4. Bread stays fresh for quite a long time in Litang. It is said that even bacteria cannot withstand the rarefaction of oxygen.

5. Take-out meals are packed in paper bags. A fine of RMB5,000 will be imposed on those using plastic. The locals say this plateau is the last pure and unpolluted piece of land in the world.

6. As simple and isolated as they are, the locals never pass up an opportunity to examine strangers from a "50-centimeter distance" from head to toe.

7. One is sure to run into a foreigner with an English-Chinese dictionary in hand at any given moment. It's funny to see them communicate by drawing pictures and flipping through a dictionary.

8. Litang hairstyles are especially impressive. The local women often have 108 braids under their ornamental headdresses, while long-haired men put their hair up with by rings of coral jewelry and mastodon ivory along with characteristic red or black tassels.

The flat plateau is also a cradle for horse riders. Every July, Litang hosts a world-renowned horse festival -- a highlight among tourist areas in the country.