Tibetan Culture Experience in Daocheng Yading

The Daocheng Yading Scenic Area is a unique natural environment of snow mountains, alpine forests, pristine glaciers, and shimmering lakes, located in Southwest Sichuan, in Daocheng County. Some 860 kilometers from Chengdu, and around 430 kilometers from Kangding, Daocheng Yading is famous for the spectacular mountain scenery and its fascinating attractions.

Daocheng Yading Scenic Area

Sitting at the point where the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau meets the Hengduan Mountains, it is reputed to be the “soul of Shangri la”, and the last Shangri La because of its unique landforms and primitive, natural landscape. Nicknamed the “paradise for photographers”, the area includes three sacred snow mountains, lush wide meadows, colorful forests, and bright blue lakes that make it a Garden of Eden far away from the tumult of civilization.

Daocheng has an alpine climate with monsoons, a long winter, and short summer which still has a big temperature difference between day and night. The best times to visit Daocheng Yading are from April to early June and September to October. During spring, many of the local flowers are in full bloom, covering the meadows with yellow and lilac dots, while the sacred mountains show against the clear sky more splendid and bright than at any other time of year. As Autumn descends on the area, the whole of Daocheng becomes a multi-colored sea of red, gold, and brown as the leaves cover the ground.

4 Days Chengdu Daocheng Yading Flight Tour

Yading - the Holy Land of Local Tibetan People

What used to be a small village is now a famous tourist site, though the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area is still honored as the “last pure land on earth” by the local people. The area of Daocheng Yading is home to several monasteries, such as the Chonggu Temple, Gonggar Langjiling Monastery, Bangpu Monastery, and Xiongdeng Monastery, all of which have long histories going back several centuries. There are also various sects of Tibetan Buddhism here, although the Nyingma and Kagyu sects are the most well known by tourists. Most of the monasteries in the area are in tranquil places that are seldom visited by the outside world, and where monks continue their daily activities in much the same way as they have done for hundreds of years.

Yading - the Holy Land of Local Tibetan People

The area of Daocheng Yading is considered to be a holy land by the Tibetan people who live in the Kham region, because of the three holy mountains that form an almost perfect triangle. In the 8th century, the three peaks were blessed by Buddha Padmasambhava, who projected his divine light onto them, and naming them after three holy bodhisattvas. Completely separated from each other, though within a short distance, the three mountains form the shape of a triangle, and locals believe that the mountains protect them from evil spirits. It is also believed that, if one makes a sincere pilgrimage to the mountains three times in his life, his wishes will come true.

Three Holy Buddhist Mountains in Yading Scenic Area

The most important part of the scenic area are the three holy mountains of Chenrezig (Xiannairi), Jambeyang (Yangmaiyong), and Chanadorje (Xianuoduoji), which protect the people of Yading, and are the patron saints of the Tibetan people.

Mt. Yangmaiyong – Stands for Manjusri

Yangmaiyong, named after Manjusri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, stands 5,958 meters (19,547 feet) above sea level, and has a holy, white appearance. Like a pure and dignified maiden, the lofty peak towers up towards the clouds, as if the Bodhisattva of Wisdom was pointing to the sky. In between Yangmaiyong and Xiannairi lie two beautiful lakes, situated at the saddle between Yangmaiyong and the sheer precipice walls of the south face of Xiannairi. Known as Milk Lake and Five-color Lake, these striking lakes, including Pearl Lake, are all holy lakes of the scenic area.

Mt. Yangmaiyong – Stands for Manjusri

Mt. Xiannairi – Stands for Guanyin

The highest of the three peaks, Xiannairi, or Chenrezig, has an altitude of 6,032 meters (19,790 feet), and is also the highest peak in Daocheng county and the fifth highest in Sichuan Province. From a distance, the peak look like a reclining Buddha, and the mountain is named for the Bodhisattva of Mercy. Waterfalls from the snow-melt of the peak rush down the mountainside, through lush, green meadows and rich forests, to the Pearl Lake, which lies in a hidden valley on the mountain’s north face. Once believed to be the mirror of the fairies, the lakeside is the perfect place to admire the mountain, and on calm, clear days, the reflection in the lake is like that of a mirror.

Mt. Xiannairi – Stands for Guanyin

Mt. Xianuoduoji – Stands for Vajrapani

As high as Mt.Yangmaiyong, Xianuoduoji rises against the skyline in the shape of a huge triangular pyramid. With its grand, precipitous slopes, it was described by Joseph Rock as a huge bat spreading its wings, and likened to the Greek God of Thunder. Named for the Bodhisattva of Power, the mountain stands straight, like a strong young man.

Mt. Xianuoduoji – Stands for Vajrapani

Tibetan Buddhist Temples

There are several temples in the scenic area, and the surrounding parts of Daocheng County, and all are known to have a long history going back several centuries. The most famous of these are the Chonggu Monastery, the gateway to heaven, and the Rewu Temple, the oldest Sakya monastery in the region.

Chonggu Temple

Sitting at the foot of Mount Xiannairi, Chonggu Monastery is one of several monasteries in the area. It is believed to have been started around 800 years ago, and legend says that an eminent monk began building the temple for the sole purpose of worshipping at the three sacred mountains. When the irritated gods sent leprosy to attack the village below, the selfless monk prayed day and night to the gods to save the people. The people were all saved from the disease, but it was laid upon the monk, who died as a sacrifice. The legend says he was buried out on the prairie, and a majestic cairn was placed above him by the grateful people, to commemorate his deeds. To this day, local monks can be seen praying to the gods inside the unfinished temple, and commemorating the acts of the selfless monk.

Chonggu Temple

Chonggu Monastery is an important stop for visitors to the three mountains, and is a good place to start a Yading kora around the mountains. Guarding the three sacred mountains, the monastery is like a door to heaven, the gateway to the sacred land of Shambhala. Rock also stayed in the monastery during his visit to Yading, and wrote about the beauty of the valley below in his journals.

Rewu Temple

Some ten kilometers away from Daocheng Town lies Sela Village, where you can find the ancient Rewu Temple. Built more than 600 years ago, it was the earliest temple of the Sakya sect of Tibetan Buddhism in Daocheng County, and the first Sakya School Temple in the area. The temple is home to several precious cultural relics, including the ten gold-painted Thangka paintings, several Buddha statues, and ancient texts and scrolls from the Sakya teachings.

Rewu Temple

Yading Kora

Yading has two main kora routes, one which goes around the three mountains together, the Big Kora, and one which just circles Xiannairi, the Small Kora. A kora is a common way for Tibetan pilgrims to perform their pilgrimage to a holy or sacred site, and involves a lot of walking, and often prostrating oneself on the ground in front of the holy place. Tibetan Buddhists believe that, as long as they complete their trek around a holy mountain, lake, or other site, they will have all immorality wiped clean.

8 Days Chengdu Daocheng Yading Tagong Danba Loop Tour

Small Kora (inner kora around Mt. Xiannairi)

The Small Kora in Yading is a route of around 30 kilometers, and normally takes two days to complete it. The two day trek is a common choice for visitors to the area, since it is not as challenging or as long as the Big Kora. However, it is great fun, and there are plenty of experiences along the route.

The route starts from Yading early in the morning, and passes through Longtongba on the way up to Chonggu Temple. From the temple you can see the peaks of Xiannairi and Xianuoduoji, and as you move on towards Luorong Pasture, you will pass by Shengshuimen, which is the first point where you can view the peak of Yangmaiyong. You should arrive at the Luorong Pasture in the mid-afternoon, and you can take a break there and enjoy the meadow views of the mountains, before moving on towards Camp 3, the stop for the night.

Small Kora in Yading

The route on from Luorong to Milk Lake is rough and arduous, and you need to watch your footing as you walk. The altitude increase rapidly here, and it takes around two and a half hours to get to Milk Lake. After a brief respite, you move on to the heights of Pass B, which you should reach around 6:00pm, just before the sun starts to set. The views of the three mountains are spectacular here during the daytime, and are made even more wonderful by the light of the setting sun hitting the sides of the mountains.

Resongcuo Lake

At the bottom of the pass is the Resongcuo Lake, which is next to Camp 3, where you will stay for the night. In the morning, you will need to get up early for breakfast, as there is another full day of trekking ahead. Setting out around 8:00am, the first stretch is along the western slopes of Mt. Xiannairi for around two hours, to get to Pass C (4,995m), at Guimenguan. The route then drops down into the valley, and you will get a great view of Xiannairi looming above you as you walk. After trekking through the alpine Spruce forests you arrive at Pearl lake, and then on to Chonggu Temple again after another 30 minutes walking. After a short break and something to eat, the last stretch back to Longtongba beckons, and by 4:00pm you will be back in a car on the way to Daocheng, and a soft, comfortable bed.

Big Kora (outer kora around the three holy mountains)

The Big kora in Yading, which completes a circuit of all three mountains, is a 7-day trek that is both challenging and interesting. More for the experienced trekker, and those with passion for hiking, the outer kora provides some real challenges along its route.

Big kora in Yading

On the first day, you will need to wake early, as you need to be in Kanggu Village for the start of the kora by 9:00am. You can hire horses and guides for the big kora in Kanggu, before setting off on the first 3-hour stretch. Once you reach Zhihuozhalang, you will start to ascend the ridge of the hill to get over it and down into the forest on the other side, after which you can see the campsite at Dida Pasture at the farthest edge.

On the second day of trekking, you will reach the first pass that you have to climb on this trek, at 4,780 meters. Right after it is a second pass, which is a little higher at 4,880 meters, before you start to descend along a steep, crushed-stone road. At the pasture at the bottom, you turn to walk down the valley for an hour to reach Quli Pasture (4,660m), and your campsite for the night.

Quli Pasture

From Quli, the trek takes you over high passes early in the morning, and there are large black boulders set along the track to mark the roadside. The next pass you have to climb sits at 4,800 meters, and after the pass, you head down again to the Zhawuqi Pasture (4,400m). Most of the rest of this day’s trekking is downhill, crossing streams and hiking through alpine forests until you get to the pasture at Gonggazhazhen (4,100m). The pasture is expansive and beautiful, and gives a great view of the three sacred snow mountains for the night’s camp.

The route for today is around the Snow Mountains, and as you crest the hills, the peak of Yangmaiyong is clearly visible. The route keeps going until you reach the Qingyong Pasture, at an elevation of 4,400 meters. The pasture is edged by a rugged cliff, from which a small cave lets out the snowmelt of the mountain, which is the source of water for the Qingyong Pasture.

The peak of Yangmaiyong is clearly visible.

After camping the night on the pasture, the trip takes you along two long, crushed-stone roads, which are relatively easy treks. Following the ridges of the mountains, the view of the scenery below is spectacular, and as you climb over the last pass of the day, you will see the peaceful Resongcuo Lake set among the high mountains. The route from the pass to the lake is rough and steep, and the lake will be your stop for the night.

Luorong Pasture

From Resongcuo Lake there are two possible routes to take to get to Chonggu temple. The shorter route goes around Mt. Xiannairi, which takes around 8-10 hours. The longer route includes the stops at the Five-color Lake and Milk Lake, and takes in the beautiful Luorong Pasture. The slope up to Milk Lake takes around an hour to climb, after which you turn along the side of the mountain to reach Five-color Lake. An hour and a half of hiking after the lakes, you will come to Luorong Pasture, and then continue on to reach Chonggu Temple in the early evening, just as the sun sets.

On the final day, the route runs from Chonggu Temple down to Longtongba, a hike of around two hours, which is the entrance to the Yading Nature reserve, and from where you will get the car back to Daocheng.

Kangba Tibetans in Daocheng Yading

Daocheng is an area that is mainly populated with Kangba Tibetan people, which make up around 96 percent of the total population. The Kangba people are all Buddhist, and although the main beliefs are with the Gelug and Kagyu sects of Tibetan Buddhism, Nyingma and Sakya sects are also present in the area.

Kangba Tibetans in Daocheng Yading

Typically Tibetan people, the culture and religions of the Daocheng area is akin to that in the western areas of Tibet, around Shigatse and closer to the Nepal border. The clothing is elegant and luxuriant, and is made up of a variety of bright, vibrant colors. Adornments are made in distinct shapes and designs, and are often made from gold or silver, and embedded with jade, agate, coral and otolith. The people follow the same traditions and festivals as the rest of Tibet, and though the food is mainly Tibetan, some aspects of Han cooking have been incorporated into their dishes.