Litang, which is thin on oxygen, is never thin on gaiety.

It possesses a strong frontier flavor, with fortress-like stone houses and streets filled with nomads shopping with silver swords bound to their belts.

Many local houses are made of brown stones that blend with the region's barren landscape. Only the richly decorated windows stand out in a flurry of green, red, yellow and blue hues to match the numerous small flags overhanging the main streets. Litang is also a place where new technology, like the Internet, flourishes alongside horseback riding, which is still the preferred method of transport. The result is an incredible blend of timeless tradition and modernity.

Near dark, the multicultural population of Litang gathers in the street at food stalls which line the town center. Chinese and Tibetans alike congregate around warm barbecues to share in a diversity of grilled meats before heading inside a bar to watch the latest video filmed in Lhasa, the Tibetan capital.

 Eight Oddities of Litang

Litang is a region inhabited mostly by Tibetans, whose exotic customs are attracting tourists from both near and near. The most popular topic about Litang among tourists is its "eight oddities":

1. Dishes ordered at noon can arrive as late as suppertime. Tourists are surprised by the region's "remissness" since guests are never served in a timely manner.

2. The lights are turned off as the first guests come for breakfast in the morning - even though daybreak is not until 8 am. No fluorescent lamps are used in the town: People conserve energy since electricity is scarce in the region.