Kham Derge was regarded as the cultural heart of the Kham Region. Traditionally it is the name given to a large independent kingdom ruled by Derge King. It occupied present-day Jomda, Pelyul, Sershul County, and Derge County.
It is a county under the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Derge County comprises only the valley of the Zichu tributary of the Yangtse, extending from its watershed in the Trola range to its confluence with the Yangtse. And the outlying grassland of Yilhun and Dzachuka to the north and the valley of Mesho to the south. The county capital is located at Derge Gonchen.
Kham Derge is known as the cultural center of the Kham region and it has some of the most prominent monasteries, cultural sites, and amazing wilderness landscapes.