China - Yunnan Chailitong - Village Grain Mill Project (15 days)
Community project: The project site is located in Northern Yunnan. The entire region between the bend of the Yangtse river and the Tibetan border and from the Burma border in the west to the Sichuan border in the east is slated to become the 'Four Rivers National Park' covering 66000 sq kms and Gyalthang and Dechen are roughly in the middle. The Irrawady, Salween, Mekong and the Yangtse all curve south through this area and offer the best biodiversity in the northern hemisphere according to the Botanical Institute of Edinburg.
Chalithong village is located up the mountain from the Mekong River in a steep valley. On this journey you will enjoy the lovely town of Lijiang, a World Heritage site and then travel to Gyalthang, or Shangrila as it was named in 2001, to explore this lovely valley and surrounding alpine farmlands before heading north along the Yangtse River to cross the spectacular Yangtse Mekong divide to Dechen. Time permitting you will see and walk to the glacier of the sacred mountain of Kawakarpo before heading southwest along the Mekong to Chalithong. Here you will work with the community to construct and repair a naturally stream-water powered grinding mills essential to their lives.
After the project work you will trek to the village and temple of Hompho, followed by a stunning trek to the pass of Baima Shueshan Mountain and Reserve, home to wonderful and rare wild meadow flowers and rhododendron as well as the Yunnan Golden Monkey before returning to Gyalthang. At the conclusion of this journey you will have seen some of the best wilderness areas in this region as well as have had the satisfaction of helping a wonderful community.
- DAY 1: Arrive Kunming & connect to Lijiang
- DAY 2: Lijiang
- DAY 3 & 4: Travel to & in Zhongdian
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DAY 5: To Dechen through the upper
bend of the Yangtse
- DAY 6: Drive to Sacred glacier
- DAYS 7-9: At Chalithong Village - working with the local village people.
- DAYS 10-13: Trek to Hompho temple and over Baima pass to Baima Valley
- DAY 14: Return to Zhongdian
- DAY 15: Depart
Operated by World Expeditions
Departures: May only
- Contact us for more information, current costs and to make a booking on this tour