Lonely Planet China

by Lonely Planet

  Labrang Monastery covers much of Xiàhé and a ticket to the monastery covers the main buildings on a guided tour. Several other buildings have their own admission fees, and tickets for those can be purchased at small ticket offices or from attendants at the entrances. In general, opening hours for the monastery's buildings are 8am to 5pm, although you can wander the grounds from very early in the morning, and many pilgrims begin walking the kora before dawn.

  oLabrang MonasteryBUDDHIST TEMPLE

  (拉卜楞寺; Lābǔléng Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Renmin Xilu; 人民西路 tour ¥40)

  With its succession of squeaking prayer wheels (3km in total), hawks circling overhead and the throb of Tibetan longhorns resonating from the surrounding hills, Labrang is a monastery town unto itself. Many of the chapel halls are illuminated in a yellow glow by yak-butter lamps, their strong-smelling fuel scooped out from voluminous tubs. Even if Tibet is not on your itinerary, the monastery sufficiently conveys the mystique of its devout persuasions, leaving indelible impressions of a deeply sacred domain.

  In addition to the chapels, residences, golden-roofed temple halls and living quarters for the monks, Labrang is also home to six tratsang (monastic colleges or institutes), exploring esoteric Buddhism, theology, medicine, astrology and law.

  Labrang Monastery was founded in 1709 by Ngagong Tsunde (E’angzongzhe in Chinese), the first-generation Jamyang (a line of reincarnated Rinpoches or living Buddhas ranking third in importance after the Dalai and Panchen lamas), from nearby Gānjiā. The monastery is one of the six major Tibetan monasteries of the Gelugpa order (Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism). The others are Ganden, Sera and Drepung monasteries near Lhasa; Tashilhunpo Monastery in Shigatse; and Kumbum Monastery near Xīníng in Qīnghǎi.

  At its peak, Labrang housed nearly 4000 monks, but their ranks greatly declined during the Cultural Revolution. Modern Labrang is again such a popular destination for young disciples that numbers are currently capped at 1800 monks with about 1600 currently in residence, drawn from Qīnghǎi, Gānsù, Sìchuān and Inner Mongolia.

  Main Buildings

  The only way to visit the interior of the most important buildings is on a tour (no photos allowed inside buildings), which generally includes the Institute of Medicine, the Manjushri Temple, the Serkung (Golden Temple) and the main Prayer Hall (Grand Sutra Hall), plus a museum of relics and yak-butter sculptures. English-language tours (per person ¥40) leave the monastery's ticket office (售票处; Shòupiàochù GOOGLE MAP ) around 10.15am and 3.15pm most days, and although they give plenty to see, they can feel a bit rushed. Outside those times you can latch on to a Chinese tour, with little lost even if you don't understand the language, but be aware you must purchase the ¥40 ticket to gain entrance to any of the buildings' interiors. Even better is to show up at around 6am or 7am, when the monks come out to pray and chant. At dusk the hillside resonates with the throaty sound of sutras being chanted behind the wooden doors.

  Other Buildings

  The rest of the Labrang can be explored by walking the inner kora (pilgrim path). Although many of the temple halls are padlocked shut, there are a couple of separate smaller chapels you can visit, though they can often be closed for unexplained reasons. Some charge admission. Among the most popular are the three-storey Barkhang, the monastery's traditional printing temple, as well as the Hall of Hayagriva with its enchanting murals, and the golden Gòngtáng Pagoda (贡唐宝塔; Gòngtáng Bǎotǎ, Gòngtáng Chörten MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Labrang Monastery, Renmin Xilu; 人民西路 ¥20), which offers incredible views over the whole monastery from its roof.

  Access to the rest of the monastery area is free, and you can easily spend several hours just walking around and soaking up the atmosphere in the endless maze of mud-packed walls. The Tibetan greeting in the local Amdo dialect is Cho day mo? ('How do you do?') – a great icebreaker.

  The best morning views of the monastery come from the Thangka Display Terrace ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ), a popular picnic spot, or the forested hills south of the main town.

  Hall of HayagrivaBUDDHIST SITE

  (马头明王殿; Mǎtóu Míngwáng Diàn, Hall of Horsehead Buddha MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Labrang Monastery, Renmin Xilu; 人民西路 ¥10)

  A repository of vivid and bright murals, the hall encapsulates a startlingly fierce 12m-high effigy of Hayagriva – a wrathful manifestation of the usually calm Avalokiteshvara (Guanyin) – with six arms and three faces. The hall is down a side lane almost directly across from the lane to the Barkhang.

  BarkhangBUDDHIST TEMPLE

  (Printing Temple; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Labrang Monastery, Renmin Xilu; 人民西路 ¥10)

  The three-storey Barkhang serves as the monastery’s traditional printing temple. With rows upon rows of more than 20,000 wood blocks for printing, it’s well worth a visit, and photos are allowed. The Barkhang is off the main road down a small side lane. The temple typically closes for lunch for a couple of hours around noon.

  Ngakpa GompaBUDDHIST SITE

  (红教寺; Hóngjiào Sì MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Tibetan Village; 九甲忖 ¥5)

  Visit this small Nyingmapa (Red Hat) school monastery to catch a glimpse of lay monks who wear striking red and white robes and have long, braided hair. No entry to actual school.

  NunneryBUDDHIST SITE

  (尼姑庵, Nígū’ān, Ani Gompa MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Tibetan Village; 九甲忖 ¥10)

  This nunnery is on the hill above the Tibetan part of Xiàhé. The outer kora begins just to the left of here.

  TRADITIONAL MEDICINE

  Among the six tratsang (colleges) of Labrang Monastery, the Institute of Medicine is renowned throughout the Tibetan world. Many Tibetans and pilgrims come here to be seen by monastic doctors, and there are numerous small clinics around town that treat the ill and infirm. If you wish to be seen by a monastic doctor, it's best to ask advice from your guesthouse, or enquire at the Nirvana Hotel.

  TTours

  Guided tours of the surrounding area can be arranged by OT Travels & Tours, the couple who run Nirvana Hotel and the staff at Snowy Mountain Cafe. Most guesthouses in town can also help with day-trip arrangements.

  zFestivals & Events

  Festivals are central to the calendar for both the devotional monks and the nomads who stream into town from the grasslands in multicoloured splendour. Tibetans use a lunar calendar, so dates for individual festivals vary from year to year.

  Monlam FestivalRELIGIOUS

  (Great Prayer Festival)

  This festival starts three days after the Tibetan New Year, which is usually in February or early March, with significant days accompanied by spectacular processions and prayer assemblies. Monlam Festival finishes with a creative display of monk-sculpted butter lanterns lighting up the 15th evening (and full moon) of the New Year.

  LíNXIà AND ITS MINORITY COMMUNITIES

  Línxià (临夏; population 202,500) is a centre of Chinese Islam settled by ancient Silk Road Muslims and now populated by their descendants. At one time known as Hézhōu (河州), the city's strategic location at the junction of the Silk Road and several north–south trade routes meant it was, for centuries, an important commercial centre. These crossing roads brought Muslim teachers from Central Asia and further afield, some of whom stayed and went on to turn Línxià into an important centre for Chinese Islamic scholarship, particularly Sufism. The city itself is occasionally used by travellers (and monks) to break up the trip between Xiàhé and Lánzhōu or Qīnghǎi. Línxià is home to more than 80 mosques and gǒngběi (拱北; Sufi master's shrine complexes) dotted all over town.

  Spilling over a ridge high above Línxià and home to both Hui and Dongxiang minorities, the little market town of Suǒnánbà (锁南坝; population 12,000) has a single street that’s a hive of activity, with locals trading livestock and occasional shepherds shooing flocks about.

  The town is sometimes also called Dōngxiāng (东乡) after the surrounding county. The Dongxiang people speak an Altaic language and are believed to be descendants of 13
th-century immigrants from Central Asia, moved forcibly to China after Kublai Khan’s Middle East conquest.

  Dàhéjiā (大河家; population 4500), with sweeping views over the Yellow River, towering red cliffs and (in summer) verdant green terraces, is a kaleidoscope of colour. The surrounding area is home to a significant population of Bao’an (保安族), Muslims who speak a Mongolic language. The Bao’an are famed for producing knives and share cultural traits with the Hui and Dongxiang. Their Mongol roots come out during summer festivals, when it is possible to see displays of wrestling and horse riding.

  To Suǒnánbà, frequent minibuses (¥7, one hour) head up on the pleasant journey past terraced fields from Línxià’s east bus station.

  You can visit Dàhéjiā when travelling on the road between Línxià and Xīníng. Most buses between the two will stop here. From Línxià you can also catch a frequent minibus (¥25, three hours) from the station (城郊汽车站; chéngjiāo qìchē zhàn) on the outskirts of town.

  4Sleeping

  Xiàhé has long been a traveller's destination, and is loaded with small guesthouses, inns and hotels catering to a variety of budgets. Most are located at the west end of Renmin Xilu/Zhaxiqi Jie near the entrance to Labrang Monastery.

  A lot of hotels here utilise solar gain to power their hot-water supplies, so showering in the evening offers the best chance for scalding hot water in many places.

  Overseas Tibetan HotelHOTEL$

  (华侨饭店; Huáqiáo Fàndiàn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 712 2642; www.overseastibetanhotel.com; 77 Renmin Xijie; 人民西街77号 dm ¥50, d ¥200-300; W)

  A well run and bustling place with wi-fi that reaches every corner, and solar powered hot water. The modern doubles have clean enclosed showers, flat-screen TVs and cushy, thick mattresses. Discounts of 20% in quiet periods.

  It's owned by Losang, an energetic, likeable Tibetan with faultless English and in touch with the wants of travellers. Services include bike rental (¥20 per day), laundry, the OT Travels & Tours travel agency and the Everest Cafe with Western set breakfasts with yak yoghurt (¥30).

  Tara GuesthouseGUESTHOUSE$

  (卓玛旅社; Zhuōmǎ Lǚshè MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 712 1274; 268 Yagetang; 雅鸽搪268号 dm ¥40, d ¥320, s/tw per bed without bathroom ¥85/100; W)

  This long-established budget place is run by monks from Sìchuān and has extremely frugal dorms, small kàng rooms (shared shower) and doubles with private bathrooms. English is spoken at the front desk.

  Labrang Red Rock International HostelHOSTEL$

  (拉卜楞红石国际青年旅馆; Lābǔléng Hōngshí Guójì Qíngnián Lǚguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 712 3698; 253 Yagetang; 雅鸽搪253号 dm/d ¥50/150; iW)

  This Tibetan-themed, quiet hostel has pine-wood rooms, solar-powered hot showers, a restaurant-bar, and a beautiful display of thangka (Tibetan Buddhist paintings). Doubles are clean with futon-style beds, and YHA cardholders get a discount.

  oNirvana HotelHOTEL$$

  (德古园; Dégǔyuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 718 1702; www.nirvana-hotel.net; 247 Yagetang; 雅鸽塘247号 d ¥300; naiW)S

  Run by a friendly, English-speaking Tibetan-Dutch couple, Nirvana's cosy rooms are decorated tastefully in traditional Tibetan style, with giant, comfy beds. Small details make its slightly higher prices worthwhile: international plug boards, free coffee/tea/bottled water and toiletries. The bonus of having Nirvana's popular bar-restaurant downstairs and the friendliness of the proprietors make this a haven in this part of China.

  Labrang Baoma HotelHOTEL$$

  (拉卜楞宝马宾馆; Lābǔléng Bǎomǎ Bīnguǎn MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 712 1078; Zhaxiqi Jie; 扎西奇街 dm ¥35, r from ¥480; i)

  Pleasant and vibrantly colourful hotel with Tibetan-style courtyard and comfortable doubles with private bathroom. Discounts of 50% are common.

  5Eating

  For those who can’t make it to Tibet, Xiàhé provides an opportunity to develop an appetite for the flavours of the Land of Snows, whether it’s mómo (dumplings), tsampa (a porridge of roasted barley flour), yak-milk yoghurt or throat-warming glasses of the local barley-based firewater (chang in Tibetan, qīngkèjiǔ, 青课酒 in Chinese).

  oNirvana Restaurant & BarTIBETAN, WESTERN$

  (德古园; Dégǔyuán MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 718 1702; 247 Yagetang; 雅鸽塘247号 dishes ¥15-35; h9am-9pm; aW)S

  This lovely, bright restaurant serves Tibetan and Western dishes, such as the popular yak stew with potatoes (¥20), pizza and fresh espresso. The welcoming, casual vibe makes leaving Nirvana difficult, as does the long booze menu, which includes all the standards plus big bottles of locally brewed craft beer (¥45) and homemade 'cowboy barley wine'.

  Snowy Mountain CafeTIBETAN, WESTERN$

  (雪山餐厅; Xuěshān Cāntīng MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %151 0940 8910; Renmin Xilu; 人民西路 h9am-10pm; W)

  This chilled-out spot caters to travellers with a menu of Tibetan, Chinese and Western staples, as well as a full-service bar. Try the Tibetan-style noodles (¥20) or yak steak (¥70). There's also a nice Western breakfast menu, including a set menu of eggs, toast, yoghurt and tea/coffee (¥30).

  Tara RestaurantTIBETAN

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 268 Yagetang; 雅鸽搪268号 )

  This restaurant on the ground floor of Tara Guesthouse serves some of the best mómo (Tibetan dumplings; ¥15) in town and is popular with monks for the many vegetarian options.

  6Drinking & Nightlife

  Norden CafeCAFE

  (诺尔丹咖啡; Nuò'ěrdān Kāfēi MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Tengzhi Lu; 腾志路 tea ¥15; W)

  Traveller-friendly cafe with warm pine-wood interior serving homemade cakes, soups and burgers, plus excellent tea and coffee. Lovely big window seats overlook Labrang Monastery's ticket office.

  7Shopping

  Xiàhé is an excellent place to look for Tibetan handicrafts, from cowboy hats and Tibetan trilbies, to chuba (Tibetan cloaks), monk’s boots, strings of prayer flag or thangka (Tibetan sacred art) paintings. Stacks of handicraft shops line Zhaxiqi Jie east of the monastery, and some painting shops are found off the southern kora (pilgrim path) alongside the river.

  8Information

  Xiàhé is located at nearly 3000m in altitude, and some travellers experience mild altitude sickness when they arrive. The most common complaints are headache, fatigue and dizziness. Take care not to overexert yourself, especially for the first 24 hours while you acclimatise.

  China PostPOST

  (中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng GOOGLE MAP ; 8 Renimn Xijie; h8am-6pm)

  Déshèngtáng PharmacyPHARMACY

  (德盛堂药店; Déshèngtáng Yàodiàn GOOGLE MAP ; 14 Renmin Xijie; h9.30am-9pm)

  Western, Chinese and Tibetan medicine; just west of China Post.

  ICBCBANK

  (工商银行; Gōngshāng Yínháng GOOGLE MAP ; 98 Nanxiahe Jie; 南下河街98号 h8.30am-4pm)

  Has an ATM and changes US dollars.

  OT Travels & ToursTRAVEL AGENCY

  ( GOOGLE MAP ; %0941 712 2642; www.overseastibetanhotel.com/TravelAgency.htm; 77 Renmin Xijie; 人民西街77号 h8am-9pm)

  This travel agency based at the Overseas Tibetan Hotel can arrange cars and English-speaking guides to nearby sights, and also specialises in overland tours from Lánzhōu, Xīníng and Chéngdū to Xiàhé.

  WALK LIKE A TIBETAN

  Following the 3km inner kora (pilgrim path) encircling Labrang Monastery is perhaps the best approach to grasping the giant temple's layout, scale and significance. The kora is lined with long rows of squeaking prayer wheels, whitewashed chörtens (Tibetan stupas) and chapels. Tibetan pilgrims with beads in their hands and sunhats on their heads, old folk, mothers with babies and children, shabby nomads and curious visitors walk in meditative fashion clockwise along the path (called zhuǎnjìngdào, ‘scripture-turning way’ in Chinese), rotating prayer wheels as they go. Look also for the tiny meditation cells on the northern hillside.

  For a short hike, the more strenuous outer kora takes about
an hour and climbs high above the monastery. To reach the start, head past the monastery’s western edge. About one block into the Tibetan village look for a large signpost (in Tibetan but it’s the only one around) on the right. Follow the alley up to the right, and make your way to the ridge, where you wind steeply uphill to a collection of prayer flags and the ruins of a hermitage ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ). The views of the monastery open up as you go along. At the end of the ridge there’s a steep descent into town.

  8Getting There & Away

  Trains don't run to Xiàhé, but it’s regularly serviced by bus. Most travellers head on to either Lánzhōu or Sìchuān; the road less travelled takes you over the mountains to Tóngrén in Qīnghǎi.

  Air

  Gānnán Xiàhé Airport (甘南夏河机场; Gānnán Xiàhé Jīchǎng), 65km south of Xiàhé, opened in late 2013 with flights to a number of cities, including Xī'ān (¥500), Běijīng (¥1330), Shànghǎi (¥1400) and Chéngdū (¥600). Book flights online in English at ctrip.com.

  Bus

  The following bus services depart from Xiàhé:

  AHézuò ¥25, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes (6.10am to 5.20pm)

  ALángmùsì ¥84, 3½ hours, one daily (7.40am)

  ALánzhōu ¥76, 3½ hours, five daily (6.30am, 7.30am, 8.30am, 12.50pm and 2.30 pm)

  ALínxià ¥31, two hours, every 30 minutes (7am to 5pm)

  ATóngrén ¥41, Three hours, one daily (7.30am)