Deqin - Yunnan Province

Located at an altitude of 3,550m in the northwest of Yunnan Province, Deqin offers a real Tibetan experience for those willing to brave the journey. Deqin is part of the Kham region, formerly a Tibetan province and now part of Yunnan and Sichuan, and over 80% of the town’s inhabitants are Tibetan. Although Deqin town itself is quite soulless, the surrounding area is excellent for hiking and the scenery is (quite literally due to the altitude) breathtaking. Deqin is a base for exploring the Three Parallel Rivers National Park, where the mighty rivers of the Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween all run parallel to one another before spreading across Asia. This region is home to deep valleys and towering mountains, the most important of which is the holy Kawa Karpo Mountain, Yunnan’s tallest mountain and often referred to as one of the most beautiful in the world. It has never been summited but you can enjoy spectacular views of the mountain and explore the villages and glacier at its feet.