For centuries, the Khampa struck fear into the hearts of all who ventured into the eastern boundary regions of Tibet. Swift as the wind on horseback, and skilled as fighters, the Khampa first had their territory taken from them in 1720 when the Chinese broke through the walls of Lhasa, captured the 7th Dalai Lama, and annexed a large part of Kham Province to Sichuan. They also proved to be a handful for the Communist Government to subdue. The main uprisings in the lead-up to the Chinese genocide of the Tibetan population in the 1950's and 1960's took place in Kham, where the Chinese made the fatal mistake of trying to disarm the Khampa tribesmen.

The men can be distinguished by the red headband and the women by their long braided hair.