Litang is a rough and dirty Tibetan town full of character and the friendliest people I’ve met in China. It took me a day and a half to get here via buses over rough moutain passes but the roads were better than expected. I spent a night in Xiancheng along the way. The scenery has been high and spectacular. Litang is over 12,000 feet in elevation. Western Sichuan is wild country.
Aside of the hacking, spitting, and smoking, not to mention the dust, the bus trip to get to Litang was good. I thought I might be the only westerner on the bus but there were a few others. I met one German, one Dutch, and three Israelis on the ride over. All of us seeking a less touristy more authentic China experience.
There’s nothing touristy about Litang. It’s been referred to as a Tibetan Wild West. Nomads live in the hills and men who look more Native American than Chinese ride around on motorcyles wearing cowboy style hats. Traditional clothing is common and Tibetan Bhuddism is very a much a part of day to day life. It’s very common to see people walking around with spinning prayer wheel in hand.
When I first arrived it was raining. A dirty, mostly vacant main street made me wonder what I was doing here. Early in the afternoon it cleared and a short walk later I immediately began to like the place. As I strolled around I was greeted often. When I asked to take a photo people smiled and posed unlike most everywhere else where no one wants their photo taken. It’s a sign that the locals aren’t too accustomed or tired of tourists.
My afternoon walk took me up to a Monestary as I walked with the German and two Israelis I met on the the bus. We continued beyond the monestary up anohter 1,000+ feet or so to a hill like mountain top decorated with prayer flags for a grandstand view.
No comments:
Post a Comment