In July 2002 I got stuck in Litang waiting for a bus when I was traveling from Chengdu to Kunming. The third day there was a small one-day horse-festival where I was the only Western tourist. A wonderful experience. The atmosphere was fantastic and the people were very hospitable, inviting me in their tent for food and drinks. I heard about the big festival and decided to return. I did that in 2005 on a bigger trip. This time I had the luck to travel with Chinese companions Most hotels were full but they managed to get us a room in a 'no-English written or spoken hotel' that probably does not see many foreigners. The water was 'on and off'; the showers did not work most of the time but it the family that ran it was really nice, despite the obvious language problems after my companions left.

The Litang Horsefestival

Litang is home to a yearly horse festival. People from all around pack most of their household belongings, including the stove and the sofa, go to a large grassy plain near Litang, and camp out for some days. The festival starts the first day of August. It is still a local festival, but it is rapidly becoming more touristy, with both western and Chinese tourists, many of whom photographers. The horse riding exhibitions are quite spectacular. And there is some horse racing, folk-dance, tug-of-war, (butter-) tea making contests and lots of other performances and contests. Apart from the activities a whole town has emerged, with restaurants, shops, pool-houses, and a fair with lots of possibilities for gambling. And the monks seem to participate in just about everything