TSK02 Explorewestchina Trans kham,Sichuan Tibet Highway + EBC,Overland Jeep Off-road Adventure 18 Days Tour

Drive to Kangding, overnight and sightseeing in Kangding. It is 376Km and 6hrs on the expressway from Chengdu to Kangding While traversing the Western Sichuan Plain, you will arrive at Kangding-the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the afternoon. we can appreciate the idyllic scenery and visit the local people. After dinner, enjoy the hot spring at Erdaoqiao.

In the early morning, visit Anjue monastery-the very first Tibetan monastery on this trip, an rare chance to see their morning ceremony per day! Drive for 210 km to Dawu. On the way visit Tagong monastery. After arrival at Dawu visit a Tibetan Buddhism school, was built in October 1981. In this school more than 30 lamas including adults and kids study obligatory subjects like Tibetan, Tibetan literature, Buddhist philosophy, painting and Chinese. Panchen Erdini once was the honorary president of the school.

Drive for 182 km to Garze. After arrival at Garze the real cultural, religious centre for the Tibetans living in Sichuan, visit Garze monastery of yellow hats-sect (Gelukpa), with more than 1100 monks living in this biggest monastery in Kham and the constructions of this monastery just like a huge free market. Drive 178 km from Garze to Dege. On the way cross over Que’er pass (4900 m). Then have a break at the foot of the mountain to take photos by the Xinluhai Lake (4500 m), which is so quiet, beautiful that you feel just in a fabulous world. In the evening arrive in Dege which lies on the border between Tibet and Sichuan.

The inhabitants in Dege are Khampa-Tibetans who have independently lived here for hundreds of years and the influence of Lhasa reaches this region just in a slight way. Different religions like red sect, yellow sect, white sect, black sect exist together in peaceful harmony. In the morning visit Dege scripture printing press which was built in 1729 and the biggest scripture printing press in the world today. Dege is the cultural center of Kham area as well as Tibetan Printing Center, we will visit a Tibetan library-Dege Press-printing House, and appreciate the ancient woodcut for printing. In the afternoon, we will visit Tibetan hospital.

Drive across the Jinsha River (upper reaches of Yangtze) Bridge connecting Sichuan and Tibet heading for Chamdo. We will cross over no less than four passes: Khargang La (4,352 m), Lashi La (4,450 m), Jape La (4,680 m), and Tama La (4,511 m), with clutters of prayer flags waving in the wind on the peaks and friendly nomads waving at us from the grasslands. Straddling the Mekong river.

Chamdo (3200 m) was the former capital of Kham in East-Tibetan area and has a rich history as one of the earliest centers of the Tibetan plateau and home of Kalden Jampaling (Qiangbalin Monastery), the great monastery founded between 1436-44 and developed through the centuries by successive Living Buddhas. The Karub site in Chamdo dating back 4,000 to 5,000 years is the first site of the Neolithic Age scientifically excavated in Tibet, displaying the ancient civilization created by Chinese ancestors in the Lancangjiang river range.

We follow the Mekong downstream through alpine forests to Kyitang village, where the Khampa houses are sturdily built on horizontal timbers. Then we turn west to cross the Lona Pass (4,511 m) and follow the Yu-chu River downstream to Bangda, a town junction where Lhasa connects to the Chamdo-Kunming Highway. The Yu-chu valley lies north of the Salween gorges in the highlands of Tsawagang, where the immense geographic spatial dimensions of the land dwarf our presence. While distance covered is less than 100 km and probably half that by the way the crow flies, the terrain is steep, as defined by the 180 switchbacks we will conquer when we cross Gama La Pass at an altitude of 4,618 meters.

On the road to Bome, we will stop in Ranwu to cast our lines in the pristine waters of Ngan Tso (Ranwu Lake), a spectacularly crystal blue lake cupped by snow peaks. After our lunch of freshly caught fish, we will wander along the Poto-chu Valley at Tramog (2,743 m), located deep in the thickly forested gorge of Parlung Tsangpo with glacial waterfalls streaming from the mountainsides.

We will go down several hundred meters in altitude as we reach the lowland jungle settlement of Tongmai where the Tsangpo and Parlung Tsangpo rivers meet. Crossing Serkhyem La Pass (4,515 m) we will have spectacular views of Mount Gyala Pelri (7,150 m) and Mount Namchak Barwa (7,782 m). Late in the afternoon arrive in Nyingchi (Nyingtri, Linzhi).

The garrison site Nyingchi is an ideal place for the discovery of two neighbouring high points: From the golden roof of the Gelugpa monastery Buchu to view the unique scenery of the Lamaling temple which is only a few kilometers runway. Afterwards we drive to the Basum Tso Lake. ore than 6000 m high snow covered mountains make the lake film like, well, the leading actor is, without doubt, is the island monastery – Tsodzong. We take a boat travel around the island and up to the Tsodzong monastery on it. In the afternoon we drive on along the Niyang river for Lhasa. Afterwards we pass through scenic terrain with lush alpine forests and clear snow-melted streams and over the impressing Mi La pass (4865 m) to Lhasa. Late in the afternoon arrive in Lhasa (3650 m), capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. The city is situated on the bank of the Kyichu River and has long been the ”Holy Land” of Tibet. Arrive Lhasa, check into hotel!

In the morning visit Potala, which was originally constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet. The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals, Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether create a dense religious and art atmosphere that impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple, built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific stalls for selling local specialties.

In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred land of Gelug Sect., which was established in 1416 and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided in. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery, it is also called the court of wild rose.Today still 200 lamas live in there.

In the morning drive to Gyantse. After lunch continue the drive to the holy lake of Yamdrok Tso (4441 m), one of the three holy lakes in Tibet and the largest habitat of waterfowls in south Tibet. There enjoy the unforgettable vista of its spear-shaped expanse of turquoise water, with the mysterious Mt. Donang Sangwari (5,340m) on the peninsula beyond, and the snow peaks of Nojin Gangzang (7,191m) in the distance. The lake and the Yarlungtsangpo River (3570) are separated by a mountain and the shortest distance between them is only 6 kilometers. The 800m-high difference contributes a rich water resource to this region. Many Tibetans believe that the life of Tibet will no longer continue when the lake dries up. Walking by the lake and then drive to Gyantse (approx. 4.070 m). In the afternoon visit Pelkor Chode Monastery as well as the splendid Kumbum Stupa (100-Thousand-Buddha Pagoda) nearby, both of them built in the15th century and situated in the northwestern edge of Gyantse. This typical Tibetan Buddhist monastery is the only one large building complex in Tibet that old monastery and stupas are completely preserved and characterized as a monument. It is recorded 14,000 kilograms of copper was used to make the 8-meter-high sitting statue of Sakyamuni Buddha housed in the grand hall of the temple. The 8-storey stupa is 42m high and 62m in diameters contains a total of 76 chapels with wonderful murals revered by art scholars around the world. Then drive to Shigatse (3900m/12,793ft), the second largest town with 40,000 inhabitants in Tibet and the traditional capital of the Tsang.

In the morning visit Tashilunpo monastery of Gelug Sect, the seat of the Panchen Lama built in 1447 and one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet. The monastery houses a giant statue of the Maitreya Buddha, the biggest gilded statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) in China, and a tomb of the 4th Panchen Lama containing masses of jewels and gold. In Tibet Buddhism, Panchen Lama is just the reincarnation of Maitreya Buddha. Today 600 monks live in the monastery. After lunch drive to Shegar (new Tingri; 4.350 m; approx. 245 km).