Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE KONGPO REGION
Kongpo is a large traditional territory in southwestern Kham. While no longer an official
administrative name (though it's more or less the same territory as Nyingtri prefecture),
for Tibetans it still spells out an area that is linguistically, culturally and even ecologically
distinct. A former kingdom of the early Yarlung kings and a rival to Lhasa, Kongpo has for
centuries been vilified by central Tibetan rulers as a land of incest and poison, and a land
where strangers are drugged so that locals can steal their souls.
The traditional Kongpo costume features a round hat with an upturned rim of golden
brocade for men (known as a gyasha) and a pretty pillbox hat with winged edges (known
as a dieu) for women. Men also wear brown woollen tunics, belted around the waist.
Kongpo is a stronghold for Bön, with many of the religion's most holy pilgrim sites
found in the forested hills around Bāyī. Locals also revere Princess Wencheng, who is
seen as having a special fondness for the region she reputedly passed through on her way
to meet King Songtsen Gampo in the 7th century.
Owing to the heavy rainfall, Kongpo houses have slanted roofs, unlike the flat-tops seen
in Lhasa. These days sheet metal (often coloured pink or blue) is used, but the open
gables allow for ventilation of the attic space (used to store goods).
Barley, potatoes, corn and other staples are farmed all over the region, but several local
foods are worth seeking out. Best in our opinion is the red chili mashed into a paste and
spread on flat bread. The chili has the sweetness of a Piment d'Espeletteand the mild
kick of a jalapeño. You might be able to bring yourself to eat the adorable free-roaming
pigs - they apparently live up to their Chinese name Zàng xiāng zhū, , fragrant Tibetan
pig. In the Lunang area check out the stone-pot chicken.
Warmer, wetter and more forested than anywhere else in Tibet, Kongpo has numerous
biological niches with large concentrations of rare animals and plants. In the dense
forests of the subtropical regions along the southern borderlands are takins, red pandas,
long-tailed monkeys, musk deer and abundant bird species. The region is also a botanical
powerhouse, and attracted the attention of intrepid 19th- and 20th-century British plant
hunters. From May onwards Kongpo is a riot of wildflowers, bursting with 190 species of
rhododendron, 110 types of gentians, and rare flowers such as the blue poppy, which was
discovered by the explorer (and spy) FM Bailey in the Rong-chu Valley in 1913. Many
rhododendrons and azaleas now found in the West in fact descend from species picked in
eastern Tibet. Pockets of ancient cypresses up to 2500 years old also continue to thrive,
and the first week of April brings the bloom of cherry blossom trees.
