I would like to take a bus out to the far west of the provience and explore Tibet areas near the Tibetan borders (but not go to to Tibet proper - cant afford the permits right now).
I will probably be at the Tibetan areas in about 2 - 3 weeks from now.
IS this going to be a problem with the current POLITICAL situation?
Many thanks !
Hi,
I just came from Litang and the situation is not specially good. Police was "suggesting" the few foreigners in there to leave town. There are many police checkpoints on the way, and it looks like they are not allowing foreigners in the Kham region in Sichuan.
In the sticky topic there are some links that might enlighten you, such as China closes ethnic Tibetan areas to foreigners.
I don't know how is it going to be in a couple of weeks, but it would be wise to have some sort of plan B.
Take care,
G.
Hey, I'm there right now, in Dege, and from what I can tell, this action is going to last at least a few more weeks. I had a visit last night at my hotel from the police - they're kicking me out of town. It was phrased as a 'suggestion' but when I asked if they were just advising me, or ordering me out, it was clearly the latter. THey originally wanted me to leave today, but I convinced them to give me another day. I'm not getting escorted anywhere, just getting on a bus and leaving - I guess we'll see what happens.
From everything I've seen, (and probably to state the obvious) this military occupation (lets call it what it is) is unwarranted. I was in the area before the transport trucks arrived, and everything (at least where I was) couldn't have been more calm. The trouble in the town I just came from was NOT provoked by the people, but a total insane overreaction by the guys with the clubs and helmets. Here in Dege, there isnt the slightest vibe of menace to be felt. In talking to the police, I felt like I was communicating with people who were living in some Kafkaesque version of reality. Unfortunately, they get to make the rules.
The town actually feels relatively relaxed, all things considered - people are out and about, most shops are open - just every so often a string of guys in uniform come marching by, riot shields raised, looking totally out of place, with expressions on their faces that convey they know this is more or less a farce. So, even though things feel perfectly safe, the masters of reality say it isn't - and that's the reason you'll need to change your plans.
I also hope to travel to the Kham region in the coming months to visit friends. Will keep an eye on this thread, any info helpful.
That's so I cancelled my trip to that area. Dege, Litang, Tagong are my dream-stops. Thanks for you to re-confirm decision. I am sorrow too, but you experienced an impressive situation. Cheer! anyhow.
Thank you, looks like I am going to have to come up with another plan now.
Any suggestion welcome, I will be in Kunming in the next few days and Beijing by the 1st May. I will probably travel East Coast during the later part of May before flying from HOng Kong on the 18th of May back home !
Just to give an update - I'm still in Dege - as eager as the police seem to be to have me out of here (I had another visit from them last night) I got up this morning to get the bus, and was told neither it nor any minivans were running today, since the road is closed due to heavy convoy traffic. I started laughing in the street - this whole scene is pretty nuts. I was a little concerned I might get hassled by the authorities for still being here, but no one paid any attention to me. Not half an hour ago, I had a soldier walk up to me and say in English "Hello! Welcome to Dege!" then wave and walk on. So another day here. Not complaining at all. Things definitely felt a little more intense for a couple of hours this morning, as more troops moved into town and police cars were all over the place, but they soon return to a pretty relaxed state, which is how it is right now. The big event at this moment is watching the giant earth-mover rip up the foundation of an old building and load it into dump trucks...I should be back in Ganzi tomorrow (though I'm not betting on it at this point) and am curious about what it's like, since things were pretty tense there early in the week.
Hey - Here's another update - so had to spend one more day in Dege, because the road remained closed. On my last full day there - Saturday - the mood had definitely mellowed a few notches. There were fewer patrols marching around the streets, and they weren't wearing helmets or carrying shields or sticks anymore. Kind of looks like they're just out for some exercise. And the soldiers themselves were mostly downright friendly. A few units lined up regularly in the parking lot in front of my hotel, and came in in groups to use the bathroom (you don't want to go in there immediately afterwards!), so I had plenty of face to face contact with them.
Happily Ganzi too is mostly back to normal - there's still a pretty intense presence there, much moreso than in Dege, and going into town a couple of guys with machine guns surround the car and begin to interrogate. Fortunately, I was able to disarm my eager inquisitor by looking at him and saying in English 'I dont speak Chinese'. He was speechless for a second - then just left me alone and began to pester the other people in the minivan. It's really weird - I was just walking through town, out in the open, obviously not from there, past men in green and blue - and nobody approached me once to ask what I doing. I seriously thought about staying there again today, and probably could have, but figured I'd had my share of bonus days - and all it would take is one hardass in uniform to make me regret it.
So now in Danba - which seems alright, but coming from up north/west, it's less than sublime in comparison. Before, I was angry about having to leave - now mostly just sad about it. I really fell for Ganzi and the surrounding area.
