Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festival, which includes horse racing, stunt riding, dance competitions and an arts-and-
crafts fair.
Around 32km from the TAR border is
Bathang
(Bātáng; elevation 2589m). Bathang it-
self has a welcoming monastery, while outside the town are lovely suburbs of ochre-col-
oured Tibetan houses. Bathang is much lower than surrounding areas, so when it's late
winter in Lithang it's already spring here. There are some fine walks, including to a lovely
Tibetan hillside village, a riverside chörten and a hilltop covered in prayer flags that offers
views of the town.
From Batang it's possible to make it all the way to Pomda in one long day's drive (about
eight hours), or you can stop in Markham (Mángkāng) which has for centuries been a stra-
tegic crossroads town on the salt- and tea-trade routes between Tibet and China. Either
way the roller-coaster road crosses three high mountain passes and some stunning scenery
before arriving at Pomda (Bāngdá) and the junction of Hwys 318 and 317.
Yúnnán-Tibet Highway
The Yúnnán-Tibet Hwy is a wonderful way to approach Tibet, though once again the
route is officially closed. From Lijiang a road heads up to the Tibetan towns and monaster-
ies of Zhōngdiàn (Gyeltang), Benzalin and Déqīn (Jol), and then north across the Tibetan
border and up to Markham, where the road joins the Sìchuān southern route.
THE NORTHERN ROUTES OF KHAM
The remote highways running along the north of Kham can be used to exit the TAR into
Qīnghǎi, Sìchuān, or as part of a long loop around Kham. At the time of writing, only one
route into Qīnghǎi was open to foreign travellers: Hwy 109 (also known as the
Qīnghǎi-Tibet Hwy) running from Lhasa to Xīníng. As the railway covers the same route
most people do not hire private vehicles for this section. A few hardy souls make the trip
by bike, crossing into Tibet over the 5180m Tangu-la pass. Under current regulations, a
guide still needs to accompany you and your bicycle in a support vehicle. Check out
Bike
China
for more.
Hwy 317, a high roller-coaster ride past Bön monasteries and herding communities, has
been closed to foreign travellers for many years now. Assuming it ever reopens, the jour-
ney starts with a day's ride to
Nagchu
(Nǎqū), one of the highest, coldest and most
