SICHUAN

Around seventy-five percent of Sichuan, which is as large as Spain, consists of mountains. These mountains are among the highest and most spectacular on earth, dividing the Sichuan basin from the Tibetan plateau. The terrain ranges from subtropical in the south to temperate in the north, and the forests are among the richest on earth. Human habitation is densest in the Sichuan basin, a cradle of civilisation thousands of years ago and still very rich in culture – the Sichuanese, which have their own language and highly distinct cuisine, are famous for their laid-back way of life, symbolised by lounging back at teahouses (the culture of tea drinking arose in Sichuan). The Tibetan plateau starts in Sichuan’s northwest, which is the heartland of Khampa inhabitants – a subgroup of Tibetans that have distinct customs.

Tours in Sichuan: Panda Trekking | Tibetan Tribes | Flower Pepper Duck | Sichuan Loop | Travel Photography | The Takin Trail | The Steam Stallion | Vultures & Yaks | The Summit of Tao

XINJIANG

Dominated by one of the largest and bleakest deserts on earth, and situated at the crossroads of central Asia, Xinjiang has dozens of ethnic minorities. Its population centres are concentrated along the chains of mountains that skirt the deserts: these mountains have greenery and rivers, allowing habitations to flourish. The huge province is known for its Islamic heritage, but equally interesting and often overlooked is the northern part of the province, where mountains bring a piece of Siberia abutting the desert. Here the landscapes are Siberian, and the people an ethnic mix that includes Uyghur Muslims, Kazakhs, Mongols, Russians, and Han. This area has only recently started to develop a tourist infrastructure.

Tours in Xinjiang: Altay Discovery

TIBET

Tibet isn’t as homogenous as most people believe, but it certainly is empty – it covers an area larger than western Europe that’s populated by just three million inhabitants. Within that area there are habitation clusters that are highly distinct in having different dialects, different building styles, different costumes and hair-styles, and different customs. Much of the terrain is covered in grasslands ranged across high inhospitable plateaux, but Tibet also has other climes that include desert-like landscapes and valleys that are densely covered with pine forests. The Tibetan plateau has an unlimited potential for travel, although a limited road network, long distances, and lack of tourism facilities makes travel outside the main population area around Lhasa a logistical complication. The Tibetan spread also covers other parts of China, and although this is not strictly speaking inside the Tibetan borders, the terrain and culture is practically Tibetan.

Tours in Tibet: Tibetan Tribes