From Wikitravel

Litang, (理塘, Gaochengxiang) is a town in Litang Couty, in Sichuan Province, south-west China. It is also part of the ancient Tibetan province of Kham. The town has a population of about 50,000 and is a major center of Tibetan culture in Kham and at an elevation of 4000m is one of the highest in the world. Several Dalai Lamas where born here and lived in the local monastery. Litang is a bustling little town with colorful street life thanks to the nomadic shepherds and Tibetan people coming to sell and buy their products. The older parts are situated on the hill slopes to the east, while busy construction works are extending the place into the surrounding grassy plains.

[edit] Get in

[edit] Public bus

The Bus Station is at the eastern end of town, near the crossroads between Kangding- and Xiangcheng-bound roads. Buses arrive daily from Batang, Kangding (9 hours, ¥81), Xiangcheng (4 hours, ¥61, difficult to get tickets), and Daocheng (3 hours).

[edit] Private minibus

Xinlong is accessible by private minibuses that leave from the main street, near the bus station. Expect to pay around ¥80 per person.

[edit] Get around

You can easily visit the town on foot.

[edit][add listing] See

• Ganden Thubchen Choekhorling Monastery (Lithang Gompa, Litangsi) - The monastery is just on the northern edge of town and belongs to the Gelukpa sect of Tibetan Buddhists. In 1956 the monastery came under siege and them bombing from the PLA, following resistence to the attempt to impose communist reforms in Kham. This was a critical turning point in the Tibetan uprising, when some Khampa decided as a result to begin guerilla warfare. Other monasteries in the region may have similar histories- eg at Xiangcheng there a lot of ex-monastic rubble - but where they did not play such an important historical role as a specific site, this is harder to uncover. What you see is therefore substantially reconstructed, as much of the monastery was destroyed. As usual, you are not allowed to take photographs of holy relics inside. The friendly monks will guide you through the main buildings, including some breathtaking views from the temple roofs. 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 one is currently under construction. The oldest seems to be the one on top of the hill, still featuring the wooden construction of the upper rim of the buildings. Inside, you can view several chambers and a bedroom in which the 7th Dalai Lama is said to have resided. Many more 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.

[edit][add listing] Do

• Horse racing festival Every year on August 1, a 4 day horse racing festival takes place in Litang. Accommodation can get scarce during that time but don't let that deter you; it's always possible to get a local family to take you into their tent on the fairgrounds. Or, bring your own tent and join the tent city that sprawls over the grasslands to the south of the town. The party on the fairgrounds continues for several days after the official festival is over.

• Hike to the surrounding hills to get a view of the outstretched valley.

• Visit the Hot Springs about 5km of town. Some guesthouses can arrange tours to go there, or just hail a taxi. There are enclosed baths where you can bathe in privacy and the cost is 10 yuan for an hour. You can also find some hot water in open streams however it's not very deep and not really suitable for a good soak.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• Typical Tibetan clothing and jewelery and accessories needed by the herdsmen frequenting the town are available in small shops downtown.
• Supermarkets on main-street sell food and toiletries, you can also buy bottles of beer and decent Chinese wine to make up your own nightlife.
• In the market you can buy sliced-and-dried apples and pears for a healthy snack.

[edit][add listing] Eat

Plenty of small restaurants are to be found on the main road, some with English menus.

• Tian Tian Restaurant, 189 Happy East Road, ☎ 13541467941. Next door to the Crane Guesthouse in the direction of the bus station is a little restaurant sporting an English menu. The owner, Mr. Zheng, is very friendly and happy to indulge in some chat with his very basic English, and is always willing to learn more and keeps a handwritten journal to document new words learned. He can often be seen most mornings returning from the market with fresh vegetables and meats and if you are a Westerner will likely find you before you find him and will give you his rather professional business card. He and his wife cook and specialize in mostly Sichuan and continental Chinese food, though also makes a fine yak butter tea, made a little sweeter to appeal to western tastes. He also provides an informal travel informtion service with maps and useful advice.

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[edit][add listing] Drink

There is an excellent dance club on the same side of the street as the Crane Guesthouse towards the bus station. There is a neon sign lit entrance to a courtyard, where the club is inside and to the right. There are also a number of karaoke-style bars in town, or KTV as they are known locally.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

[edit] Budget

• Crane Guesthouse is about 200m to the left when you leave the bus station. It is a popular hotel with foreign tourists, possibly because it is highlighted in some travel guides. But the sanitary conditions of the older part of the guesthouse (with shared facilities) are abysmal, with dirty bathrooms, old food left for days on stairways, and swarms of flies abounding. The rooms in the new part with private bathrooms are reasonably clean (priced at 80 Y/double). The owners of the building, two Tibetan sisters, have been known to play loud dance music until 1 AM from their lobby. The staff is otherwise friendly and helpful. Showers are hot, free, and located next to the main lobby in the courtyard.
• Peace & Happy Hotel Possibly the cheapest option in town. The rooms and toilet are grotty but the shower room is OK with hot water from 10:00 to 22:00. However the family are fairly friendly and one girl speaks some English. Double, twin and triple rooms at ¥15 per person in winter. On the main street, No. 345. 21 janury 2008.
• Safe and Life Hotel (Gaocheng Luguan) is just opposite the bus station while the Batang Guesthouse (Ping'An Fandian) is across the street on your right hand side when leaving the bus station.
• Two buildings right from the bus station is another small hotel.
• As you follow the main road to the left, there is the Jixiang Binguan hotel on the right side.

[edit] Moderate

• Gaocheng Binguan, on the main street; rooms ¥220-1111.

• Potala Inn, in the east part of the city, nice new hotel, with English speaking owner. ¥120 for a double with shower, and 4 beds room from ¥25 per bed. They also propose many activities like horse trekking with nomads or motorcycle rental.

[edit] Stay safe

Litang is quite a centre of Tibetan resistance against Chinese opression. Pictures of Dalai Lama (technically illegal) are on display almost everywhere, while those of false Chinese-imposed XI Panchen Lama could be seen almost only in Chinese-owned shops. Locals proudly indicate Dalai Lama's pictures even during small talks with tourists. It means there's some tension about that and a lot of police and military around.

August horse festival sometimes turns into riots. Such incidents (with no casualties) happened in 2006 because of a dispute over results and in 2007 over a call for the return of Dalai Lama. Check current situation on some Tibetan news sites like www.phayul.com

[edit] Get out

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