Litang is a small town in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. It used to be known as Gaocheng and sits at over 4000m, high on the Tibetan Plateau. It has been an important centre for Tibetan Buddhism and both the 7th and 10th Dalai Lamas were born here.

Unfortunately this religious significance means that it has also been a centre of both resistance and oppression due to Chinese control of Tibet. Since the Chinese took over there have been bombings, resistance forces and political demonstrations. It has been peaceful for a long time now but pictures of the Dalai Lama are still highly illegal and the presence of Han Chinese is very minimal.

For visitors this city offers spectacular views in the glorious environment, excellent food and a superb example of a true Tibetan town.

Basic Travel Information

  • Province – Sichuan
  • Season to Visit – Not in winter
  • Route there – Bus from Kangding, Shared taxi from Daocheng
  • Duration: At least 1 day
  • Recommended: Yes it is one of the purest and most beautiful examples of a true Tibetan town that I’ve seen

My Story

I had intended to stay for several days in Litang but the high altitude caused me issues. I had travelled up far too fast to get here. Kangding, my previous stop, is only at 2500, so I was definitely not acclimatised for a stay at 4000m! (This is one of my examples of How Not to Deal with Altitude!)

Litang temple, china

There was no accomodation available online for this town so once I’d found a lift into town I went looking for a hotel that I’d been told about. The Potala Inn was a reasonable place but wouldn’t offer me a dorm despite them being available on their notices. With a headache starting I decided to just pay 100rmb for a single room. The staff were lovely but did not speak English or even read Mandarin. From what I could gather a lot of people in this region can speak and understand Mandarin but only read and write in Tibetan which was sadly not available on my translate app.

Things got much easier from there as I met a wonderful English traveller who joined me for an explore through the beautiful town and monasteries. We grabbed some fantastic Tibetan food (always exceptional) and decided to head onward to Daocheng the next day. Having someone to share the journey with and the opportunity to get to a lower altitude was exactly what I needed.

Monks in Litang, Tibet, China
Litang Skies

Logistics & Prices

Accomodation:

  • Potala Inn – Single room 100 RMB, double room 120 RMB, triple room 150 RMB
  • Peace Guesthouse – I have been told this place is/was a good option but I have not been there and cannot guarantee that it is currently open

Getting in and out:

  • Intercity bus to/from Kangding: Only 1 bus per day early morning. Make sure to book a ticket the day before. Takes 6-6.5 hours, 93 RMB
  • Shared minivan to/from Daocheng, 60 RMB, negotiate with the drivers in the centre of town. It depends on how many people they can find for the journey. My driver refused to travel without getting 300 RMB total, clearly enforced by his boss

Places Nearby & Trip Planning

Include in a trip through Western Sichuan along with:

  • Kangding
  • Daocheng
  • Yading
  • Chengdu
  • Shangri-La

When to Visit

I would not advise travelling through this region in Winter, from December onwards. The weather would be extremely cold and the daylight hours short. Also there would be a significant risk of snow blocking the bus routes through the valleys and over the passes.

Spring, Summer & Autumn would all provide much better opportunities to explore and take advantage of the hiking.opportunities to explore the wider Jilin province

Further Information

These websites were my favourite sources of general information for this location:

Wikitravel

Last Updated: January 2020

Alistair Roweth
Alistair RowethTraveller & Tutor
I've spent more than 2 years travelling around the world. I hope you enjoy my attempt to write down and pass on some of the information that I have learned along the way.

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