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Litang, also Lithang, (Mandarin Chinese: 理塘, Gaochengxiang), (Tibetan: ལི་ཐང།), is the county seat of Litang Couty, in western Sichuan Province, south-west China. It is also part of the ancient and historic 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 (13,123 ft) is one of the highest in the world. Several Dalai Lamas where born here and lived in the local monastery located just outside the town on a hillside. Litang is a bustling little place with colorful street life thanks to the nomadic shepherds and Tibetan people coming here to sell and buy their products. The older parts are situated on the hill slopes to the east, while busy construction work is extending the place into the surrounding grassy plains. The vast majority of the population is ethnically Tibetan and bi-lingual but most signage is in Mandarin. The closest thing to big city ementities is Kangding 8-9 hours to the east over several breathtaking and dangerous passes.

[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). Private buses can be hired in front of the station for ¥100 to Kangding.

The bus is more comfortable and safe than minubus.

[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. Private buses can be hired in front of the station for ¥100 to Kangding. The minibus ride is extremely bumpy and only for the adventurous.

[edit] Get around

You can easily visit the town on foot. Follow the main street to the market, complete with little baby yaks eating garbage and wild nomads on motorbikes.

[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 including a visit to the sacred "sky burial" grounds.

• Visit the Hot Springs about 5 km out 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, (Across the street from the Crane Guesthouse), ☎ 13541467941. Now across the street from the Crane Guesthouse (correct as of July 2009, used to be 189 Happy East Road, next to the Crane), Tian Tian is a little restaurant sporting an English menu. The owner, Mr. Zheng, is very friendly and happy to indulge in some chat with his 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 are great cooks and know how to specialise to western tastes. Mr Zheng's potato cake recipe is most delicious. While Mr Zheng and his wife cook mostly Sichuan and continental Chinese food, although Mr Zheng makes a fine yak butter tea, made a little sweeter to appeal to western tastes. His Tibetan breakfasts are also tasty and very filling. Mr Zheng provides very accurate informal travel information; the big hand-drawn map in his restaurant is most useful. Ask to read (or perhaps write in) his guestbook before you leave.  edit

[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

During autumn and winter, most of the guesthouses or hotels don't have any heating system or it is limited to electric blankets, rooms will be very cold making the stay uncomfortable. The incessant barking of dogs at night will make sleep challenging. The altitude is very high in this town so a signifcant amount of people will experience some negative side effects as a result. Be forewarned!

[edit] Budget

• Potala Inn (July 2009) turn left as you come out of the bus station and it is less than 5 minutes walk, on your right. Quite a clean guesthouse with helpful staff (although rather rubbish laundry service - however, at least they have one!). However, the bedding did not smell 100% fresh and clean, and there is a sign on the stairway that reads "If you want your bedding washed, please tell us". Prices are ¥25 per bed for 6 bed dorm, ¥35 for 4 bed dorm (possibly the best value-for-money choice as it comes with private western bathroom and the rooms are very colourful and cheerful), ¥50 for 3 bed dorm and a slightly steeper ¥180 for a double room. Free wifi, umbrellas and raincoats. Menu with local and western food. They also offer many activities like horse trekking with nomads or motorcycle rental. As of lately, this is still considered the best option in town.
• Crane Guesthouse (July 2009) is further down the road from the Potala inn (same side of the road). 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 (squatting toilets that look like they have never been cleaned, old rickety taps did not always have running water, the 'sink' was just a broken-tiled worktop with a hole in it), old food left for days on stairways, and swarms of flies abounding. The dorm rooms have smears and all kinds of marks ALL over the walls, and lots of rubbish under the beds. The rooms in the new part with private bathrooms (squat toilet) are reasonably clean (priced at ¥100/double). The managers 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 quite helpful. Showers are hot, free if you are staying in a ¥20 dorm, but ¥5 if you are paying for a ¥10 bed, and located next to the main lobby in the courtyard, which means you must walk outside the building to get to them. Be careful when taking a shower though, as the wires from the (rather low) ceiling light are completely exposed, with the plug and socket located directly opposite the shower head.
• 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.

[edit] Stay safe

Litang is quite a center of Tibetan secessionist activities. Pictures of Dalai Lama are technically illegal. There is a strong police and military presence due to the tension but you will harly notice it.

August horse festival has had incidents in the past. 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 the current situation on some Tibetan news sites like www.phayul.com

[edit] Get out