The Kham region of Tibet is located in the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Tibet, Qinghai, and Yunnan. Kham is known for its verdant grasslands, craggy mountains, and pure rivers. The most famous Tibetan horse festivals such as Litang Horse Festival or Yushu Horse Festival take place every summer in Kham, where Tibetans compete and show off their riding skills. Tibetans from Kham have a reputation for being as loyal as they are tough. Many carry traditional swords and walk with a swagger, but are quick to invite you into their yak-hair tents for a cup of butter tea.
Kham is best for travelers interested in seeing wild Tibetan animals in their natural habitats, attending horse festivals, circumambulating the holy Mt. Kawa Karpo, staying with nomads, visiting small monasteries, camping, and bird watching in the forests.
Stunning view in Dzochen Monastery surrounded by rugged mountains
Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture in Sichuan Province
Gantse / Ganzi County
Ganzi County, also named Garze or Gantse is an ethnic Tibetan township and is located in the historical Tibetan region of Kham. Traditionally Ganzi belongs to one of the Horpa states in Horkhok region. Ganzi lies in the open Garzi valley at 3390m above sea level and is surrounded by rocky terrain and snow peaked mountains.he Yalong River’s tributary Rongcha River passes through the town from north to south. and county contains many Tibetan villages and monasteries. More…
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Derge / Dege
Derge is often regarded the heart of Kham Tibet. It lies on the bank of Sugchu River, a tributary of Yantze River. It is administratively belong the the Ganzi prefecture of Sichuan Province. The town of Dege located next to Dege Gomchen and Parkhang(Dege Printer house) in the Sugchu valley. More info…
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Dzongsar monastery is a Sakya monastery which is located in 100km east of Derge county in Sichuan Province of Kham Tibet region. It was originally a Bonpo monastery founded by a Bonpo Lama. The temples which were built by the Bonpo Lama remained until 1958. More info…
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Palyul / Baiyu County
Pelyul or Baiyu county (3150m) is located in Ganzi prefecture in western Sichuan province. It is a large and rapidly expanding town with great number of Han Chines. The most Khampas with traditional Tibet clothes you see in town are on pilgrimage from outside town. More info…
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Dzochen Monastery lies next to Dzochen township which is 140 km northwest of Ganzi County and 175 km southeast of Sershul/ Shiqu county. Driving through Dzochen township into the valley, the magnificent Dzochen monastery on a ridge and snow capped mountain Dorje Sultrom in distance come into view. More …
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Danba / Rungdrok
Danba or known as Rongdrak in Tibetan is one of the eighteen principalities or Kingdom(Queendom) of Gyelmo Rong or Gyelrong. The name Gyelmo Rong can be translated as Valley of the Queen, or “Queendom,” which hints at the significant history of the region having been ruled by women. “Gyelmo Tsawa Rong, meaning “The Hot Valley of the Queen in the East.” in Tibetan. More…
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Yarchen Gar / Yaqin Gar
Yachen Gar or officially called Yachen Orgyen Samtenling, is a nunnery located in Palyul of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It lies above 4000m high from sea level and the remoteness of this region made the nunnery isolated from outside for long time. More…
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Litang county or someimtes spelled Lithang is located southwest of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. It is also part of the ancient and historic Tibetan province of Kham. The town is at an elevation of 4000m, it is one of the highest county town in the world. More info…
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Yading National Park or Yading Nature Reserve is located in Riwa also called Shangri-la town of Daocheng county in Sichuan Province. It is a mountain sanctuary and major Tibetan pilgrimage site with highest altitude of 4700m above sea level. More info…
Yushu Tibetan Prefecture in Qinghai Province
Yushu/ Kyekundo
Jyekundo or Yushu is a mojor Tibetan town located in Qinghai Province in the northwest region of Kham. Jyekundo town is found along the tributary of the Drichu (Tongtian He), which contribute to upper reach of mighty Yangtse River(Changjiang). More info…
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Nangchen County
Nangchen is a county of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and is the southernmost county-level division of Qinghai province, bordering the Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. It was one of the five kingdoms of the historical region of Kham. Nangchen town located in a side valley and on the right bank of the Dza Chu, upper reaches of the Mekong river. More info…
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Zhiduo County, also called Drito or Zhidoi, is referred to the area around the southern source of Yangtze River. It is a county located southwest of Qinghai Province , China, bordering the autonomous regions of Tibet to the west and Xinjiang to the northwest. Dritoi is under the administration of Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and the county capital is being located at Gyelje Podrang. More info…
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ZaDoi county or sometimes spelled as Dzato means the upper reach of Mekong River. is a county in the southwest of Qinghai province, Traditionally knowns as Kham Region of Tibet, it is under the administration of Yushu Autonomous Prefecture within Qinghai province and bordering Tibet Autonomous Region to the south. More info...
Diqing Tibetan Prefecture in Yunnan Province
Shangri-la City | Gyalthang | Zhongdian
Shangri-La was formerly called Zhongdian County, but was renamed on 17 December 2001 and upgraded into a county-level city on 16 December 2014 as Shangri-La after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon, in an effort to promote tourism in the area. The Tibetan population refers to this place by its traditional name Gyalthang or Gyaitang, meaning “Royal plains”. More info…
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Dechen is a Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the north of Yunnan province, along with the adjacent counties of Gyethang and Balung, governed from Kunming. The county extends through Mekong gorge south of Tsaklhalho and includes the Karwa Karpo range(Ch Meili), which divides the Mekong from Salween. Its eastern boundary formed by the Yangtze. The county capital is located at Dechen town. More info…
If you have any questions regarding destinations in Kham region of Tibet, please send us an email at: info@snowliontours.com
