Derge - a Tibetan Buddhist Odyssey in North West Sichuan

Duration: 3 weeks
Months offered: Year round
Costs: From $3000

For those looking to fully saturate themselves in the Tibetan Buddhist culture of eastern Tibet, this is the ultimate trip. Derge is a prefecture located in Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Region. The region suffered greatly during the political campaigns of the last forty years. Yet due to the spiritual tenacity of these Tibetans, the monastic culture has survived and is currently undergoing a renaissance. High Asia is guiding tours in the area that include both trekking and landcruiser destinations. Highlights include Gelupa nunneries in the town of Ganzi, Nyingmapa strongholds such as Dzogchen and Katok(the oldest in Sichuan) monasteries, the great Kagyu monastic complex of Palpung, and the remote Pewar monastery. The last two mentioned sites have some of the finest and only surviving Buddhist frescos in the whole of Kham. Other highlights include trekking to the Chola shan mountains , hotsprings near the Palpung complex, and day hikes to cave retreats of the late Paltrul Rinpoche above Dzogchen monastery. Many of these places have seen few if any foreigners in the last fifty years due to the restriction of outsiders by the Chinese government. Whether your interest in Tibet is religious, anthropological, or simply to hike and interact in an environment unique on the planet today, the trip to Derge is sure to be the experience of a lifetime.