Jiaju Tibetan Village 甲居藏寨

About Jiaju Tibetan Village

The provincial government service portal's profile of Jiaju town gives the village an area of about 5 square kilometres and more than 160 Jiarong Tibetan households, and glosses the name Jiaju in the Tibetan dialect as meaning one hundred households; the Danba county government gives the same gloss. The town itself lies north-west of the county seat, with the Dajinchuan river separating it from Zhake hamlet in Bawang township to the east, Geshizha town to its south and west, and the Bawang and Gala valleys to its north. It runs from 2,120 to 3,324 metres in altitude, has a mean annual temperature of 12 degrees Celsius, 2,242 hours of sunshine and 613.90 mm of rain a year, and a frost-free period of between 188 and 306 days; its 11 administrative villages hold 1,070 households and 4,033 people across 85.83 square kilometres, and the town seat stands 15 km from the county town.

On the buildings the county government is more specific. Jiaju is built of Tibetan tower-houses, one household to a house, generally facing south, some standing in groups of three or five close together and others standing alone away from the rest. The county describes the surviving form of these houses as keeping the basic features of Jiarong dwellings: original materials, original techniques and a traditional, plain appearance. The prefecture's register of A-grade tourist areas, current to 11 April 2022, lists the Jiaju Tibetan Village Tourist Area at grade 4A and gives its address as the Jiaju Scenic Area Administration in Danba County.

What to look for

• The tower-houses themselves, one to a household, which the county government describes as facing south and keeping the original materials and techniques of Jiarong building.
• The contrast the county draws between houses grouped in threes and fives close together and houses standing alone away from the rest.
• The tiered arrangement of the village, rising from the Dajinchuan valley to the foot of the Kapama peaks.
• The Dajinchuan river itself, which the township profile records as separating Jiaju town from Zhake hamlet in Bawang township on the far bank.

Location & getting there

Getting to Jiaju Tibetan Village

Identify the main visitor approach and any separately managed houses, museums or performances. Ask before entering residential spaces or photographing residents.

• Search for 甲居藏寨 with 甘孜藏族自治州 and 丹巴县.