Chayu Town

Chayu Along the Sichuan-Tibet Highway, a hidden pocket of sub-tropical vegetation thrives in the area called Chayu. Different from many other towns on this list, Chayu has a temperate climate, which makes it warm and mild year round. With plenty of rain and pleasant temperatures, jungle-like plants grow big and fast here. The high amount of precipitation and naturally occurring water in the town has earned it a nickname of ‘Water Town’. The Deng People, who are indigenous to this area, grow crops such as corn, rice, wheat, peanut and sesame. They also feast on endless amounts of fruit like bananas, oranges, sugar cane and guava. Chayu town was the first area in Tibet stable enough to grow tea. It is said that the native people here have no traditional written language and use robe knotting and woodcarvings to keep track of their civilization’s stories. Also, because of the warmer climate, they don’t don the long robes traditionally seen in other Tibetan clans.

Throughout the entire region, landscapes vary from place to place. There are sub-tropical forests, giant waterfalls, glaciers in the mountains and grasslands below. With rare wildlife thriving in these parts, many tourists, explorers and photographers flock to the Chayu region. Maybe when you’re there you can be lucky enough to spot a rare Bangladesh tiger, a bear, a gold coin leopard or even a deadly python. This truly is Tibet’s frontier land.

The main attraction in the region is without a doubt the Zayu Nature Reserve. The whole area of the reserve encompasses the Ciba Gully Nature Reserve, Shuzhub Village Nature Reserve and Lhamo Lungba Nature Reserve. And it is the best chance you’ll get to coming face to face with some of Tibet’s magnificent wild creatures. The protected area coves over 16,000 square kilometers (6,200 square miles) and is lower than other regions of Tibet, averaging only 2,500 meters (8,200 feet) above sea level.

The Chayu region lies at the very southeastern tip of Tibet and shares a border with both India and Burma. It is approximately 900 kilometers (560 miles) from Lhasa and 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Bayi. Buses from both towns run frequently to or pass through the region. While it might take a while to get to Chayu, it is a great respite from the colder, mountainous Tibetan climates.

 

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