From Degin I went up the back roads of the Tibetan parts of Sichuan to lead my way to Chengdu. One major town on this route is Litang. Litang is a small town that doesn't offer too much in the way of excitement. Once a major stopping ground on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, now it's just a small Tibetan town where many nomadic Tibetans come to buy and sell there products.
The town is also known for The Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery. The monastery was founded in 1580 by the third Dalai Lama Sonam Gyatso on the site of an older Bön-monastery. There are three main temples in the compound, of which two were currently under construction. Many famous and influential personal figures were born here, including the 7th Dalai Lama, 10th Dalai Lama, the most influential Zebutsundaba Lama of Mogonia, the 7th Gyamuyang Lama, the 7th, 8th and 9th Pabalha living Buddha of Chamdo monastery and the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Xianggen living buddha.
Tibet style house on the way to Litang from Daocheng
We passed this section of road on the mountaintop that had boulders for miles. It seemed sort of out of place from the usual scenery.
An area with chortas(stupas) and prayer flags all over the place.
In Litang, tibetan housing settlements.
these walls looked almost fake but are made out of mud. notice the roofing of it, essentially mud and grass.
Murals of sorts all around this oen area. not sure what it means but it looked real nice.
Leading up to the Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery.
The Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery.
Front of the main building in the Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery.
The Buddha inside, undergoing construction
View out from the monastery
View of the Tibetan village part of town and the mountains in the distance.
Yak meat hanging in the market.
I should probably wash my finger now. :)
Litang had a park of sorts that was this giant Stupa surrounded by smaller ones and prayers wheels. At all times of the day numerous buddhists would be walking around it chanting their prayers (this is called a kora, or pilgrimage)
prayer wheels in motion.
local kids at the stupa, playing around with us.
Dinner, Tibet style. Tibetan noodles, yak butter tea and tsamba. Tsamba is butter tea (here just hot water and butter) mixed with fine mashed barley.
The server showing me how to make the tsamba.
and me making the tsamba. honestly, not the best thing I've ever eaten (by a long shot) but now I know what it's like.
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