Markam County

Where the Yunnan–Tibet and Sichuan–Tibet routes meet, home to Yanjing's thousand-year-old salt fields and a unique Catholic church.

Markam County lies in southeastern Chamdo, Tibet, in the Mekong River valley, where National Highways 318 and 214 meet; it is one of the eastern gateways into Tibet. Along both banks of the Mekong around Yanjing, the ancient salt fields still use age-old methods of sun-drying salt, with pink and white salt in stacked terraces. Yanjing Catholic Church is one of the few Catholic churches in Tibet. The Hongla Mountain area is home to the Yunnan snub-nosed monkey. Spring and autumn are the best seasons to visit. Most people drive along the Sichuan–Tibet or Yunnan–Tibet routes, and you can also enter from Deqin in Yunnan.

Destinations

• Markam

Itineraries

• Sichuan-Tibet Highway G318: Chengdu to Lhasa – Traverse Western Sichuan and Eastern Tibet along National Highway 318, crossing high mountain passes, glaciers, and lus…
• Yunnan-Tibet Highway Self-Drive: Lijiang to Lhasa – A classic road trip from Lijiang to Lhasa via Shangri-La, Meili, Yanjing, and Nyingchi.