Zha Ga Na

Zhagana, also known as Zhagala, is located in Diebu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is a small Tibetan village surrounded by a circle of pretty cliffs. It has beautiful and magical scenery and is one of the most beautiful places in the entire Gannan Tibetan area.

The ancient wooden Tibetan houses in the village are built along the mountain, and the locals work quietly and simply between the hillsides and rivers, forming a beautiful pastoral scenery. Whether you want to sightsee, take photos, or visit the traditional life of the simple Tibetan people, this is a wonderful place that you cannot miss.

Zhagana is located in the valley of Yiwa Township, Diebu County. It takes about 1 hour to drive from Diebu County and about 2 hours from Langmusi. Zhagana is suitable for visiting in July and August, when the grassland is green and the scenery is beautiful. Most tourists come from Langmusi when they take the Gannan-Sichuanbei route. The usual time to visit is to arrive in the afternoon of the same day and take a leisurely stroll in the village to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Stay in a Tibetan homestay for one night, and leave the next morning after taking pictures of the early morning clouds and sunrise. In addition, there is a two-day hiking route in the back mountain of Zhagana, where you can rent a horse in the village or walk there.

Zhagana Village is divided into four small villages, from bottom to top, they are Dongwa Village, Yeri Village, Dari Village and Daiba Village. Dongwa Village and Daiba Village are about 5 kilometers apart, and there is a winding road connecting the four villages. You can walk or drive to visit and take photos one by one. It takes about 1 hour to walk from the bottom to the top.

Driving in from the entrance of the village, the first place you arrive at is Dongwa Village at the foot of the mountain. There is a big stone here called Dashimen. The small hillside next to Dashimen is a good place for taking photos. Here you can look up and take pictures of the beautiful scenery of the village built along the mountain. The back of the village is wrapped by cliffs, and there is a Tibetan Buddhist temple on the top of the village. The scenery is fantastic and beautiful. Dongwa Village has a large population and is also a good place to stay. You can book a stay at a farmhouse here, and then walk or drive to several higher villages to play. It takes about 1 hour to walk to the higher place.

Going up the mountain along the road, you will reach Yeri Village. Next to Yeri Village is a vast barley field where you can often see Tibetans busy in the fields. The scene is peaceful and simple. In addition, there is a house in Yeri Village where the famous traveler Joseph Locke once lived for more than a year, but now it can only be visited from the outside.

Continue to go up, after passing Dari Village, there is a viewing platform with a wide view, suitable for taking bird's-eye views of the whole village. You can see the whole village and the fantastic rock wall behind. All the houses are old wooden roofs and earthen walls, which look simple and peaceful. Under the cliff, they form a beautiful picture scroll, which is also a wonderful place to take good photos. After taking the panoramic view, you can go back to Dongwa Village for accommodation. Daiba Village is relatively remote and there are fewer scenery to see, so you can skip it.

In addition to taking photos in the afternoon, there are many other things to look forward to in Zhagana. Every morning, there are almost clouds and mists between the rock walls on the mountain, and the starry sky is beautiful and brilliant at night when the lights are off, which are good opportunities for taking photos. If you have enough time, you can also take 1-2 hours to climb the back mountain of Dongwa Village to see the temple on the top of the mountain. The houses you pass by along the way are all ancient buildings, and the wooden wedge-rivet structure is even more ancient and peculiar. If you are lucky, you can meet kind locals and be invited to their homes to taste traditional food such as tsampa butter tea and experience the simple enthusiasm of the locals.

In addition, there is a two-day hiking route behind the village, which leads to the rarely visited lakes and stone forests with pristine and beautiful scenery. However, this route is only suitable for outdoor enthusiasts and requires camping for one night. When walking this route, you can rent a horse in the village and find a horseman to lead the way. Generally, a horse costs about 150 yuan a day.