Western Sichuan Seda 317+318｜Small group of 4-10 persons・Seda・Daocheng Aden in-depth 11 Days Chengdu to and from

Fly to Chengdu Shuangliu or Tianfu International Airport, pick up at the airport and check in at the hotel. There will be no program today, so that you can fully rest your body and store up energy for the next trip to the plateau. Chengdu is the gateway to the Sichuan Basin, with a mild climate and an altitude of only about 500 meters above sea level, and is also an important starting point for travel to Tibetan areas.

★Thoughtful reminder: After arriving in Chengdu, we recommend you to rest early and avoid staying up late. Please prepare warm clothing for the next day's journey.

Departing early in the morning, we will head west along the Yakang Expressway and cross Mount Chedo to officially enter the Tibetan area of Kham. From the basin to the plateau, the scenery progresses step by step. The reflections of the Red Sea Lake and the mountains are reflected in the red sea, and the Xinduqiao cooks are swirling with smoke, and the Tibetan dwellings are strewn about, making this the first night on the plateau that is hard to forget for every traveler.

➤ Mt. Shoto｜The First Pass of Khamber Mt. Xueduo is an important geographical boundary between the Sichuan Basin and the Kham Tibetan area. The Tibetan word "Xueduo" means "winding", which describes the topography of the winding mountain roads in this area. Historically, this was an important route on the Tea and Horse Road, where horse caravans crossed the mountains to transport tea and salt to the Tibetan areas in exchange for horses and medicinal herbs. The mountain pass is 4,298 meters above sea level, and is also a natural watershed between the humid climate of the Sichuan Basin and the dry climate of the Tibetan Plateau. After crossing the pass, the vegetation from subtropical evergreen forests rapidly changed to plateau meadows, with snowy peaks in the distance, making it the most iconic geographic transition node into the Tibetan region.

➤ Honghaizi｜Highland Lakes under Mt. Red Sea is a typical plateau ice-eroded lake, formed by ancient glaciers eroding the surface and accumulating water, with an elevation of about 4,000 meters above sea level. The color of the lake changes with the weather and seasons. In summer, the meadows are green, the lake is dark blue, and in autumn, the grass turns yellow, and on sunny days, the distant mountains are completely reflected in the water, and the scenery changes continuously with light and shadow.

➤ Xinduqiao｜The first stop of Sichuan-Tibet South Route Xinduqiao is located on the west side of Kangding City, and is the first important junction of the South Sichuan-Tibet Route (National Highway 318) after entering the Tibetan area, with an altitude of about 3460 meters. Residences are mainly stone and wood structures, farmland and pastureland are interspersed, and poplar trees are planted on both sides of the highway outside of the town, with golden leaves in autumn, forming a richly layered rural landscape with white pagodas, Tibetan residences, and distant mountains. Historically, Xinduqiao was an important courier station on the Tea Horse Road, where merchants and travelers rested and recuperated.

★Thoughtful reminder: today's drive is about 340 kilometers, over Mount Chedo when the altitude rises, please pay attention to warmth and symptoms of high altitude sickness, arrive in Xinduqiao as soon as possible to rest.

Starting from Xinduqiao, you will pass through the tunnel of Gaogansi Mountain, overlooking the mountains and rivers along the 18 bends of the Heavenly Road, traveling through the Yajiang River to penetrate into the infinite valley, and then crossing the high mountains to enter the city of Inaccessible. On the way, you can see 10,000 acres of green poplar forests and red meadows of Sangdui, with unforgettable saturated colors, which is the most richly varied landscape of the whole day.

➤ Gokyoji Mountain Tunnel / Sky Road 18 Turns Observation Deck One of the most spectacular sections along the Yakang Highway, the highway winds between canyons and mountain ridges, and the Sky Road 18 Bend Observation Deck overlooks the Yajiang River Valley and the continuous mountain ridges, with an open view, making it a representative site of the Tibetan highway landscape in Sichuan.

➤ Immeasurable Valley Yajiang to Inacheng section of the deep valley, steep mountains on both sides, the river running in the valley bottom, along the way with the elevation change of vegetation is obvious, from the coniferous forest belt gradually transition to the plateau meadows, is one of the most rich landscape level of the natural road section on the way.

➤ Ten Thousand Acres of Green Poplar Forest and Mulberry Mounds of Red Grassland A typical seasonal landscape in the territory of Inacheng. The Sangdui Red Grassland is made up of highland wetland vegetation, and the leaves turn bright red in autumn, contrasting strongly with the Tibetan dwellings and snow-covered mountain vistas. Surrounded by a large forest of Sichuan poplar trees, the golden foliage and the blue sky together form the most recognizable natural picture of Inacheng.

★Thoughtful reminder: today's journey distance is up to 420 kilometers, en route there are a number of high-altitude sections, please hydrate in the car, avoid empty stomach, at any time to pay attention to the physical condition.

A full day in the heart of the Aden Scenic Area. Take a scenic bus or battery car to the Luolong Cattle Ranch, look up to the Three Fatherless Mountains, and feel the energy of the sacred mountains and lakes of Tibetan beliefs at the Sea of Pearls.

➤ Inacheng Yading Scenic Area (Scenic Area Bus + Battery Car) Located in Shangri-La Township, Inacheng County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the middle of the Hengduan Mountain Range in the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau, and one of the most complete preservation areas of ancient glacial landforms in China, In 1928, the American explorer Joseph Rock went deep into this area and published his photographs in the American National Geographic Magazine, which attracted wide international attention. Private cars are not allowed to enter the scenic area, so you have to take the scenic area car and the battery car to go deeper into the area.

➤ Najung Beef Farm｜Sanshinzan Scenic Center Luolong Cattle Ranch is situated in the middle of the three sacred mountains, at an altitude of about 4,180 meters above sea level, which is the best viewpoint to enjoy the panoramic view of the three sacred mountains. Meadows, lakes and cattle coexist on the vast pastureland, and the year-round snow above the mountainside constitutes the purest natural landscape of the plateau.

➤ Sea of Pearls (Chomolatse)/Sennaeje Mountain The pearl sea Tibetan name "ZhuoMaLaTso", meaning "mother god lake", is XianNaiRi snow peak melting snow convergence into alpine lake, the lake surface clear. Xian Nai Ri for the three sacred mountains of the northern peak, elevation 6032 meters, Tibetan meaning Avalokiteshvara, is the highest elevation of the three father of God in the mountain, Tibetan Buddhist texts recorded, the three father of God in the world of Buddhism twenty-four sacred sites in the eleventh place.

➤ Yomiyong Charodogit (1947-), Myanmar army officer and politician, president of Myanmar (Burma) from 2008 Yangmai Yong is the south peak, 5958 meters above sea level, meaning Manjushri in Tibetan; Charo Dorje is the east peak, 5958 meters above sea level, meaning Vajrapani in Tibetan. The three peaks were arranged in a zigzag pattern, Tibetan Buddhism collectively known as "Nianqing Gongga Risong Gongbu", meaning "sacred snow mountain father and mother of the three", respectively, symbolizing compassion, wisdom and courage. According to Tibetan legend, if you worship the three sacred mountains three times, you can realize your wish in this life.

★Thoughtful reminder: the high altitude of the Aden Scenic Area,, Pearl Sea to Xian Nai Ri section has a longer walking section, please wear comfortable sports shoes, walk according to your ability.

Leave Inacheng and travel north to Batang. On the way, visit the Evergreen Kor Monastery, an important religious center of the Gelugpa school in Eastern Tibet; in the afternoon, enter the Tsopou Gorge Scenic Area, where alpine lakes are intertwined with primeval forests, making it a serene and magnificent place.

➤ Nagoya Kor Temple (Includes Battery Train) Nagarjuna Kor Monastery is the largest Gelugpa Monastery in the Batang region, dating back to the Tubo period, and has been rebuilt and expanded many times in history. Built on a mountainous terrain with a magnificent golden dome, the main hall enshrines a large number of precious Buddha statues and thangkas, and is an important stronghold of religious beliefs in the Kham region of Eastern Tibet, with a large number of monks still practicing here. The core area of the monastery can be easily reached by battery car.

➤ Tsopougou Scenic Area Tsopo" means "Divine Lake Ditch" in Tibetan, and it is the most well-preserved primitive alpine ecological scenic area in Batang County. Inside the ditch, there is a large altitude span and obvious vertical distribution of vegetation, from the river valley mixed forest to alpine meadows and ice-eroded lakes. The core of the scenic area Tsopo Lake, the lake surface is calm and clear, surrounded by peaks and mountains, is one of the most primitive and quiet natural places on the entire route.

★Thoughtful reminder: today's drive is about 344 kilometers, over a number of mountain passes, arriving at the scenic area in the late afternoon, it is recommended to pay attention to warmth during the trip, the scenic area walking section is relatively gentle.

Traveling north along the Jinsha River valley from Batang to Derge, we will visit the Humtok Monastery on the way. This rarely visited monastery, with its simple architecture and well-preserved murals, is a quiet relic of Eastern Tibetan religious culture. Upon arrival in Derge, you will experience this ancient Tibetan cultural city famous for its scripture institute.

➤ Masjid Raja (Buddhist temple) Buzzard Monastery is located in the valley along the route from Batang to Derge, belonging to the Nyingmapa (Red Sect) of Tibetan Buddhism. The building is built on the mountain, far away from the main tourist routes, and retains a relatively primitive appearance of monastic life. The mural paintings inside the temple are brightly colored and the themes cover all kinds of Tibetan Buddhist honors and protectors, making it a rare humanistic site to be seen during a deep trip to the Tibetan area.

➤ Derge County Situated on the west bank of the upper Jinsha River, Dege is one of the most important gateways from Sichuan to Tibet, and is also the most important preservation site of Tibetan culture in the Kham region. It is also the most important preservation area of Tibetan culture in the Kham area. The county is not a big city, but it is famous for the Derge Institute of Sutra Printing and is known as the hometown of the "Great Encyclopedia of Tibetan Culture" in the field of Tibetan studies. Upon arrival today, you can first feel the atmosphere of this ancient cultural city in the county town, and tomorrow you will formally visit the scripture institute.

★Thoughtful reminder: today's drive is 325 kilometers, including a number of winding mountain roads, please take timely rest and hydration. After arriving at Dege, we suggest you go to bed early. Tomorrow you will visit the Yijing Temple, so you need to keep your spirits high.

In the morning, you will walk into the Dege Institute, and in the afternoon, you will head to Serta, where you will arrive at the Lama Rong Wu Ming Buddhist Institute. Both are the core preservation sites of Tibetan culture and beliefs, one with its canonical legacy of a thousand years of wisdom, and the other with its monastic community that showcases the magnificence of contemporary Tibetan Buddhism.

➤ Derge Institute｜Tibetan Cultural Encyclopedia The Derge Sutra Printing Institute was founded in the seventh year of the Yongzheng reign in the Qing Dynasty (1729) by the twelfth generation of Derge Tusi, Denpa Zeren, and it took ten years for the institute to reach its full scale, and was originally known as the "Derge Kungchen Monastery Sutra Printing Institute". The institute is not confined to a single sect, but also collects texts from various schools of traditional Buddhism, including important writings of the Gelug, Sakya, Nyingma, and Kagyu schools, as well as Buddhism, medicine, astronomy and calendar, language and literature, etc. The institute has been honored as the "World Encyclopedia of Tibetan Culture". It has preserved more than 320,000 woodblock engraved plates, and has a collection of more than 830 books with more than 500 million words, including the long-lost "The Origin of Indian Buddhism" and the oldest version of the "Eight Thousand Ode to Prajna," etc. In 2006, it was included in the first batch of China's national list of intangible cultural heritages.

➤ Sedar Lama Rong Wu Ming Buddhist Institute (by appointment) Lharung Wuming Buddhist College is located in Lharung Gorge, Luoruo Township, Seda County, at an altitude of about 3,900 m. It belongs to the Nyingmapa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and was founded by His Holiness Jigme Phuntshogs in 1980, with only 32 students at the initial stage; formally established in 1985; and formally set up as the Lharung Monastery Wuming Buddhist College in 1997. At its peak, there were more than 30,000 monks, and in 1993, the U.S. newspaper Le Monde called it "the largest Buddhist college in the world". The tens of thousands of red-colored wooden houses are stacked up against the mountain, reflecting with the golden dome of the temple, forming a striking scene of the "Red Buddha Kingdom".

★Thoughtful reminder: Serta altitude of about 4000 meters, after arriving, please move slowly, avoid strenuous activities. Please observe the rules and regulations for visiting the Sutra Institute; the admission to the Buddhist College is by appointment only, so please act according to the tour guide's arrangement.

Today, delve into the cultural essence of Serta. Early in the morning, climb up to the Observation Deck for a panoramic view of the Buddhist College, then visit the Altar, the Lotus Library, walk the famous Long Staircase, and finally visit the Donga Monastery, leaving behind a complete and profound memory of your faith before you leave Seda.

➤ Serta Observation Deck Overlooking the panoramic view of the Lajung Wuming Buddhist College, surrounded by mountains, the entire Lajung Valley resembles a six-petaled lotus flower, surrounded by five main peaks, so it is also known as the "Little Wutai Mountain". Under the morning light, the villas with red monks' houses are spreading all over the valley, and the golden dome of the temple is dotted among them, which is the best place to enjoy the most complete vision of the whole Buddhist College.

➤ Altar (Mandala) The altar is a three-dimensional representation of the cosmology of Tibetan Tantric Buddhism, symbolizing the spatial structure of the Pure Land of the Buddha, and is the central prop and object of worship in Tantric practice. The Serta Buddhist Institute's magnificent and elaborate altar is an important place to understand the core of Tibetan Tantric beliefs, as believers circumambulate the altar to pray for blessings.

➤ Lotusland Library The modern Tibetan-style buildings around the Serta Buddhist Institute, with an exterior that blends traditional Tibetan architectural elements with contemporary design, and an interior that focuses on the collection of Dharma texts and learning functions, are part of the contemporary Tibetan Buddhist education system and an important window into the teaching of Lama Rong Wu Ming Buddhist Institute.

➤ Long Staircase The iconic trail that connects the uphill and downhill sides of the Buddhist College, along which monks commute on a daily basis, provides a sense of the authentic and peaceful rhythm of monastic life. The long staircase serves as both a transportation route and one of the most living spaces in the entire mountain city of faith.

➤ Dongga Temple Dongga Monastery is a Nyingmapa monastery with a history of more than 300 years in Seda County. The building is built on the mountain, with exquisite Buddha statues and thangkas enshrined inside the monastery, and a strong atmosphere of cultivation, making it an important place for experiencing the religious heritage in the area before leaving Seda.

★Thoughtful reminder: Seda is at a high altitude, the viewing platform section has a certain gradient, please walk according to your ability. Today's itinerary is mainly on foot, so it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes.

Departing from Langhor, today's tour focuses on architecture and the humanities. Visit the Zhuhuo Library, and then go to the most well-preserved ancient watchtower Tibetan village settlement in the middle of the Tibetan village, feel the deep heritage of the Tibetan East Jiajun culture.

➤ Furnace Library The Zhaohuo Library is one of the most eye-catching modern public buildings in the Tibetan region in recent years. The exterior is based on traditional Tibetan architectural vocabulary and incorporates contemporary design techniques, with unique shapes and bright colors. The building is not only a cultural landmark of the county, but also embodies new attempts at cultural preservation and public construction in contemporary Tibet, and is a concrete window into the social development of contemporary Tibet.

➤ Zhonglu Tibetan Village In the road Tibetan village is located in the territory of Zhenhuo County, is the Jiameng Tibetan settlement in the towers of one of the most complete preservation of the village. Jiazong Tibetan is a branch of the Tibetan people, living in the upper reaches of the Dadu River in Sichuan, known for their expertise in building stone towers. Walled stone towers stand tall, some as high as more than ten layers, construction technology is exquisite, hundreds of years without the need for steel and cement support is still standing. Watchtower both defense and residential functions, is the study of the Tibetan East architectural culture and the history of Jiajun precious physical remains.

★Thoughtful reminder: Today's driving distance is 336 kilometers, part of the road is mountainous, the whole journey will take about 6-8 hours. It is recommended to take sufficient rest on the bus, and stops will be arranged in the middle of the journey.

Today, we will go to Shuangqiao Gorge in Four Girls Mountains Scenic Area, including scenic drive to go deeper into the gorges and valleys, enjoying the snowy peaks, primitive forests and alpine meadows. In the afternoon, we will return to Chengdu along the Chengya Expressway to conclude this in-depth trip to the eastern part of Tibet.

➤ Shuangqiaogou Scenic Area (including scenic drive) Shuangqiao Ditch is one of the three valleys in the Four Girls Mountains Scenic Area, located in the territory of Xiaojin County, which is famous for its primitive ecological environment and diversified mountain scenery. Four Girls Mountains consists of four snowy peaks, with the main peak, Missy Peak, at 6,250 meters above sea level, is the second highest peak in Sichuan, and an important part of the Hengduan Mountain Range. The scenic area has high forest coverage, and along the way you can see coniferous forests, alpine meadows alternating with glacial lakes, and abundant wildlife resources. The journey in the scenic area is relaxing and suitable as a natural end to the whole journey to the plateau.

★Thoughtful reminder: Shuangqiaodou is relatively low in altitude, not a lot of walking, and is the most relaxing scenic spot day of the whole trip. Return to Chengdu in the afternoon and enjoy free time.

Today is the last day of the trip. CITS provides 24-hour pick-up and drop-off service for early morning flights, late night flights, Tianfu or Shuangliu airports, and even train stations, without carpooling or waiting, to ensure that you arrive at the airport on time and feel at ease, and embark on your journey home with a full of memories and emotions. If you need assistance in purchasing air or train tickets from Chengdu to other places, CITS can arrange it as well.

★Thoughtful reminder: If you need to order air or train tickets from Chengdu to any place, please let us know in advance, CITS can help to arrange.