Caoke
Caoke is a small village located in the northwestern part of Shimian County. It is 52 kilometers from the town of Shimian and 1400 meters above sea level. It is located in the Tianwan River Scenic Area on the west bank of the Dadu River and on the south of the Gongga Mountains. It is adjacent to the two counties of Kangding and Jiulong in Garze Prefecture in the west. Caoke is the stopover place for trips to the south of Minya Konka Mountains and Renzong Mountains. Tianwan River is the largest river in Gongga Mountain and flows through Caoke.
Caoke has a warm and humid climate due to its lower location. It has no cold winter or extreme hot osummer. The average annual temperature is 13.1 degrees Celsius, the annual precipitation is 1186.8 mm, and the relative humidity is 69%.
Caoke is located in the Tianwanhe Provincial Scenic Area and now is trying to develop tourism using its hot springs. There are many hot springs and two of them are open. Shenlong Hot Spring Hotel and Xingyue Hot Spring Hotel are the two hotels here provide rooms and hot springs. There are more than 20 Tibetan-style guesthouses and farmhouses along the road of Caoke. Some of these hotels and guesthouses also provide food.
Zimei (Tsemed)
Tsemei Village, or most frequently referred as Zimei village, is a small village at the foot of Tsemei Pass. There is upper Zimei Village, Middle Zimei Village and Lower Zimei Village. The upper Zimei has only three families. It is now under construction by local government for the purpose of developing local economy and accelerating its tourism. Roads have been better along the years. Zimei is around 15km from road end from Caoke and at an elevation of around 3300m, a perfect stopover place for trips to Mt. Gongga and Mt. Nama. From Zimei it is around 6km to Gongga Monastery.
Gongga Gompa (Monastery)
Gongga Gompa (贡嘎寺) is located southwest to the peak of Minya Konka and it is 6km walking from Tsemd Village. It can be accessed by motorcycle. There are only 2 monks live there and nothing else is there. There is no phone reception nor internet reception there. No shops no restaurants but a new guesthouse. Gongga Monastery is at 3700m.
This Gompa was the first basecamp for Minya Konka climbers for many years. The Gonmpa from inside is rather like a countyard with the left side temples for gods the other three sides are dormitories for dwellers mostly climbers and backpackers. The rooms have no lights, no shower and no bathrooms. It only has very basic beds. There is now a new guesthouse of the temple recently built but it also has no facilties but rather just beds.
Gongga Gompa is also named Gongga Monastery, it is one of the three major Kargyupa monasteries(the other two are Palpung Monatery in Dege and Tsupu Monastery near Lhasa) first funded by zabibo who was a student of the first Kargyupa Rinpoche in the middle of 13th century. This monastery is also known well by the Tibetan Buddhists as the home of a great Pandita, the Gongga Rinpoche Karmashdjo. It has long been a place for many Buddhist to practice meditation.
