7 days Litang Horse Racing Festival tour
Enjoy the once a year Litang Horse Racing Festival and see long distance riding, trekking, horse riding tricks and shooting from horseback, all first hand. Traveling from Chengdu to Litang is half the fun filled with fantastic natural scenery.
Itinerary
The Litang Festival is associated with the ancient Zubirishao Festival, the festival of praying around the mountain, on the Tibetan calendar. When the wild flowers and grasses are at their peak, 10 days of horse racing and festival are held to show devotion to the sacred mountain and celebrate the harvest. This is the most important festival of the grasslands. In the 1960's, the local government fixed the dates for the festival as August 1 to 7. During the festival, people gather from all over the Maoya Grassland dressed in the finest clothing with colorful tents and their best food. The grasslands are a sea of tents as the people prepare for seven days of relaxation and festival. The races themselves include long distance, trekking, riding under the belly of the horse, standing upside down on top of the horse, shooting from horseback and other breath-taking feats! Besides horse racing, there are Tibetan operas, dancing, fashion shows and other cultural events.
Drive to Kangding via Ya'an. The ride is comfortable in the morning but will get tougher in the afternoon. You'll pass Erlang mountain-the first pass of the countless high mountains on the Sichuan-Tibet highway. Stop Luding to visit the Iron Bridge. You will arrive at Kangding-the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. After dinner, enjoy the hot spring at Erdaoqiao. Overnight at Kangding.
Cross over the Mt. Zheduo at an elevation of 4300m, visit the Xindu Qiao, which is known as the paradise for photographs, you will have plenty of time to stop here to take photos. Afterwards, pass another two 4300m high mountains-the Jianziwan & Kazila mountain, arrives at Litang.
Litang is reputed to be the highest town in the world and is the largest town in western Sichuan. It was an important transit town along the ancient trade route between Tibetans from Tibet and the local Hans at Kangding and Ya'an city. The town is situated on the Maoya Grassland, which in the Tibetan language means, 'Place as flat as a bronze mirror.' We arrive on the eve of the Litang Horse Racing Festival, a very thrilling time! Overnight at Litang.
Spend two exciting days at the Litang Horse Racing Festival with local people.
You will spend another half day to watch the horse racing festival, or visit Litang Monastery. Afternoon drive back to Xinduqiao for overnight.
After taking photos for Xinduqiao morning, drive to Tagong, which is surrounded by grassy hills and snowy mountains, visit Tagong monastery. Afterward drive to Danba via Bamei to visit Huiyuan Gompa, the scenery along the road is absolutely fabulous! Danba, a county where you may see different Tibetan people and also their unique Danba ancient block towers. Afternoon you will be arranged to visit at Zhonglu Village because of its scenery & architecture, other grand and high tower groups, Dadu river valley. The sky towering thousand-years old Diaos (stock house) are the unique landscape on your way. Overnight at Daba.
Morning drive from Danba back to Chengdu via Mt. Siguniang and Mt. Balang tunnel. If time allows, visit Shuangqiao Valley in Mount Siguniang by viewing more than 10 snow mountains over 4,000 m. Reach Chengdu late afternoon, end the trip.
Inclusions
Tour notes:
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