Danba Jiarong Tibetan

Danba County covers an area of 5,649 square kilometers. There live several ethnic groups Zang (Tibetan), Han, Hui, Yi, Miao. The Jiarong Tibetan is one of the branches of Zang ethnic group and the main residents in Danba. Jiarong people have their unique historical origin, language, costume, custom, culture, architectural ornament which are different from that of the Tibetans in other Tibetan areas.

Danba Jiarong Tibetan People

Jiarong Tibetan group is the main residents in Danba, with a long history. They live in the Tibetan-style house. The main materials of dwelling houses are stones and woods. Outside walls are painted with white color and inside walls are Tibetan-style murals, and the ridges are painted with red color.

Women of Jiarong Tibetan Group

Their costumes are called Jiarong Tibetan Costumes. Men would like to use green cloth vail or towel to encase the top of their head and wear long gowns and local white and green trousers. Women will wear different colorful clothes depending their marital status. When in festival or temple fair, they will wear festival clothes and valuable adornments.

Due to the mountainous living condition, Jiarong Tibetans have their own dietary habit. They mainly eat Zangba, corn and drink the highland barley wine and buttered tea. As the mix and effect of Han nationality and other ethnic group, more and more Sichuan cuisines are introduced and other customs are brought into Danba.

The Dishes of Main Meal in Jiaju Tibetan Village

What are differences between Jiarong Tibetans and the Tibetans in other regions

Nowadays, Jiarong Tibetans are mainly living some regions of Daba and Kangding of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; Jinchuan, Xiaojin, Maerkang, Lixian, Heishui, Hongyuan, and Wenchuan of Aba Tibetan Qiang Autonomous Prefecture. They have their unique history, culture, language, costume, custom and architectural ornament.

1. History

According to the historical materials, Jiarong Tibetans is the descendant of the locals and Tubo people. The local people are called "Jialiangyi", "Baigouqiang", "Gelingren", "Gejiren". After more than 1000 years, the locals lived together with the immigrants of Tubo people, and the fusion nationality becomes today's Jiarong Tibetan. To search the sourc, Zang ethnic group is the descendant of Tobo people who lived on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and were an nomad tribe.

In addition, while the Tubo people immigrated to the western Sichuan, the Bonismo, the original Buddhism, was introduced into these areas. Since the 8th century, Indian Buddhism have developed gradually. After more than one thousand years, Buddhism becomes the major religion in Danba.

2. Language

According to the division of language, the whole Tibetan area can be divided into three main parts: Weizang, Kangba and Anduo. Jiarong Tibetans are mainly living in the Kangba Tibetan area. Their language is effected by Kangba Tibetan language, Qiang language and Han language, and is formed gradually. It is called Jiarong Tibetan language which is different from other Tibetan languages.

Weizang Tibetan area refer to the Tibetan area including Lhasa, Shigatse, Ali, Shannan, Nyingchi and Namqu. The Tibetan people in these areas have the relatively unified dialect, culture and history. Kangba Tibetan is the areas covering Chamdo in Tibetan, Diqing in Yunnan, Garz prefecture in Sichuan and Yushu in Qinghai. This large area is located at the transition zone of Han and Tibetan. There are distinct regional features in politics, economy, religion and culture. However, there are the same points: frank personality, strong body, devout faith and devotion to business. Anduo Tibetans are living at the northwest part of Mount Animaqin and in the area of Hexi Corridor in Gansu. They often wear gorgeous clothes and hats with colorful designs.

3. Costume

Before liberation, Jiarong Tibetans in different tribes had different clothes and adornments on the body, and as time goes, they unified gradually their costume. Usually, men keep long hairs and use green cloth vail or towel to encase the top of the heads. They like to wear long gowns, local white and green trousers, and straw sandals that the hemp is weaved each year. Their legs are swathe by Muzi. Knives or forks are hanged on the left waist. On their feet are Tibetan boots or shoes that are made of fur. For women, the costumes are various in styles and designs. At normal time, women keep long hairs and tie one or two braids on tip of white blue, cyan or red head lines. They wear different fascinators. Their short coat is made of Tibetan cloth or Muzi and short trousers is made of local cloth. They wear colorful skirts outside short trousers. They also wear fur boots and shoes.

Diversified styles and patterns are the characteristics of Tibetan costume, like long sleeve, long skirt, thigh boot, showing right arm and loose waist, etc. The designs are formed from ancient times under the influence of climate in the area, production activities and the religious culture. For example, the Tibetan-style robe has long sleeves, loose waist and large lapel. When dressing a Tibetan robe, underlinen is indispensable. Male's underlinen is fitted with high collars, and female's is turn-down collars and long sleeves. Both kinds are made of silk in different colors. The sleeves are curled up in most time and laid down when dancing, so that they will wave in the wind with the dancers, presenting a beautiful vision. Moreover, bright adornments are important. Agate, coral, chrysophoron are common on the herdsmen' body. For other women, silver products are common, like bracelet, necklace, silver belt and so on.

The Guozhuang Dance of Jiarong Tibetans

4. Custom

In Jiarong Tibetan area, there are many recreational activities and festivals. The most common is Guozhuang dance. When it is marriage celebration, new houses completion, guest entertaining, custom and culture performances or other gatherings, they will get together to dance Guozhuang. Others: Beauty Valley Watch Flowers Festival from Mar.18th to 21st, Mount Moerduo Temple Fair from July 10th to 15th of the lunar calender, Zajiu Festival in September, Sichuan Jiarong Tibetan Fengqing Festival in the golden autumn, Beauty Valley Photography Festival in the October and November, Jiarong Tibetan New Year in December.

In Tibetan area, there are more than 30 major festivals throughout a year, such as Tibetan New Year and Butter Lamp Festival of first month, Pilgrim Festival and Saga Dawa Festival of forth month, Shoton Festival in the sixth month, Bathing Festival and Horse Racing Festival in the seventh month, and Ongkor Festival in the eighth month of Tibetan calendar. Come to Tibet and you will be amazed by the festal revelry the local Tibetans.

Saga Dawa Festival in Tibet

5. Architectural Ornament

The dwelling houses of Jiarong Tibetans were built at the foot of mountains. Usually, the main materials are stones and woods. The walls are piled up by stones, inserted by polished glutinous rice and slaked lime. The inner side of the walls are made of joint planks and column caps. The external walls are painted with white while the interior walls are Tibetan-style murals. The ridges are painted with red color. On the top, five colors prayer flags are dancing in the air. A house has three or four floors, the top floor is used for storing grain and clothes, the middle floor for people and the bottom floor for livestock.

The Dwellings of Jiarong Tibetan

In Tibetan areas, most Tibetan people are living in tents because they live a nomadic life. But in the big city and around or along the road, you will find that the dwelling houses have one or two floors. For the one-floor house, there are exterior room for livestocks and interior rooms for people's living. For the two-floor house, the upper floor is used for people's living and one room is for chanting, and the below floor is for livestocks. The structure is simple. Soil and stone are the materials of wall. The rooftop is flat and is overlaid with the efflorescent soil named "Ega".

The Inner Ornaments of Tibetan Dwellings

The most typical Jiarong Tibetan Village - Danba Tibetan Village

Danba, 348 km away from Chengdu, has the most beautiful villages in China. It is famous for the three things: Tibetan Village, Gudiaolou and beauties. If you want to see the most special and grand Jiarong Tibetan Village, you’d better go to Danba Tibetan Villages. The houses, scattering here and there, are built on the hills. The character and style of the buildings are the same. The dense groves, clean streams, snow peaks and ethnic buildings are assembled to be picturesque scenery.

Recommended Itineraries

There are 4 popular Danba itineraries recommended below.

Route 1: Chengdu - Danba - Jiaju - Suopo - Zhonglu - Chengdu

Day 1: Chengdu - Danba County
Day 2: Danba County - Jiaju Tibetan Village - Suopo Diaolou - Danba County
Day 3: Danba County - Zhonglu Tibetan Village – Chengdu

Route 2: Chengdu - Danba - Dangling - Mosika - Danba - Jiaju - Suopo - Zhonglu - Chengdu

Day 1: Chengdu - Danba County
Day 2: Danba - Dangling - Mosika
Day 3: Mosika - Danba
Day 4: Danba - Jiaju Tibetan Village - Suopo Diaolou - Danba County
Day 5: Danba County - Zhonglu Tibetan Village – Chengdu

Route 3: (for photographers) Chengdu - Danba - Dangling - Jiaju - Pujiaoding - Chengdu

Day 1: Chengdu - Danba County
Day 2: Danba - Dangling
Day 3: Dangling Photographing
Day 4: Dangling - Jiaju Tibetan Village, Photographing
Day 5: Jiaju - Danba - Pujiaoding - Danba
Day 6: Danba – Chengdu

Route 4: (for photographers) Chengdu - Jinchuan - Zhonglu - Danba - Jiaju - Chengdu

Day 1: Chengdu - Jinchuan County
Day 2: Jinchuan Photographing
Day 3: Jinchuan - Zhonglu Tibetan Village
Day 4: Zhonglu Photographing - Danba County
Day 5: Danba County - Jiaju Tibetan Village, Photographing
Day 6: Jiaju – Chengdu

Danba Tibetan Village

More detailed information about these four itineraries, please refer to recommended Danba itineraries. If you are not interested in these itineraries, you can contact us directly. We can tailor-make your personal itinerary according to your requirements.

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