Daocheng
ALTITUDE – 3700m/12129ft
Overview
The People
Town & the Hot Springs
Temple
Family Visits
Trekking
Weather
Access
Associated Locations
Daocheng Gallery
Overview
For those of you who are make the effort to get to Daocheng, you are in for a unique and unforgettable experience. This is a small and remote town in the very south west of Sichuan Province, but you are 100% in Tibet. The town is under the administration of the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
As soon as you begin to drop down from the hidden valleys above, you enter a forgotten time, each stone house like a fortress, small-windowed and constructed of hard local stone. A broad river runs down the valley, Stuppas and Tibetan Prayer Flags are everywhere – Buddhism is everything here, and the local Lamas are the source of education, spiritual strength and healing.
The area is also the gateway to Yading National Park to the south, but the whole area is a wilderness far from modern life.
And yes, Yak walk all over the roads here too.
The People
There is a wonderful flavour of anarchy here, kids driving antique erratic tractors, motorcycles over-laden with un-helmeted riders and passengers. There is a definite frontier feel to the Daocheng area, where local laws and customs dominate.
Everything about the place is essentially Tibetan, from dress to agriculture and language. The locals understand Mandarin but speak one of the hundreds of local Tibetan dialects.
Town & the Hot Springs
The town of Daocheng itself is a rambling mix of old and new bisected by two main streets. The main road is lined with traditional huge stone houses and more contemporary shop-houses. All except the most modern hotels do not have modern sanitation, which seems odd given the splendour of many of the properties.
Just outside town to the south west there are hot springs, which have been used by the locals to bathe. There is an urban myth that Tibetans only wash three times in their lives, at birth, on their wedding night and after death – although this is clearly not true 
The springs are however a great place to go for a well-deserved scrub to wash away the rigours of dusty travel. For a very small entrance fee, you get a private room replete with a gigantic bath more alike to a small swimming pool.
Temples
There are two huge Tibetan Monasteries located between 10-20km north of Daocheng on the road to Litang. They are both incredible locations and well worth extended exploration. The first, and nearest to Daocheng is the original home of our dear friend Dadje Lama, who now lives in Lijiang. We have been fortunate to spend extended time in his home there, experiencing a life now long-forgotten by most.
There are many traditional homes scattered around the temple area, hidden caves set aside for prolonged meditation, ancient Tibetan Mandala and the numerous Buddhas in the temples themselves.
Another remarkable feature here are the large number of White-eared Pheasants. These birds are some of the most secretive of Chinese forest birds, but here, in this protected zone, they have become tame and even come to the monks for food. Tibetan Temples are traditionally very good for Nature spotting as the monks do not catch wild animals for food.
*People who come here should be forewarned, there are no toilets or hot running water. The toilet facilities consist of a small wooden shack on stilts with a wooden floor, where there is a plank missing. Aim well! The “mess’ is removed by the local pigs! Do not eat the pork
The second temple lies further up the road, and is also remarkable. Bounded by huge cliffs behind and a clear river lined with forest before it. I have never been to a more peaceful place.
Family Visits
Dadje Lama’s family still lives in the valley and have an excellent house in traditional courtyard style. Should we wish, it is possible to stay there with his sister and her family. There is no better way to immerse yourself in the culture than spending time with a Tibetan family under their roof.
Be prepared for copious Tibetan Yak Butter Tea and Tsamba. Be warned, if you keep emptying your cup, it will be re-filled endlessly!
Trekking
There are no official trekking routes, but visitors who are there in late spring could accompany us with Dadje’s father as he takes his Yak up to the higher pastures. Here we can camp at a place called, the valley of 101 Lakes a place that few westerners have ever been.
Weather
Much like Zhondian, the winters are cold and long, typified by incredibly dry conditions. There is more snow fall here, and the conditions could seriously disrupt travel plans, as all roads to here from whatever direction transit very high passes approaching 5000m in height.
Having said that May-June are glorious as are September-October. The Fall colours are glorious in the valley, and from here to Yading is a beautiful trip at these times.
Anyone travelling to this area at any time of the year, would be wise to pack their full mountain gear, with thermals, hats, gloves and warm boots.
It is also recommended to carry your own sleeping bag and Gortex bivvy bag.
Access
From Zhongdian it is a long one day jump, or better still two days broken half way in ?. There are two main roads, and both are poor in places. The first takes a direct route through forested gullies with spectacular views of giant cliffs. The second heads first towards Benzilan, and breaks off not long before there to head north east into Sichuan. This route traverses the Sun Valley, before climbing to dizzy hights over huge passes to meat the other route at ?
From there, the road climbs through a beautiful canyon, which in Autumn is dazzling with colour. Eventually, you climb to the zenith and look down to the hidden valley where Daocheng lies.
The other option starts in Chengdu, and the road heads west through Kanding to Litang. This is wild country, where bandits still patrol the roads. It is a hard 2 days by this road, but passes stunning country also.
