Experience Tibetan Culture in Mount Siguniang

China is a country made up of more than 50 ethnic groups, and in the province of Sichuan, there are more than a dozen of those groups. Danba County, in Sichuan Province, also has several ethnic groups living in the region, including Han, Hui, Yi, Miao, and Zang. The Zang ethnic group is the Tibetan people living in Danba, and the Jiarong people are just one branch of the Zang Tibetan ethnic group. However, even though they are Tibetan people, there are some very big differences between the two in terms of language, culture, history, clothing, customs, and architecture.

The Jiarong Tibetan people

The Jiarong Tibetan people are the main residents of Danba township, and they have a history that goes back around 5,000 years in the area. The houses, although Tibetan in style - with white outer walls, mural-covered inner décor, and red-painted ridges - have several architectural differences to traditional houses in Tibet Autonomous Region.

Potala Peak and White Pagoda in Shuangqiao Valley

The north face of the west ridge of Mount Seerdengpu, in the Shuangqiao Valley of Mount Sigunaing, is known locally as the “Potala Peak”, because of its resemblance to the main face of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. The peak is a great place for climbing, because of its favorable rock structures, and is the best place in the valley to view the other mountains. From the Potala Peak, you can see Liren Peak and Shengmu Peak to the right, while to the left are Yeren Peak, Jinqiang Cliff, and Mt. Jingang. If you look to the west from the Potala Peak, you can see the snow mountains, and down in the alpine meadow below lies a single white pagoda.

Potala Peak

Legend has it that when the 5th Dalai Lama, Ngawang Lobsang Gyatso, was looking for inspiration for the new palace at the site of the old Red and White Palaces, he wanted it to have the characteristics of a snow mountain. He sent warriors out to look for ideas for the plans, and two of the warriors came to Shuangquiao Valley. When they saw the unique shape of the north face, they drew the outline and rushed their drawing to Gyatso, who built the Potala Palace in its exact shape.

The White Pagod

The white pagoda down in the alpine meadow of the valley is the largest of its kind in the Mount Siguniang Scenic Area, and is festooned with prayer flags. The pagoda is the biggest of many that sit alongside the wooden trekking path through the Shuangqiao Valley, and you can stop and make a wish as you pass by. You can make your wish at the pagoda after presenting a white hada to the pagoda, or you can pick up a stone, cup it in your hands, and walk around the pagoda clockwise while making your wish.

Lama Temple in Changping Valley

Down at the beginning of Changping Valley of Mount Siguniang, where the hiking trails start and where you can hire horses to ride along the valley, sits the ruined temple known as the Lama Monastery. Destroyed by fire during the Cultural Revolution of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, the temple previously covered an area of over twenty-one thousand square meters, and was made of stone with a wooden framework.

The Largest Lamasery in Xiaojin County - Lama Monastery

The ancient temple has more than two thousand years of history, and was the largest lamasery of its kind in Xiaojin County. Local Tibetans would worship the ancient gods at the temple, and the main hall, several rooms, a housed market, and the Sakyamuni Hall can still be distinguished in the ruins. Although the paint is peeling and cracked, the stupas that lined the front of the lamasery are still standing, and are still as beautiful as any stupa in Tibet. The Lama Monastery is well known as one of the best scenic sites in the entire Siguniangshan Scenic Area, with a beautiful view of the nearby Daguniang Feng, one of the Four Maidens that make up the peaks of Mt. Siguniang.

Chaoshanping in Haizi Valley

Chaoshanping is just one section that makes up Haizi Valley of Mount Siguniang, and is known for being an area that is predominantly alpine meadows and plateau lawns. It is one of the best places to view the Four Maidens, the peaks that make up Mt. Siguniang, and is perfect for taking photos on the sunlight on the golden mountain at sunrise and sunset.

The Siguniangshan Worshipping Festival - Chaoshanhui

It is also the meadow where, every year in May, the Jiarong Tibetan people come to celebrate the Siguniang Festival, also known as the Siguniangshan Worshipping Festival, or "Chaoshanhui". Every resident of the Siguniangshan area, even as far as Danba, comes to the meadow in the Haizi Valley to pray at the pagoda and worship Siguniang Mountain. During the festival, the Jiarong people sing, dance, perform operas, race horses, and eat local foods, while performing other rituals and watching the Lamas as they make their ceremonies.

Dressing up in Traditional Jiarong Tibetan

While many of the Jiarong people have adopted the use of Han-style clothing, and many will even be seen wearing jeans and t-shirts, the traditional clothing style still endures in the Jiarong villages across the region. And tourists may have the chance to dress up in the Traditional Jiarong cloth and take a photo in Mount Siguniang Area.

Tourists can dress up in the Jiarong cloth.

In fact, the cloths and adornments of Jiarong Tibetans are different from those in Tibet. Traditionally, men wore their hair in long braids, much like the Chinese Manchu, and wear a cloth vail over the head, although that is often replaced with a decorated, fedora-style hat made from wool or fox-fur these days. The gown worn by men is long, with intricate patterns, with loose-fitting, ankle length trousers covered by a length of “muzi”, a traditional local cloth, which wraps the waist, one end of which often hangs over the shoulder. Straw sandals that are made from manually woven hemp are worn in warmer weather, and shoes or boots made of fur when colder.

Many colors and beads sewn onto women’s clothes.

Women’s clothes are more ornate than the men’s are, with many colors and beads sewn onto them. They can vary in styles and designs, and are even different for traditional festivals. The women traditionally use the “fascinator”, a form of ancient head covering, which covers the head from the back to the forehead. Often square in shape, these head-covers are decorated with beads and adornments, and can sometimes include a wide rod at the back of the neck that the hair is wrapped around to hold it in place.

The normal daily clothes consist of a short muzi coat, short, calf-length trousers, and colorful, full-length skirts. Middle-aged women tend to wear pleated skirts, instead of straight ones, and the belt is also made from muzi.

Middle-aged women tend to wear pleated skirts.

The festival clothes of the Jiarong women are much more ornate, with many valuable necklaces, broaches and pins made of gold, silver, and pearls. The gown is made from the best cloth, and is normally of one color, with intricately embroidered collars, edging, and cuffs. Hushenfu, amulets believed to bring good fortune, and Changmingsuo, the “longevity” amulets, are also worn around the neck, so the amulet hangs above the heart. Boots or shoes are made of fur.

Tasting Local Tibetan Food

What to Eat

Tibetan food is Tibetan food, wherever you go, right? Well, yes and no is the answer to that one. While there are some Tibetan foods that cross international boundaries, and can be found anywhere there are Tibetan people, from Lhasa to London, there are also some variations on Tibetan foods that are strictly regional.

Tasting local Tibetan Food

Roast lamb, yak meat, butter tea, tsampa, yogurt, yak’s milk (which cannot really come from the “yak” as this is the male of the species, it really comes from the “dri”), all of these are normal parts of any Tibetan diet. And all can be found in the Tibetan villages in the Mt. Siguniang area. However, there are also more localized foods that are eaten in Mt. Siguniang, which are harder to find in many places in Tibet.

For many Tibetans in Siguniangshan, traditional Tibetan dishes are eaten often, along with dishes from the local area, and other Sichuan dishes that are now part of the local Tibetan culture.

Tsampa - Most Important Food for Any Tibetan

The first, and most important food for any Tibetan is tsampa. This nutritious dumpling made of roasted highland barley is eaten all over Tibet, and anywhere that you will find Tibetans. Simple to prepare, and delicious to eat, tsampa is the all-round staple of the Tibetan diet, that is eaten with almost every meal. It is made by leaving a little buttered tea in a bowl, and adding the roasted barley flour, then mixing it (normally with the finger) until it becomes a stiff, dumpling-like dough. Eaten without being cooked further, it is also widely used as a traveling food.

Wild Mushrooms - The Main Points of Interest in the Food of Siguniangshan

One of the main points of interest in the food of Siguniangshan is the wild mushrooms. Many varieties are found here, including matsutake, morchella, hericium erinaceus, boletus, and amanita ceasarer. Several restaurants in the town have specialist dishes that feature the fungi, and for any mushroom lover, it is a taste of heaven.

Whole Roast Lamb - Be Found in All Tibetan Villages

Whole roast lamb is something that is also found in all Tibetan villages, although it is not eaten as much in Tibet as it is in Sichuan. Grilled over charcoal for 3-4 hours, the lamb is tender and tasty, and perfect with butter tea and barley wine (chang). Yak meat is another Tibetan favorite, and is relished by Tibetans as good food. Even the innards get consumed in meals, so nothing goes to waste. With a huge number of yak herds in places like Tagong Grasslands, yak meat is plentiful in Siguniang.

Baked Potatoes - A Big Part of the Local Diet

Many parts of Tibet and the Tibetan villages in Siguniangshan are unable to grow most of the normal vegetables, such as carrots, turnips, etc. One of the things that does grow well in the Siguniang area is the potato. Baked potatoes are a big part of the local diet, and in the Siguniangshan area they are harvested every year. Potatoes are baked on the open fire, until well roasted, and are a delicious addition to add to meat dishes or stews, or just eaten on their own.

Yak Milk - The Drink of Every Tibetan

With a huge number of yaks around the area, it is no surprise that yak milk is the drink of every Tibetan. This pure, unpasteurized milk is full of vitamins, minerals, and is high in calcium for health and strength. It is also churned to make butter, and is an important ingredient for the Tibetan butter tea that is consumed in great quantities. It is even used in lamps as fuel, and for making sculptures for religious festivals.

Butter Tea - The Most Widely Partaken Drinks of Every Tibetan

And, since it has already been mentions, butter tea is one of the most widely partaken drinks of every Tibetan. It is made from the mix of yak butter and Horse tea, or Yak Tea. It is a very nutritious drink that is high in proteins, which is essential for life on the plateau. It also helps to stimulate the appetite, and is a very refreshing beverage. The Horse tea is produced in the Ya’an prefecture, and is selected from the larger leaves of the bush. With few vegetable to add to their diet, this tea is perfect for adding essential nutrients for better health.

Yogurt - A Staple Food All Over Tibet

Yogurt is something that is also a staple food all over Tibet, and everywhere you find Tibetans. It has been famous in Tibetan culture and literature for over one thousand years, and was even mentioned in the famous poem, “The Story of Gesar”. Moreover, yogurt has its own festival in Tibetan religious culture, and is delicious too.

Where to Eat

Finding places to eat in the area can be a little tricky, as most of the restaurants are in the town of Rilong, now called Siguniangshan. There are plenty of guesthouses and small eateries in the town, which give you a wide variety of dishes, from traditional Tibetan fare to more common Chinese and Sichuan cuisine. Some of the more popular restaurants in the town include the Sisters Restaurant (Jiěmèi Fàndiàn), which serves excellent Sichuan food; the Bamboo Chicken Restaurant (Zhúxiāngjī Fàndiàn), which, surprisingly, specializes in chicken and bamboo hotpot; and the Douhua Fish Hotpot Restaurant (Dòuhuāyú Huǒguō), which serves fish.

Restaurants in the town of Rilong give you a wide variety of dishes.

There are also some small, local restaurants in the Shuangqiao valley, 7 kilometers outside Siguniangshan, that have good Tibetan and Sichuan dishes on the menus, as well as some less unique food stands outside the entrance gate to the valley, that serve simple, but tasty dishes. For the most unique restaurant in the valley itself, try the Cow Shed (Niúpéngzi Fàndiàn). They serve traditional Tibetan food, which includes freshly-baked bread with yak butter, yak meat and potato stew, and the ever present yak butter tea.