january-2010

TRAVEL CHINA
tapestry of undulating meadows and hills is a pristine
environment where Khampa horsemen once honed their
fi ghting skills.
“People usually end up staying in Tagong longer than they
plan,” says Sally Norbu, Khampa co-owner of the perennially
popular Sally’s Kham Restaurant. “We have a very vibrant and
special community here.”
The sprawling grasslands of Western Sichuan have long
been associated with horses, both as beasts of burden and battle,
and as commodities for bargaining. The tea caravans and
warriors have long since disappeared, but the horse remains one
of the best ways to get around, for locals and visitors.
“For Khampa men, riding horses has always been a glorious
thing,” explains Sally. “As they gallop across the grassland with
the wind in their face, yelling at the tops of their voices,
Khampas have a great sense of togetherness and honour. In
Tagong we have a popular song that says: ‘A good steed is like a
swift bird, a golden saddle is like its feathers. When the bird and
its feathers are together, then the highlands are easily crossed.’
Khampas don’t make so many great journeys as before, but
there are plenty of horse festivals around here where the local
men can prove their strength and ability.”
One of Tagong’s most popular day trips is a cross-country
horse ride. The trail wends its way through a carpet of grass
52 Holland Herald WILD
LEFT TO RIGHT:
Colourful roadside
scenery outside
Kangding;
A butterfly near
Mount Mengding;
A yak grazes in
the shadow of
Mount Haizi
“One of the best things about riding round
here is meeting the nomads”
and vivid blue fl owers. Semi-wild horses roam free here, their
bellies fat from grazing, while restless herds of yak search out
the lushest pastures. Vultures soar effortlessly above, casting
shadows over the picturesque topography.
Most Khampa in Western Sichuan now live in wood or
stone houses with brilliantly carved windows, eschewing the
mud-brick dwellings and yak-hair tents of the past. Around
Tagong, however, the nomadic way of life is still much in
evidence, with sporadic groups of tents pitched under the big
blue sky. Many are patrolled by huge mastiffs, the traditional
guard dog of the grassland.
“One of the best things about riding round here, apart
from the scenery, is meeting the local nomads,” says Sally. “If
you’re invited to join them don’t worry about the dogs, which
are usually tied up. People on the grassland are very friendly.
Even if they don’t have much they usually still offer visitors a
cup of yak butter tea.”
Today, Western Sichuan remains a land of great
contrast. The terrain may be inhospitable, but the warmth
of the local welcome is deep and sincere. Materially, they
may be poor, but the Khampa inhabit a land rich in culture
and endowed with great natural beauty. For a little less than
all the tea in China, the walls of their fortress paradise are
surely worth scaling.