Riwoche (Leiwuqi in Chinese) is a little known county located in Chamdo prefecture in northern Kham. It borders Nangchen county to the north, Chamdo county to the south and Tengchen county to the east. Riwoche is the name of the county as well as the name of a village (where the big monastery is located) and the main county town. This county sees very few foreign tourists probably due to the fact that you need no less than 4 permits to get here and that a trip here from Lhasa, Xining or Chengdu is quite expensive. No independent travel is allowed anywhere in Riwoche or the eastern region of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The only legal way to get here is through a travel agency using a private 4WD with a tour guide.
Riwoche sits at an average elevation of around 3400m / 11,152 feet. The Dzi River, a tributary to the Mekong River, flows through the county. Most of the county is farmland where barley and wheat fields are in abundance. Yaks can be found just about everwhere, but the herders live in houses year round and are not nomadic. Evergreen forests are throughout the county. The weather here is suprisingly mild with summer temperatures averaging between 22 and 24C (72-75F). Winter is also relatively mild with high temperatures averaging between 10 and 12C (50-54F) with lows between 1 and 3C (33-37F). Rain occurs in summer, but winter sees very little precipitation.
The main attraction in Riwoche county is the Riwoche Tsuklakhang monastery (pictured at the top). This monastery is shaped in a huge square and is unlike any other monastery found in Tibet. Prayer wheels, many of which are covered in dried animal skins, are lined all around the 4 walls of the monastery. Construction on the monastery began in the late 13th century. There are now around 350 monks living there. Pilgrims from all over Chamdo prefecture can be found walking around the monastery. The architecture of this monastery is truly amazing and worth seeing if you are in the area.
There are a few different options in getting to Riwoche. The easiest is to start from Lhasa. You can also go through Riwoche on an overland trip from Chengdu or Xining. From Chengdu, Riwoche sits on the northern Sichuan-Tibet highway. From Xining you can reach Riwoche from highway 214. Highway 214 goes through Jyekundo and then Nangchen before leading into Riwoche. The road from Nangchen to the border of Riwoche county is dirt, but in decent condition. The highway from the Nangchen county border all through Riwoche county is a brand new paved road in excellent condition. Riwoche county is closed to all independent travelers. The ONLY way to get to here legally is through a travel agency. You must have several different permits, a 4WD with driver and a tour guide in order to be in the area. The police in this area are known for being unfriendly so if you are caught here illegally, be prepared to pay the consequences. Getting to this region of Tibet isn't cheap, but it is worth it if you are interested in seeing remote places in Tibet that are well off the beaten path.
Riwoche (Leiwuqi in Chinese) is a little known county located in Chamdo prefecture in northern Kham. It borders Nangchen county to the north, Chamdo county to the south and Tengchen county to the east. Riwoche is the name of the county as well as the name of a village (where the big monastery is located) and the main county town. This county sees very few foreign tourists probably due to the fact that you need no less than 4 permits to get here and that a trip here from Lhasa, Xining or Chengdu is quite expensive. No independent travel is allowed anywhere in Riwoche or the eastern region of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The only legal way to get here is through a travel agency using a private 4WD with a tour guide. 
The main attraction in Riwoche county is the Riwoche Tsuklakhang monastery (pictured at the top). This monastery is shaped in a huge square and is unlike any other monastery found in Tibet. Prayer wheels, many of which are covered in dried animal skins, are lined all around the 4 walls of the monastery. Construction on the monastery began in the late 13th century. There are now around 350 monks living there. Pilgrims from all over Chamdo prefecture can be found walking around the monastery. The architecture of this monastery is truly amazing and worth seeing if you are in the area.
Such a beautiful place...
Posted by: Dzi Bead | July 03, 2009 at 11:37 AM