the prefecture capital of Garnze remains Dartsendo (Kangding).

Highlights
The six principle (mother) monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism

 Katok, Kathok, Katog monastery

 Palyul, Baiyu monastery
 Shechen monastery
Dzogchen monastery
 Mindroling monastery
 Dorjee Drak monastery

Outline itinerary

Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

Day 2: AM: Rest PM: Market tour
Day 3: Chengdu - Ya'an – Dartsedo (Kangding), 2560 m., 6 hours
Day 4: Kangding
Day 5: Dartsendo – Rongdrak (Danba), 1800 m., 173 kms, 4 hours
Day 6: Rongdrak (Danba) – Lhagang (Tagong)
Day 7: Drango (Luhuo) 3250 m.
Day 8: Drango – Sertar (Seda, 3890 m.) - Drango
Day 9: Kandze (Kardzi, Ganzi), 3390 m.
Day 10: Dzogchen (Zhuqing), 3960 m.
Day 11: Derge (Dege), 3188 m.
Day 12: Palyul (Baiyu), 3600 m.
Day 13: Rakwa Tso
Day 14: Rakwa Tso (Rawak) - Midui Glacier - Parlung Tsangpo - Bomi (250 km)
Day 15: Bomi –Tongmai - Lulang Forest - Sejila Mountain (Mt. Namcha Barwa) - Nyingchi
Day 16: Nyingchi - Tsedang
Day 17: Tsedang Samye & Tombs
Day 18: Tsedang – Gyantse – Shalu - Shigatse
Day 19: Shigatse – Sakya monastery - Lhasa
Day 21: Potala, Bakhor & Jokhang

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Day 22: Norbulingkha, Drepung & Sera monasteries
Day 23: Tsurphu & Ganden
Day 24: Dorjee Drak & Mindroling monasteries
Day 25: Transfer to airport for flight back home

Option II

Day 17: Bomi –Tongmai - Lulang Forest - Sejila Mountain (Mt. Namcha Barwa)
Day 18: Lulang – Tsedang
Day 19: Tsedang
Day 20: Shigatse via Gyantse
Day 21: Lhasa
Day 22: Potala, Jokhang, Barkhor, Norbulingkha
Day 23: Drepung, Sera
Day 24:

Detailed itinerary

Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

Depart New Delhi Indira Gandhi International airport / Kolkata airport for your flight to
Chengdu via Bangkok. On arrival at Chengdu Shuang Liu airport to be met by our
representative and transfer to hotel.

Day 2: AM: Rest PM: Market tour

AM: Marquis Wu & Jinli street
PM: Free for shopping

Day 3: Chengdu - Ya'an – Dartsedo (Kangding), 2560 m., 6 hours

Ya'an lies in the center of Sichuan Province on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. It is
bounded on the east by Chengdu, by Garze in the west, with Liangshan and Aba bordering
south and north. The city has more than two thousand years of history since the Qin
Dynasty (221 BC- 206 BC).

Kangding or Dartsedo, is a county level city and the seat of Garze Tibetan Autonomous
Prefecture in Sichuan province of Southwest China. Kangding's urban center is called
Lucheng, which has around 100,000 inhabitants.

Kangding is located in a valley of the Tibetan Plateau about 210 kilometres west-southwest
of Chengdu, the provincial capital, and 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of Ya’an. It is a city
populated by significant proportions of both Tibetans and Han, and is part of the
historical Tibetan region of Kham.

Visit Ngachu Monastery also known as An Jue Si in Chinese, which dates back to 1654,
Lhamo Tshering Monastery (Nanwu Si), Dordrak Monastery (Jingang Si, a branch of the
Dorjee Drak Monastery in Lhasa) and Dentok Monastery (Paoma Si) which lies on top of Mt.
Paoma, and overlooks all of Kangding by cable car to the top.

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Day 4: Kangding

Day 5: Dartsedndo – Rongdrak (Danba), 1800 m., 173 kms, 4 hours

Danba is the hometown of Jiarong (Gyarong) Tibetans in Sichuan Province. It boasts for its
many stone watchtowers” Diaolou” and one of the most beautiful Tibetan villages in China
called Jiaju. Danba is located 450 km west to the city of Chengdu. Danba is also one of the
highlighted tourist attractions in Sichuan Province.

Day 6: Rongdrak (Danba) – Lhagang, Tagong

Tagong monastery (small Jokhang temple)

The famous Tagong Monastery was built during the Qing Dynasty (1644 to 1911) to honor
the journey of Princess Wencheng on her way to Lhasa for her wedding to Tibetan King
Songtsen Gampo. It houses the replica of the sacred statue of Jowo Sakyamuni Buddha at
Jokhang Temple in Lhasa along with scriptures of the Sakya Buddhist sect and other cultural
relics more than 10,000 years old. A major three-day Buddha event is held at the end of
June every year at the Monastery.

Day 7: Drango (Luhuo) 3250 m.

Luhuo county is also called “Dran-Go” and composed of the valley of the Zhe-chu as far as
its confluence of the Nyi-chu tributary. In Tibetan “Dran” means Mongolian, “Go” means
the cliff; it was a stronghold of Mongolian army when Kham was occupied by Mongolian
Army;

Day 8: Sertar (Seda, 3750 m.), 155 km, 3 hours

The landmark of this township is one huge white Chorten that is erected at the entrance of
this township. Stretching from its north, the road curved onto mountains entering the
southern Amdo. Zamtang, another mysterious Tibetan town is some 120 km east from here.
Due to its isolated location, this place is very seldom visited, however, in recent years,
Sertar has become a popular site because of the well-known Larung Gar Buddhist
Academy which is located in a valley some 20 km southeast from this township

Day 9: Kandze (Kardzi, Ganzi), 3390 m. 90 km, 2-3 hour

Kanze is a small riverside trading town & the largest in the area. On the northern side of the
town is the Kanze Gompa spread over a hill commanding a fine view of the Snow mountains
& the Kanze town.

Day 10: Dzogchen (Zhuqing), 3960 m.

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Dzogchen Monastery (Tib. རྫོགས་ཆེན་དགྫོན། rdzogs chen dgon) is one of the six great monasteries
of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It is located in Kham within modern day
Dêgê County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, China.

Dzogchen Monastery was founded by Pema Rigdzin, 1st Dzogchen Rinpoche (1625-1697) in
1684.[1] It became especially renowned for its Sri Singha Shedra, which was established by
Gyelsé Zhenpen Tayé (Wylie: rgyal sras gzhan phan mtha' yas) during the time of Mingyur
Namkhé Dorje, 4th Dzogchen Rinpoche shortly after the monastery was almost totally
destroyed by an earthquake in 1842.

Among the great masters to have lived and taught at Dzogchen are Khenpo Pema Vajra
(Wylie: mkhan po pad ma badz ra), Patrul Rinpoche, Jamgon Ju Mipham Gyatso and Khenpo
Shenga.[2] It eventually grew into the largest Nyingma monastery of all time.

Dzogchen Monastery is also known as the principal repository of the Konchok Chidu cycle of
the Jangter or "Northern Treasure" (Wylie: byang gter), a prominent terma cycle revealed
by tertön Jatson Nyingpo.

Shechen monastery
Shechen Monastery (Tibetan: ཞེ་ཆེན་བསྟན་གཉིས་དར་རྒྱས་གིང),is one of the six primary or "mother"
monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.

The original Shechen Monastery was located southwest of Langduo Township in Kham on
the route to Dzogchen Monastery in what is now Dêgê County, Garzê Prefecture, Sichuan,
China.

It was founded in 1695 by Shechen Rabjam Tenpé Gyaltsen, though it is sometimes claimed
to have been built by Gyurme Kunzang Namgyal in 1734.

The present abbot is the seventh Shechen Rabjam Rinpoche, the grandson of Dilgo
Khyentse. Prominent members of the monastery include the Yangsi (Tib.ཡང་སིད reincarnation)
of Dilgo Khyentse, Matthieu Ricard and Changling Rinpoche.

Day 11: Derge (Dege), 3188 m.

Dege, is the cultural center of Eastern Tibet. Here we visit Dege Gonchen monastery
founded in 1448 & belongs to the Sakyapa order of Tibetan Buddhism. Also visit the famous
Dege Parkhang where Tibetan Buddhist sutras are printed.

The main chapel of the monastery is an extensive complex which resulted in it being called
the "great monastery".The monastery has a notable design, with striped walls of white,
dark red and gray, colors unique to the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Below the monastery itself is the famous Derge Parkhang (Printing House), built in 1729,
where the Buddhist scriptures the Kangyur and the Tengyur and other Buddhist works are
still printed from wooden blocks in traditional handwork.

Derge Parkhang

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The Derge Parkhang, (pronunciation "Dehr-geh) is one of the foremost cultural treasures of
Tibet. The history of the Derge Parkhang is closely bound to the history of the Kingdom of
Derge. From a mythical ancestor in the eighth century, the Derge royal dynasty rose to
found and rule an influential independent Tibetan kingdom in the Kham area of Eastern
Tibet, controlling a large area straddling the Drichu River (called the Jinsha River in Chinese
and forming the upper reaches of the Yangtse River) on what is now the border between
the Tibetan Autonomous Region and Sichuan.

Palpung monastery
Palpung Monastery (Tibetan: དཔལ་སྤུངས།) is the name of the congregation of monasteries and
centers of the Tai Situpa lineage of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism as well as the
name of the Tai Situ's monastic seat in Derge, Kham (modern Sichuan). Palpung means
"glorious union of study and practice". It originated in the 12th century and wielded
considerable religious and political influence over the centuries.

The current monastery was founded in 1727 by the 8th Tai Situpa "Situ Panchen" with the
great support of the Dharma King of Derge Temba Tsering. It is the seat of four lines of
incarnate lamas, the best-known being the Tai Situpa as well as the Jamgon Kongtrul and
the Second Beru Khyentse.

The temple has historically been associated with the Karmapas: for instance, Rangjung
Rigpe Dorje, 16th Karmapa, was enthroned first at Palpung before traveling to his main seat
at Tsurphu Monastery in Ü-Tsang.

Day 12: Palyul (Pelyul, Baiyu), 3600 m.

Pelyul, situated on the eastern side of the Dri-chu that flows between Sichuan Province &
the TAR, is the power base of the Nyingmapa order of Tibetan Buddhism in Kham region.

Important monasteries to visit here are - Pelyul Gompa built in the 17t century by the king
of Derge & Katok Gompa.

Also popularly known as Katok Dorjeden Gompa, the seat of this original monastery has
been miraculously laid by Guru Rinpoche in the early 8th century at the time of the
construction of Samye monastery.

Katok Monastery was founded in 1159 by a younger brother of Phagmo Drupa Dorje Gyalpo,
Katok Dampa Deshek, at Derge, the historic seat of the Kingdom of Derge in Kham.

Katok Monastery's third abbot, Jampa Bum (1179-1252), whose 26-year tenure as abbot
ended in 1252, "is said to have ordained thousands of monks from across Tibet, and
especially from Kham region of Minyak (mi nyag), Jang ('byang), and Gyémorong (rgyal mo
rong)."

Palyul Monastery (Tibetan: དཔལ་ཡུལ་རྣམ་རྒྱལ་བྱང་ཆུབ་ཆྫོས་གིང་།), also known as Palyul Namgyal Jangchub

Choling Monastery and sometimes romanized as Pelyul Monastery, is one of the six mother
monasteries of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. It was founded in 1665 by

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Rigzin Kunzang Sherab in Dege, on the eastern edge of Tibet, a town in today's Baiyü
County, Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in China's Sichuan province.

The monastery is the seat of the Nam Chö Terma of Terton Migyur Dorje. Drubwang Padma
Norbu was the 11th throneholder of the Palyul lineage. Upon his mahaparinirvana in March,
2009, Karma Kuchen Rinpoche became the 12th throneholder.

Namdroling Monastery in Bylakuppe, India, is where the current throne holder to the Palyul
lineage has resided since exile from Tibet during Chinese annexation.

Day 13: Rakwa Tso

Our next destination would be Bangda Grasssland, the most important natural pasture in
eastern Tibet. The gentle river and boundless grassland are home to flocks of sturdy yaks,
horses, and sheep and other wild life. After a brief tour in enchanting Bangda Grassland,
our team is expected to travel across Yela Mountain(4839m), the most dangerous natural
barrier on Hengduan Mountain Range. Then we will move downward by following famous
Seventy-two Bends till the shore of Nu River.

Further moving westward, we begin to be surrounded by soaring snow mountains, pristine

forest and idyllic Tibetan villages. At night, we will arrive at Rakwa Tso.
Stay overnight in guesthouse beside Rakwa Tso

Day 14: Rakwa Tso (Rawak) - Midui Glacier - Parlung Tsangpo - Bomi (250 km)
Serving as the source of Parlung Tsangpo Lake,Rakwa Tsois a typical seasonal glacial lake in
Chamdo. The narrow strip of river stretches westward for about 10km and slowly winds up
in a giant canyon.

As we continue our journey from Rakwa Tso, our team will follow the scenic road amid
dense forest and turbulentParlung Tsangpotill today’s final destination Bomi. On the way,
tourists can tour spectacular Midui Glacier, widely believed to be the most beautiful glacier
in China.

Stay overnight in Bomi

Day 15: Bomi –Tongmai - Lulang Forest - Sejila Mountain (Mt. Namcha Barwa) - Nyingchi
Following an open and wide valley (2km wide, 5km long), we move into the canyon of
Parlung Tsangpo. After that, we will head to celebrated Lulang Forest. It is an enchanting
forest covering an area of 15 sq km on the plateau. This region is blanketed with vibrant
shrubs, spruces and pine trees. We can visit the Zhaxigang Village, the iconic Tibetan village
in Lulang and meet the locals and enjoy the local snacks, etc.

At the viewing platform of Lulang, you will be enjoying the panorama of Mt. Namcha Barwa
(7782 m.), one of the most amazing mountains in China. We will make a brief stop at Sejila
Mountain Pass (4728 m.). After passing Seijila Mountain Pass, the tour group will keep
moving westward and arrive in Nyingchi, the biggest city in eastern Tibet.

Day 16: Nyingchi—Lhasa (420 km)

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We will keep moving west to Lhasa by following Nyang River, a tributary of Yarlung Tsangpo
River. After passing Mila Pass(5013m), the last mountain pass during the road trip, we will
finally arrive in Lhasa valley. Shortly after Dagzê County, the magnificent Potala Palace
perched on Red Hill will appear in your sight. Our guide will escort you to hotels for a good
rest.

Day 17:
Day 18:

Transfer to airport for flight back home

Option II

Day 17: Bomi –Tongmai - Lulang Forest - Sejila Mountain (Mt. Namcha Barwa)
Following an open and wide valley (2km wide, 5km long), we move into the canyon of
Parlung Tsangpo. After that, we will head to celebrated Lulang Forest. It is an enchanting
forest covering an area of 15 sq km on the plateau. This region is blanketed with vibrant
shrubs, spruces and pine trees. We can visit the Zhaxigang Village, the iconic Tibetan village
in Lulang and meet the locals and enjoy the local snacks, etc.

At the viewing platform of Lulang, you will be enjoying the panorama of Mt. Namcha Barwa
(7782 m.), one of the most amazing mountains in China.

Day 18: Lulang – Tsedang

Day 19: Tsedang
Day 20: Shigatse via Gyantse
Day 21: Lhasa
Day 22: Potala, Jokhang, Barkhor, Norbulingkha
Day 23: Drepung, Sera
Day 24:

Dorje Drak Monastery | 多吉扎寺

Dorje Drak Monastery was found in central Tibet near Lhasa in the 16th century. The
monastery was destroyed first in 1718 by the Mongols and again during the Cultural
Revolution in the middle of the 20th century. Reconstruction began since 1984. It was one
of the Six Great Nyingma Monasteries in Tibet, the other 4 are in Kham, currently Garze
Tibetan Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Together with Mindroling Monastery, it is one of
the two most important Nyingma monasteries in the central Tibet

The assembly hall has a large Thangkar image of Padmasambhava, replacing an original
made by Rigdzin IV Pema Trinle, as well as painted scrolls depicting the Hundred Peaceful
and Wrathful Deities, and Murals depicting the Eight Manifestations of Padmasambhava.
There is a collection of relics that are retrieved from images destroyed in the 1960s’, and a
small library which contains the Kan-zhu-er, and the Nyingma Gyudbum in the inner praying
room.

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The oldest Chapel had been renowned for its enormous column and skull painted gates
before the destruction in 1717, it is now still forbidden for all female visitors and pilgrims,
which contains some old Thangkar and a copy of the Edition printed by “Derge Printed
House” of the Nyingma Gyudbum

There is one monastery located at the hilltop of the mountain on the south side of Kangding
in the east Tibet of Kham is called Jin Gang monastery, here, “Jin Gang” means Dorje Drak;
the Jin Gang monastery is also called Dorje monastery, which is regarded to be one branch
of Dorje Drak monastery. This monastery was severely damaged in 1959 of 20th century,
however, the large statue of Guru Rinpoche (Padmasambhava), and Jokhang in the
assembly were magically preserved as a whole;

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