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This Ganzi region was part of Tibet up until 1949, when it was absorbed by China. Since then, its new masters have treated Ganzi with a remarkable lack of paranoia. The atmosphere here is relaxed, with hardly a Chinese soldier to be seen, and visitors can wander freely without having to worry about permits. Images of the Dalai Lama, for¬bidden elsewhere in Tibet, are found here in the most surprising places.
Ganzi is the homeland of the Khampa people, wildlooking fierce warriors who still carry knives and are ready to use them if provoked.
Arriving from Chengdu on the Chinese side, I recognised the wellmarked border of Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture immediately. Many of the signs are in both Tibetan and Chinese and the tollbooth is adorned with a colourful frieze depicting the Buddhist wheel of life. From here, the Erlang Tunnel worms its way more than four kilometres through the high Erlangshan Mountains. After another 10 kilometres or so, the road reaches Luding – where Tibet really begins.
A suspension bridge over the Dadu River marks the ancient border between China and Tibet, but you know when you’ve arrived: The kind¬ness of people, the sheer exuberance of everyday life and the total laidback attitude quickly become infectious. The visitor’s feeling of being an outsider is washed away by a current of warm greetings from the locals.
Kangding is the capital of Ganzi pre¬fecture and enjoys an unrivalled scenic location, crammed between the banks of the superturbulent Zheduo River and the cliffs of the narrow valley it runs through. Just walking the streets of Kangding is a buzz, with its fascinat¬ing multicultural mix (Tibetans, Han Chinese, Mongolians and others) mak¬ing for pure street theatre. Every night at seven, what seems like the whole population gathers in the main square to dance. The dancers are a mix of Tibetan and Chinese, but culturally, it’s clearly the Tibetans who call the tune.
 
The world’s highest city
At 4,100 metres above sea level, Litang is said to be the world’s highest city, with a population of around 50,000 permanent residents.
This number is swollen by the hordes of nomads who ride in from the plains, buying and selling horses in the main street, bartering for cloth and jewellery, or just strutting their stuff in local costume and cowboy hats – the latter a necessity against the fierce sun.
Litang’s Chode Gompa, or Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery, is currently in the final stages of a facelift. The sacred site was bombed by the Chinese in 1956 in retaliation for a Khampa uprising. A decade later, most of its shrines were again destroyed dur¬ing the Cultural Revolution. Tibetans still call that era “the time when the sky fell to earth”.
Today’s Litang is a far cry from those days of terror. The city’s thriving mar¬kets are great places for handicrafts and other souvenirs. A silverhandled dag¬ger with a scabbard engraved with fierce naga designs – enough to ward off any potential assailant – costs around 150 yuan (Bt720). Other great buys include copper kettles, jewellery, colourful fabrics and broadrimmed hats, but the list is endless.
Out of town, some 20km south on the Daocheng road is the new Zharge Nyenri Monastery. Towering over its roofs is Drakar Ritro, a pair of rocky crags said to have been the abode of Padmasambhava, one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist saints.
Ignoring a group of pilgrims on a kora (circumambulation) of the rocks, I climbed straight up between the crags. Karmic retribution for this act of dese¬cration came later that day. Having looked forward to attending the Litang Horse Festival in the afternoon, I found myself financially challenged.
With my cash and travellers cheques all spent, I hunted for an ATM in town. No luck, and no one would so much as a sniff at my credit card. Penniless, I was forced to beat a retreat to Chengdu.
Be warned – if you visit eastern Tibet, take along plenty of cash!

If you go…
Thai Airways operates flights from Bangkok and Chengdu, a gateway into Ganzi county. Chinese public buses are reliable and cheap (if you know where they’re heading to). Visit TravelChinaGuide.com.