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Sky City - Snowy Secret Realm | Encounter the Poetry of Tsangyang Gyatso and the Light of Ding Zhen

“Litang | At an altitude of 4,014 meters in the Sky City, encounter the poetry of Tsangyang Gyatso and the light of Ding Zhen” > “It’s not on the plains, yet it makes your heart race; > It’s not by the sea, yet it’s the ‘poetry and distant place’ in countless hearts; > This is **Litang** — > A city built on the clouds, > Known as the ‘World’s Highest City,’ > The place where the ‘pure white crane’ in Tsangyang Gyatso’s poems takes flight, > And the world illuminated by Ding Zhen’s pearl-like smile.” **Litang County**, under the jurisdiction of the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, is located on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an **average altitude of 4,014 meters**, making it one of the highest county seats in China. - ✅ Location: Heart of the Western Sichuan Plateau, National Highway G318 runs through the city - ✅ Ethnic Composition: Over 95% Tibetan, part of the core area of the Kham Tibetan region - ✅ Historical Significance: Hometown of the 7th Dalai Lama, Galsang Gyatso, an important center of Tibetan Buddhism - ✅ Cultural Tags: **Birthplace of King Gesar | Sacred Land of Tsangyang Gyatso’s Love Poems | Hometown of Ding Zhen | Land of Horse Racing** - ✅ Climate Features: Plateau monsoon climate, large temperature difference between day and night, average annual temperature 3°C **“Sky City · Snowy Secret Realm” — a place where faith and freedom converge, and the final stop for modern people seeking spiritual release.** Must-Visit Attractions | Five Unmissable Sky Secrets 1. 【Changqing Chuan Ke’er Monastery | One of the Three Major Yellow Sect Monasteries in Kham】 - Also known as “Litang Monastery,” founded in 1580, an important Gelugpa Tibetan Buddhist monastery - Houses over ten thousand scriptures, thangkas, and Buddha statues - Every morning, listen to monks chanting sutras, their deep Sanskrit sounds piercing the mist 2. 【Renkang Ancient Street | A Living Century-Old Tibetan Street】 - “Renkang” means “Longevity by Heaven’s Will,” once a gathering place for successive living Buddhas - More than ten century-old houses remain, with carved beams, painted rafters, and colorful windows - Narrow and deep street lined with multicolored prayer flags 3. 【Genei Sacred Mountain | The Underrated Ultimate Secret Realm】 - Known as “the most mysterious peak of the Hengduan Mountains,” called “the chief of the twenty-four sacred mountains” by Tibetans - Main peak altitude 6,204 meters, pyramid-shaped, snow-covered year-round - Hiking to Lenggu Monastery to visit ascetic monks in retreat 4. 【G318 Internet-famous Check-in Wall | The Origin of Ding Zhen’s Smile】 - Located at the eastern outskirts of Litang, at the city exit, a blue background wall reads: > “**The World Is Wide, But I Miss You.**” - Became a must-check-in spot nationwide after Ding Zhen’s photo went viral online 5. 【Litang Horse Racing Ground | The Glory Battlefield of Men and Horses】 - Usually a pasture, transforms into a grand event site every August - During the horse racing festival, Kham men gallop on horseback, competing for flags, picking up khatas, and testing endurance - Also features Tibetan song duets, Guozhuang dance parties, and tent markets If you catch the horse racing festival, it’s definitely worth the ticket! Food Recommendations | Taste the Flavors of the Plateau | **Butter Tea** | Salty and rich, warms the stomach and drives out cold, an acquired taste at first | | **Tsampa** | Roasted barley flour mixed with butter tea and kneaded into balls, staple food of Tibetans | | **Yak Jerky** | Naturally air-dried, chewy, the best snack to carry around | | **Curd Cheese Buns** | Made from fermented yogurt curds, slightly sour and refreshing | | **Wild Mushroom Stewed Chicken** | Summer and autumn special, freshly picked matsutake and boletus cooked on the spot | | **Sweet Tea House Milk Tea** | Similar to Hong Kong-style silk stocking milk tea, a representative of Tibetan tea house culture | Accommodation Suggestions | High Cost-Performance Choices | Tibetan-style Guesthouse | 【Family Inn near Ding Zhen’s Former Residence】 | Good views, low prices, authentic living experience | | Boutique Hotel | 【Litang Himalaya Kangzhu Hotel】 | Oxygen rooms, stable hot water, professional service | | Hostel Beds | 【G318 Youth Hostel】 | Gathering place for cyclists, relaxed atmosphere | | Luxury Wild Camping | 【Genei Starry Sky Camp】 | Far from towns, open the door to see snow mountains, perfect for deep stargazing | ✅ **Altitude Sickness Tips**: - Avoid bathing and strenuous exercise on the first day of arrival - Drink plenty of warm water, can take Rhodiola and Altitude Sickness Medicine - Prepare a portable oxygen bottle (available at pharmacies/supermarkets) ✅ **Photography Reminders**: - Respect beliefs, ask permission before photographing monks or Buddha statues - Do not point fingers at sacred mountains or temples ✅ **Civilized Travel**: - Remove hats when entering temples, keep quiet, walk clockwise - Do not touch others’ heads casually (Tibetans consider the head sacred) > When you are on the streets of G318, > Watching the sunset dye Ding Zhen’s poster golden, > An old lady carrying a copper kettle walks by, > Smiling and saying “Tashi Delek” to you, > At that moment, > You suddenly understand: > The so-called distant place, > Is not to escape life, > But to hear again, > The sound of your own heartbeat. May you, on some morning, Stand on the steps of Changqing Chuan Ke’er Monastery, Listening to six hundred years of chanting drifting on the wind, At that moment, You finally understand: The so-called pure land, Is nothing more than — Our willingness to walk a long uphill road, Just to exchange for, That eternal, unchanging blue sky.
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Posted: Sep 28, 2025
Eliks
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