About Gyalthang and Yunnan Province China

Yunnan, referred to as South of the Clouds in Chinese, one of China’s least-visited and most intriguing provinces. Located east of the Himalayas, north of Indochina and South of the clouds -at the crossroads of Asia, Yunnan is a botanical as well as an ethnological marvel, a pristine enclave of rich diversity waiting to be discovered.

We will follow the footsteps of Joseph Rock, a botanist, plant collector, naturalist, and explorer, who beginning in 1924 explored northwest China and Tibet, observing local customs and collecting plant material for Harvard's Museum of Comparative Zoology. He later revealed the landscape of the Deqin region to an international audience through a series of articles in National Geographic.

The town of Gyalthang (Zyhongdian in Chinese) is the capital of the Deqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Together with Dechen and Weishi, the prefecture is rich in biodiversity, supporting about 7,000 species of native plants, and home to the blue poppy, some 200 species of rhododendron and the winter retreat of the black-necked crane. Under the Tibetan skies, snow-capped peaks , virgin forests of spruce and pine, meadows ablaze with wildflowers, pristine lakes and harvest fields, the Gyalthang farmer lives in handsome chalet-like homes of adobe, stone and wood with colorful designs on rafters and prayer flags fluttering from the rooftops.

More than half of the prefecture’s 400,000 inhabitants are Tibetan. The rest are an ethnic potpourri. Despite its many influences, Gyalthang retains many ancient customs and dialects no longer found in other areas of Tibet. The different ethnic communities can often be identified by their clothing; some wear sheepskin capes, some big black hats and others wear colorful dresses. They are mainly farmers, fisherman or prospectors for gold along the Yangtze or Mekong Rivers. The men and women of this area are passionate equestrians and each summer there are races and festivities in town in honor of a local 17th century equestrian master.

This area is home to many sacred places. Among its formidable snow peaks is Mt. Kawakarpo, the destination for one of Tibet’s most important pilgrimages. Also sacred are the area’s revived monasteries. The most famous is Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, built in 1681 and with a current population of about 800 monks.