Jomda

Jomda, known as Jiangda in Chinese, is a small county located in the Kham region of Tibet. Jomda (འཇོ་མདའ) is 70kms west of Dege and 230kms east of Chamdo and lies at an elevation of around  3200m/10,500 feet above sea level. The Dri Chu River, or Yangtze, separates Jomda county from Dege county and is used to mark the border between Sichuan province and the Tibet Autonomous Region. Jomda was once part of the Kingdom of Dege. Because of that, this area is still referred to locally as "Dege Jomda".

The county town of Jomda is a mid-sized town built along the banks of the Dzi Chu River. There are a few clean guesthouses to choose from and several decent restaurants. The town is full of Kham Tibetans with the men wearing black tassels in their long hair and the women wearing a large piece of turquoise above their forehead. If you are trying to travel this area without a tour (not recommended), stay away from Jomda. The police have a good eye for finding foreigners. Your chances of making it out of Jomda without the required tour (guide, multiple permits, private vehicle and driver) are very small, especially since March 2008.

The houses built around Jomda are quite unique to Tibet. Most of Tibet is treeless, but around Jomda there are large forests. Many of the houses are amazing log cabins. These types of houses are not found in other regions of Tibet. Timber and farming are major industries in Jomda. Unfortunately, many of these areas are being clear-cut and the trees are not being replanted.

Very few foreigners make their way to Jomda. Jomda is best visited as part of an overland journey going from Lhasa to Dege. If you have any questions about Jomda or any other travel related questions regarding Tibet, please send an email to [email protected]