Bomi, anciently known as Bowo, means "ancestors" in Tibetan and is located in southeastern Tibet. The county boasts stunning landscapes and has long been hailed as the "Little Switzerland" and the "Jewel of the Green Sea." Due to its unique high-altitude geographical and climatic conditions, Bomi is home to a diverse and superior array of forest-understory biological resources, among which Bomi Gastrodia Elata is the most representative...
Monba Bamboo Weaving The Monba people live in areas abundant in trees and bamboo, and the bamboo weaving industry is relatively developed in the Dawang region at the heart of Menyu. Among bamboo-woven products, a type of fabric called "Bangqiong" is the most famous. Bangqiong requires hundreds of thin strips in red, yellow, blue, black, and other colors to weave, featuring intricate and varied geometric patterns.…
Ebony chopsticks. A stone mortar and a pair of ebony chopsticks—these are the only locally produced goods in Motuo County. The people of Motuo, nestled deep in the mountains, still lead lives almost entirely cut off from the outside world. They maintain their livelihoods using primitive slash-and-burn farming methods and live in poverty. The soapstone pots and ebony chopsticks...
During the New Year, Tibetan families display “Qiemar” in their homes, and everyone tastes it. This is an ethnic custom formed by the Tibetan people through long-term historical development. “Qiemar” is placed in a specially made “bowl.” The “bowl” is a rectangular box specially crafted from wooden boards, with…
Motuo County’s Pangxin Township (reached by a 32-kilometer uphill hike from the 108-kilometer mark on the Bomi to Motuo road) is the renowned birthplace of the original Motuo stone pots. Locals craft these pots from “talc schist” mined from the cliffs of Namcha Barwa Peak (Namcha Barwa Peak, at 7,782 meters above sea level and located inside the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon, is the world’s 15th highest peak. In Tibetan, Namcha Barwa means “flashing lightning like fire” or also “a spear piercing the sky”).
As one of the essential items in daily life, it is crafted from the roots or burls of hardwood trees. The wood is fine-grained, hard, and features natural patterns that are rustic and beautiful, giving it certain value for collection, decoration, and practical use.…
The Qinggang mushroom is a delicious edible fungus that grows abundantly under Qinggang trees in the forested areas of Milin County. It has a relatively high yield, with its peak season from June to August. Locals typically enjoy it raw, dipped in chili sauce, savoring its fragrant and crispy taste. Research indicates that the Qinggang mushroom is rich in various vitamins and amino acids, making it a both tasty and nutritious natural green...
Milin Tibetan Chicken is a specialty of Milin County in Nyingchi, Tibet. The production area of Milin Tibetan Chicken is designated within the administrative regions of eight townships under the jurisdiction of Milin County, Nyingchi Tibetan Autonomous Region: Wolong Town, Lilong Township, Nanyi Township, Milin Town, Qiangna Township, Danang Township, Pai Town, and Zhaxirabden Township. "The Request from the People's Government of Milin County Regarding the Delimitation of the Protected Geographic Indication Area for Milin Tibetan Chicken"...
Chamuyu Finger Millet, also known as chicken claw millet, duck spur millet, African millet, or 䅟zi, is a tropical drought-resistant cereal crop. The production area of Chamuyu Finger Millet covers the current administrative regions of Shangchayu Town and Xiachayu Town in Chamuyu County, Tibet Autonomous Region.…
Chamuyu Rice Entering Chamuyu and strolling through the vast fertile fields of this “land of fish and rice,” one cannot help but be captivated by the idyllic farmland scenery at an altitude of 2,000 meters. It is this “fertile land blessed by nature” that produces the crystal-clear, nutrient-rich, and fragrant “Chamuyu Rice.” The production area of Chamuyu Rice is located in Shangchayu…
Tibetan wooden bowls are crafted in harmony with the natural grain of the wood, preserving the fragrance of the tree. The size and height of the bowls cater to the needs of different individuals. Coarse and seemingly clumsy ones are men’s bowls, delicate with curved lines are women’s bowls, while those with clean, well-balanced lines are general-use bowls. …
Radish and Turnip Dish
"Yigong" means "beautiful" in Tibetan. Yigong Township is located northwest of Bomi County, about 153 kilometers from the county seat. Legend has it that Yigong chili was introduced by merchants along the ancient Tea Horse Road; another theory suggests it was brought by the 18th Army when they entered Tibet in 1950. Over years of cultivation, it has developed into a unique local variety. Its distinctive qualities are unmatched across the region...
Pamirs Snow Lotus The snow lotus is a herbaceous plant of the subgenus Saussurea, belonging to the genus Saussurea in the Asteraceae family. It grows on high-altitude scree slopes at elevations of 4,800–5,800 meters, as well as among gravel near the snow line. There are over 20 species within this subgenus, most of which are native to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions of China. In Tibet, there are the following seven species: (1)...
Pome Musk Pome mainly produces forest musk deer, which are larger in size than alpine musk deer, have longer snouts, and are generally brown all over, usually with only a few faint yellow spots on the neck. The area under the jaw and neck as well as the abdomen are yellowish-white. Male musk deer have well-developed upper canine teeth that protrude from the lips, curve slightly downward, commonly known as “tusks”; there is a musk gland sac near the navel containing the musk. Female musk deer have…
Cold Tibetan Yak Beef Salad: The meat of the yak is salt-cured, thinly sliced, and mixed with chili — a great dish to enjoy with alcohol. Of course, the drink of choice should be the local highland barley wine. Yaks come from the plateau around Songpan and Jiuzhaigou, and their meat is fragrant with a hint of wild flavor. Nowadays, Jiuzhaigou already has processing plants for yak beef, producing vacuum-packed ready-to-eat products, which are very convenient for tourists to purchase...
Tibetan Hats Due to the strong sunlight, changeable climate, and frequent sandstorms in Tibet, local people prefer to wear hats. Moreover, different styles of hats are worn based on identity, gender, and region, resulting in a wide variety of Tibetan hats with diverse designs. Here, we introduce only the most common type, known in Tibetan as “Xia Mao Jia Sai…”
Xiangzhai potatoes are boiled until 80% cooked, drained, peeled, and cut into small pieces, then set aside. Washed and peeled scallions are briefly pan-fried, then removed and mashed in a stone mortar before being placed in a small dish for later use. Curry powder is mixed with cold water to form a paste, which is then poured into a wok to make oil curry, and set aside. Mutton is chopped into chunks, stir-fried with an appropriate amount of ghee...
Place an appropriate amount of butter, crumbled milk residue (lightly moistened and kneaded into a lump), and crushed brown sugar in a bowl. Mix and knead them together to make a type of cheese cake called “退” (Tui). This cake has a unique flavor and makes an excellent accompaniment to tsampa. …
Chhurpi Buns, as the name suggests, are buns stuffed with chhurpi. But what is chhurpi? To understand that, we need to start with the process of refining milk. Fresh yak milk is boiled and then separated in a traditional and unique way by Tibetan people. The most precious and essential part is butter, and the next is chhurpi — the residue left after extracting the butter. Fresh...