Bars & Clubs

There are no clubs in the town of Nagchu and only a few bars scattered around town. Popular with the teenagers is the first floor bar of the Post Hotel. Cruise down Central Zhejiang Lu to find out the newest spot where locals are warming themselves both before and after dinner.

Performing Arts

Although you can always spot monks, nuns and lay people in town performing their daily Buddhist rituals you won't find any other type of performances in Nagchu other than during the Horse Racing Festival. Always taking place in mid-August, here you'll find locals and nomads showing off their traditional dances and archery skills and of course, there is plenty of horse riding and racing to observe.

Festivals & Events

Nagchu's Horse Racing Festival (daqiong) has become the largest cause for celebration on the Changtang. The festival occurs during the Northern Plateau's "golden grassland period," the first week of August each year (confirm the dates beforehand). More than 10,000 nomads travel to Nagchu, setting up a tent city just north of town. Tibetans dress themselves and their horses in their finest clothes and costumes while showing off their horsemanship, archery proficiency and craftsmanship, as well as competing in various feats of strength, from tug-of-war to wrestling to heavy-stone weightlifting. The equestrian competitions can be especially thrilling. 

Nights see bonfires on the plateau with singing, dancing and card playing. Many dances and songs have deep traditional roots; the Tibetan epic ballad of the feats of ancient King Gesar, for example, and the Reba and Gordo dances are all fascinating expressions of the nomad's unique identity. Even without a lick of Tibetan, visitors can easily pick up on the depth of feeling and meaning present in these centuries-old rituals.

Other festivals include: 

The Thunder Festival (March 10-20 by the Tibetan lunar calendar)
The Sheep-Neutering Festival (March by the Tibetan lunar calendar)
THe Newborn Calf Festival (March by the Tibetan lunar calendar)
The Sheepshearing Festival (April by the Tibetan lunar calendar)
The Medicinal Herbs Culling Festival (September by the Tibetan lunar calendar)