About Chyangba Village

A view of Chyangba Village. Photo:Wongchu Sherpa

Chyangba Village lies at a height of 3500m, in the north of Kathmandu and is approximately 400Km away from the city. The village does not lie on the trekker's trail so development has been very slow. Yet the natural beauty and the rich cultural heritage makes this village a unique place on earth.

There are about 150 houses inhabited by many ethnic groups such as Sherpas, Rai, Magar, Newar, Tamang, Chhetris, Brahmins, Viswakarma, Sunuwar, etc. People here are mostly farmers, growing potato, apple, maize, wheat, barley, peach, radish, buckwheat, millet, etc. Every Friday, people bring their crops to sell or exchange for rice, tea, salt, oil, butter, spices, soaps etc.

There are many species of rhododendron growing at this height. There are also many wild strawberries growing in the nearby forests. During mushroom season, people collect different varieties of edible mushrooms from the nearby forest.

People of Chyangba gathered during a wedding ceremony

Friday market is an attraction to see where people come from nearby villages to sell their products. Once a year there is a shaman ritual when people gather near a water stream to watch shamans perform unusual practices when they worship their spiritual gurus. Mani Rimdu is another unique Buddhist festival that happens at the Chyangba Gompa where Buddhist monks wear different deities' masks and robes and perform dances. This is when all the villagers come and socialize.

Wild animals like bear, jackal, white and red monkey and many different kind of birds can be seen. Depending upon your luck, you might even encounter a Himalayan Tiger or a leopard.

A newly wed sherpa couple

November-December and January-February are the main wedding seasons here at Chyangba. This is also the time when most part of the village remains covered under snow.

If you want to visit Chyangba Village or want to know how to get there please click here