Garzê

It is an important city in what is still seen by the indigenous Tibetan population as the historical region of Kham. Ganzi is in a large valley with grassy hills at an elevation of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), tucked north-east of the gorgeous snow-peaked mountains of the Gongga Shan range. Tibetan culture is abundant and vibrant here, and the friendly people won't let you go by without offering you the Tibetan greeting 'Tashi Dele'! The town is set along the main road passing from east to west towards Dege or Kangding (which is to the south). Visitors are unheard-of in the cold winter months, but if you come then, you would be the guest of the entire town!

Buses from Kangding leave for Ganzi at 06:00 for around ¥120. The ride takes 12–14 hours, depending on the condition of your bus and or the number of times it breaks down. The road is relatively good: it's bumpy, but it's 95% sealed (spring 2017). Try not to book a seat in the back of the bus, especially on smaller buses, as you'll be thrown around violently by the bumps through much of the trip. Masks may be advisable if people are smoking on the bus; but this seems less common than has been reported.

The main street is Chuanzang Road (川藏路). You can easily visit the town on foot. For longer distances, you can use taxis. The fare should not exceed ¥6 to any place in town.

• Garze Monastery. A short walk north along the river dividing the town or the street running parallel to the west leads you to the Tibetan quarter of the town, which lays at the foot of the monastery. Follow the narrow paths between the houses to reach the site. Look out for little chapels containing giant prayer wheels circambulated by devotees on the way. Though being the most important of its likes in the Ganzi region and being more than 540 years old, Garze Monastery is not as spectacular as other monasteries in Kham, since the greater parts of its temples had been rebuilt using Han-Chinese-style white-tile facades and plastic-pane windows. Still the views over the valley from its terraces and the maze of the approach through the old Tibetan quarter plus gaudy mix of Tibetan and Chinese architecture make it well worth a visit.

(Information as of 20 June 2005)

• Den Gompa is much smaller but the structures are supposed to be more traditional. It's in the southern part of Ganzi.
• Dontok Gompa and Dingkhor Chörten make up for a nice half-hour walk across a suspended bridge over the Yalong Jiang. To reach there, head south from the bus station and follow the right path after crossing the bridge. The complex is under construction but has distinctive features to its buildings, including vertical white, grey and crimson stripes on the walls surrounding the houses. The friendly monks will show you around the place.
• There is a new Chörten built on a small hill on the eastern edge of town. The adjacent temple houses a Buddhist library. Although the building itself does not bear that ancient flair you might be looking for, its a nice place to catch views over the valley and the city.

There is a vegetable market in the center of the newer part of town, some bazaar style shopping (but prices are generally higher than for the same goods in chengdu)

Locals will take a great interest in western travelers and monks near the monastery might invite you in for tea

Small shops downtown provide typical Tibetan clothing and jewelry and accessories bought by the herdsmen and nomads frequenting the town. Look out for stores selling antiques. On the road leading north from the bus station, you'll find several shops catering for monk's outfits and religious artifacts, as well as selling the beautiful curtains adorning windows and doors in that region, there are also stores selling decorative pots and kettles. There are even shops selling traditional Tibetan hand-carved furniture which is made locally.

Supermarkets on main-street sell food and toiletries, you can also buy bottles of beer and decent Chinese wine to make up your own nightlife.

Plenty of small restaurants are to be found on the road next to the bus station.

• Kangpa Cuisine (Kams-pa Bod Zas-Kang), Chuanzang Lu (close to intersection of Chuanzang Lu with Dongda & Hongjun Road). Cozy and slightly fancy tea house on the 2nd floor (beneath a Cyber Café, which has a round sign on street level). A good place to hang out, watch the street live drink tea and eat delicious veg momos (not the fluffy ones!) (updated Jun 2016)

There is not much nightlife in town. To have a beer, visit a restaurant.

Beware of altitude sickness if traveling here straight from the Sichuan lowlands. As in most of West Sichuan and other Tibetan regions stray dogs are common and totally unpredictable. Throwing rocks is your best bet, if you have to time to react. Wearing study boots and thick pants and socks are another way to protect yourself from injures. The area gets a lot of sunshine due to its high location in a long broad valley and temperatures change a lot during the day. Sunglasses and sunblock are a must.

There have been isolated protests against Chinese rule calling for the return of the Dali Lama including violence towards locals on behalf of the authorities and vice versa. There is a very large Chinese military and police presence in the city. Being sympathetic to the local cause is one thing but bear in mind you are putting locals and not yourself at risk. Best to stay neutral and change the topic.