Lonely Planet China
Page 175
AXīníng ¥78, six hours, one daily (6.10am)
If you can’t get a direct ticket to/from Lánzhōu, take a bus to Línxià or Hézuò and change there. If heading to Xīníng, note that buses run there every 40 minutes from Tóngrén.
8Getting Around
There is no airport bus, but OT Travels & Tours can arrange a private taxi to the airport for ¥400. The journey takes an hour.
Xiàhé is easily walkable. A number of hotels and restaurants rent out bikes for ¥30 per day. Taxis cost ¥1 to ¥2 per seat for a short trip around town, including to the bus station and Labrang Monastery. Leaving the bus station, turn right for a 1km walk to the monastery and main part of town.
Around Xiàhé
Gānjiā GrasslandsAREA
(甘加草原; Gānjiā Cǎoyuán )
The Gānjiā Grasslands, 34km from Xiàhé, aren’t as pretty as those at nearby Sāngkē, but there is more to explore. From Xiàhé a bumpy road crosses the Naren-Ka pass (impassable after long rains) before quickly descending into wide grasslands dotted with herds of sheep and backed by ever-more dramatic mountain scenery.
Past Gānjiā Xiàn village, a side road climbs 12km to Nekhang, a cave complex where pilgrims lower themselves down ropes and ladders into two sacred underground chambers. A Dutch traveller fell to his death here in 2006, and to prevent the same fate we advise avoiding this place.
Just up the road from the caves is Trakkar Gompa (白石崖寺; Báishíyá Sì ¥30), a monastery of 90 monks set against a stunning backdrop of vertical rock formations. From Trakkar it’s a short drive to the 2000-year-old Han dynasty village of Bājiǎo (八角; Karnang ¥25). The remarkable 12-sided walls here still shelter a small living community. From the village it’s a short 5km diversion to the renovated Tseway Gompa (佐海寺; Zuǒhǎi Sì ¥30), one of the few Bön monasteries in Gānsù. Make sure you circumnavigate any holy site counterclockwise in the Bön fashion. There are great views of Bājiǎo from the ridge behind the monastery.
A four- to five-hour return trip to the Gānjiā Grasslands costs around ¥180 for a taxi from Xiàhé. An English-speaking driver and guide costs ¥450 for the full return trip and can be arranged at Snowy Mountain Cafe.
Sāngkē GrasslandsAREA
(桑科草原; Sāngkē Cǎoyuán )
Expanses of open grassland dotted with Tibetans and their grazing yak herds highlight a trip to the village of Sāngkē, 14km from Xiàhé. Development has turned the area into a small circus, complete with touristy horse rides and fake yurts, but there is good hiking in the nearby hills and you can keep going to more distant and pristine grasslands in the direction of Amchog.
You can cycle to Sāngkē from Xiàhé in about one hour. A taxi costs ¥50 return, or ¥250 for an English-speaking guide and driver; enquire at Snowy Mountain Cafe. The grasslands are lushest in summer.
Hézuò 合作
%0941 / Pop 90,000
The regional capital of Gānnán (甘南) prefecture, Hézuò (合作) mainly serves as a transit point for travellers plying the overland route between Gānsù and Sìchuān provinces. The city is also the site of the incredible Milarepa Palace, a bewitching Tibetan temple ranging spectacularly over nine floors.
Hézuò is a fairly compact town, with a large public square (文化广场; Wénhuà Guǎngchǎng) roughly halfway between the two bus stations.
Milarepa Palace Buddhist TempleBUDDHIST TEMPLE
(九层佛阁; Sekhar Gutok, Jiǔcéng Fógé ¥20; h7am-6pm)
About 2km from the bus station along the main road towards Xiàhé is this towering temple, ringed by prayer wheels. Resembling a boutique hotel, Milarepa is odd in the Tibetan world in that different spiritual leaders from varying sects are worshipped on each floor. The town’s main monastery, Tso Gompa (合作寺; Hézuò Sì, Hézuò Monastery Nawulu, 那吾路 h8am-6pm), is next door. A taxi here costs ¥2 to ¥3 from the central main bus station.
With Xiàhé just an hour to the north, there is little reason to stay overnight here, and the cheaper hotels often don't accept foreigners. If you get stuck, head for Butter Lamp Holiday Hotel (合作酥油燈假日酒店; Hézuò Sūyóudēng Jiàrì Jiǔdiàn %0941 591 1999; 25 Zhuoni Donglu; 卓尼東路25號 d ¥417; iW) right next to the main bus station.
There are restaurants around the public square, and also around the bus stations.
You’ll find banks with ATMs around the public square (文化广场; Wénhuà Guǎngchǎng).
8Getting There & Away
Hézuò is where buses from Zöigě (Ruò’ěrgài), in Sìchuān, and Lángmùsì and Xiàhé meet. Though there is no train station here; you can book tickets for other destinations at the train booking office just outside the central bus station on Zhuoni Donglu (卓尼东路).
Services from the central bus station (长途汽车站; chángtú qìchēzhàn):
ALánzhōu ¥74, four hours, every 30 minutes
ALínxià ¥30, 1½ hours, every 30 minutes
AXiàhé ¥15, One hour, every 30 minutes (7am to 4pm)
From the south bus station (汽车南站; qìchē nánzhàn):
ALángmùsì ¥50, three hours, three daily (6.30am, 10.20am and noon)
AZöigě ¥78, 3½ hours, one daily (7.30am)
8Getting Around
Most taxi rides around town cost ¥2. To get between the two bus stations take a taxi or bus 1 (¥1).
GāNJIā GRASSLANDS TO DáLǐJIā MOUNTAIN
It’s possible to hike over several days from the Gānjiā Grasslands to 4636m-high Dálǐjiā Mountain (达里加山; Dálǐjiā Shān), but you will need to be well equipped. Summer is the best season for such treks as you have more daylight hours, wildflowers and warmer weather. There are also treks between Tibetan villages and around Dàowéi Tibetan Village (道帏藏族乡; Dàowéi Zàngzú Xiāng; also called Guru).
OT Travels & Tours in Xiàhé can advise on these and other trips and arrange a car for four people for ¥500 per day and an English-speaking guide (for another ¥400); it can also arrange fun camping trips for overnighting on the grasslands.
Lángmùsì 郎木寺
%0941 / Elevation 3325m / Pop 4500
Straddling the border between Sìchuān and Gānsù is Lángmùsì (郎木寺; Taktsang Lhamo in Tibetan), an expanding and modernising alpine Amdo Tibetan village nestled among steep grassy meadows, evergreen forests of slender pine trees, crumbling stupas, piles of mani stones, and snow-clad peaks. Lángmùsì is a delightful place surrounded by countless red and white monastery buildings, flapping prayer flags, and the mesmerising sound of monks chanting at twilight.
The White Dragon River (白龙江; Báilóng Jiāng) divides the town in two, and the Sìchuān side has quickly become the far more comfortable part to stay in. From where the bus drops you off, most of the budget accommodation and restaurant options lie along this main street or just beside, with the Kerti Gompa up a small street on the left and Serti Gompa on a hillside to the right beyond the river.
1Sights
Kerti GompaBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(格尔盖寺; Gé'ěrgài Sì ¥30; h6.30am-8pm)
Rising up on the Sìchuān side of White Dragon River is this monastery – otherwise dubbed the Sìchuān Monastery – built in 1413, home to around 700 monks and composed of six temples and colleges. Try catching a glimpse of student monks in class by visiting the monastery in the morning and late afternoon. The admission is valid for two days.
Serti GompaBUDDHIST MONASTERY
(赛赤寺; Sàichì Sì ¥30; h6am-7.30pm)
This small monastery (simply referred to as the Gānsù Monastery) with golden- and silver-roofed halls dates from 1748 and stands on the Gānsù side of White Dragon River. The views are lovely from the uppermost temple building, looking back down into Lángmùsì town and along the White Dragon River.
zFestivals & Events
If you're in the area in late July, head out to Mǎqǔ (玛曲) to see the annual horse races. The exact dates change each year, so try contacting Lángmùsì Tibetan Horse Trekki
ng for details on when they're being held. Mǎqǔ is 67km west of Lángmùsì. Traveller cafes and hotels in Lángmùsì can arrange transport to the town.
2Activities
Hiking
Bountiful hiking opportunities radiate in almost every direction. For all-day or overnight treks, including to Huágàishén Shān (华盖神山; 4200m), all the horse-trekking companies and most of the hostels in town can arrange a local guide.
Southwest of Kerti Gompa is Namo Gorge (纳摩峡谷; Nàmó Xiágǔ), which makes for an excellent two- to three-hour (return) hike. The gorge contains several sacred grottoes, one dedicated to the Tibetan goddess Palden Lhamo, the other a stone-tablet-labelled Fairy Cave (仙女洞; Xiānnǚ Dòng), where monks sometimes chant inside, which gives the town its Tibetan name (lángmù means 'fairy'). Cross rickety bridges flung over the gushing stream, trek past piles of mani stones and prayer flags, and hike on into a splendid ravine. After about 30 minutes of clambering over rocks you reach a grassy plain surrounded by towering peaks.
A popular trek is the hike along the White Dragon River to the river’s source (白龙江源头; Báilóng Jiāng Yuántóu), where domestic hikers go in search of chóngcǎo (虫草), a coveted herb used in Chinese medicine.
Another lovely walk heads out over the hills along a narrow paved road from the stupa at Serti Gompa (you must pay admission to pass through) to the small village of Jíkēhé Cūn (吉科合村). This hike can be combined with the hike to the White Dragon River source. When you reach the village, simply follow the loop and then head down a dirt path towards the valley below. Watch out for local dogs.
For glorious views over Lángmùsì, trek up the coxcomb-like Red Stone Mountain (红石崖; Hóngshí Yá). To start, turn right one street back (heading out of Lángmùsì) from the intersection where the bus drops off.
Horse Trekking
The mountain trails around Lángmùsì offer spectacular riding opportunities. There are two outfits in town offering similar one- to four-day treks overnighting at nomads’ tents and with the option of climbing nearby peaks along the way. Both companies have English-speaking staff and are good sources of travel information.
Lángmùsì Tibetan Horse TrekkingHORSE RIDING, CYCLING
(%0941 667 1504; www.langmusi.net; h8am-10pm)
This established, officially licensed outfit offers horse hire per day for ¥300 for a single traveller; ¥220 for two or more. In addition to guides, food and sleeping bags, trips include a package on nomad culture. If nobody's in the office, ask inside the Black Tent Cafe across the road.
Can also help with bike tours and rents bikes (¥60 to ¥80 per day).
Wind Horse TrekkingHORSE RIDING
(郎木寺白戊马队; Lángmùsì Báiwù Mǎduì %151 0944 1588; h8am-8pm)
Offers horse-riding packages starting at ¥180 per day (bring your own sleeping bag). Opposite the China Telecom office on Lángmùsì's main road. Often closed outside of high season.
Cycling
For serious cyclists, Lángmùsì is worth exploring on two wheels. The many dirt tracks snaking into the hills, Red Stone Mountain and the source of the White Dragon River all make for steep pedaling. Lángmùsì Tibetan Horse Trekking can help with bike tours and also rents bikes (¥60 to ¥80 per day).
4Sleeping
As Lángmùsì grows in popularity with domestic travellers, large tour-group hotels continue to spring up at a surprising pace. A number of good hostels are scattered through town as well, most of which can offer food or advice and a comfortable atmosphere for weary travellers.
Boke Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(泊客青年旅舍; BóKè Qīngnián Lǚshè %188 0666 1900; dm/s & d ¥30/60; aW)
This new addition to the Lángmùsì hostel scene offers large and clean dorms or small but cosy private rooms, along with a glassed-in patio where food is served. Head back from the bus drop-off towards the highway; it's on the left inside a courtyard just a bit past the China Post office.
Tibetan Barley Youth HostelHOSTEL$
(藏地青稞国际青年旅舍; Zàngdé Qīngkē Guójì Qīngnián Lǚshè %134 3879 8688; http://weibo.com/tibetanbarley; Sangqu Riverside, Muslim Village; 回民村桑曲河畔 dm ¥35-40, d/tw with shower from ¥100; aW)
This hostel has clean, colourful rooms (though dorms can feel a bit cramped), and a homely bar-lounge with Chinese meals and cushion seating. To get here go straight ahead from the bus drop-off, turn left down a small riverfront path just before the bridge; the hostel is on the left.
Comanager Yezi speaks good French and English, is full of travel information, can arrange tours and has even drawn a useful Lángmùsì map.
Yǒng Zhōng HotelHOTEL$$
(永忠宾馆; Yǒngzhōng Bīnguǎn %0941 667 1032; downhill from Kerti Gompa; 农村信用杜隔壁 tw ¥180-220; aW)
On the Sìchuān side of town is this pleasant family-run hotel with small, bright, modern rooms with air-con and 24-hour hot water. On street level keep an eye out for the shoe shop through which you access the hotel. Expect discounts of 45%.
Lángmùsì HotelHOTEL$$$
(朗木寺大酒店; Lángmùsì Dà Jiǔdiàn %0941 667 1555; langmusihotel@yahoo.com.cn; across from the entrance to Kerti Gompa; 格尔盖寺大门对面 d/tr ¥680/700; aiW)
This friendly four-storey hotel is the most upscale in Lángmùsì and offers pleasant, clean and spacious rooms in either standard or Tibetan styling. It’s on the road towards Kerti Gompa, just across from the ticket booth. Discounts of up to 30%.
5Eating
Hangzhou DumplingsDUMPLINGS$
(杭州小笼包; Hángzhōu Xiǎolóngbāo %152 5754 5988; downhill from Kerti Gompa; 信用杜斜对面 dishes ¥15-45; h7am-10pm, later in Jul & Aug; W)
This friendly family-run restaurant offers a wide range of Chinese dishes and top-quality dumplings. There is an English menu, but note that many of the prices are out of date so you'll need to compare to the regular menu to confirm.
Happy Homemade Yunnan TasteYUNNAN$
(源自原位; Yuánzì Yuánwèi dishes ¥12-45; h9am-10pm; W)
The Yunnanese folk at this family-run restaurant are infectiously happy. Sample the strong homemade báijiǔ (Chinese spirit) and you might be too. Popular with travellers for the guòqiáo mǐxiàn (Yunnanese hotpot) and huge servings of classics such as yúxiāng qiézi (red-pepper stewed eggplant). Located on the road to Kerti Gompa just up from the turn, and open late in summer.
Black Tent CafeTIBETAN$$
(黑帐蓬咖啡; Hēi Zhànpeng Kāfēi dishes ¥28-50; h8am-10pm; W)
Friendly service, a Tibetan-style interior, rooftop seating, proper coffee (from ¥25), and a good menu offering numerous Western and some Tibetan dishes are some of the highlights of this 2nd-floor cafe run by the folks at Lángmùsì Tibetan Horse Trekking. The cafe is one door up the side street from the intersection where the bus drops passengers off.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Bear's HouseCAFE
(熊窝客栈; Xióngwō Kèzhàn %153 4677 6632; h9.30am-11pm; W)
This 2nd-floor cafe overlooking the main street of Lángmùsì sells coffee (¥20), tea (¥15), and breakfast/snacks (¥15) in a cosy cafe setting with English menus. Guest rooms are in the works as well, but were not complete at the time of writing. On the main street halfway through town.
Bái Mǎ Méi DuŏBAR
(白玛梅朵主－客栈 %182 0941 8882; h7am-midnight; W)
Though it also features coffee from ¥35 and a mix of Western and Sichuanese dishes (¥28 to ¥68), this newcomer is most notable as the closest thing to a nightlife scene in Lángmùsì. Beer from ¥15 and tea from ¥25; located on the main road at the turn to Kerti Gompa.
8Information
There's nowhere to change money and no ATMs that accept foreign cards, so get plenty of cash before you arrive in Lángmùsì.
China PostPOST
(中国邮政; Zhōngguó Yóuzhèng h10am-4pm)
On the main road through town, back towards the highway and away from
the bus drop-off.
Public Security BureauPOLICE
(PSB; 公安局; Gōng'ānjú )
Around 1km from the centre of town, towards the main highway. Does not handle visa extensions; for this, you'll need to go to Hézuò or Línxià.
8Getting There & Away
There’s one daily bus to Zöigě (Ruò’ěrgài; ¥25, 2½ hours) at 7am, which arrives with time to connect with the bus to Sōngpān. There are two to three daily buses to Hézuò (¥50, three hours), departing at 6.30am (summer only), 7.20am and noon. Take the only direct bus to Xiàhé (¥72, 3½ hours) at 2pm, or change in Hézuò for frequent buses to Xiàhé and Lánzhōu.
Guesthouses may be able to coordinate a seat to Chuānzhǔsì or Jiǔzhàigōu on the bus that passes by on the main highway at around 2.20pm, otherwise you'll have to change in Hézuò.
For the latest scheduling info see www.langmusi.net.
Héxī Corridor 河西走廊
Bound by the Qílián Shān range to the south and the Mǎzōng (Horse’s Mane) and Lóngshǒu (Dragon’s Head) mountains to the north, the narrow Héxī Corridor (河西走廊; Héxī Zǒuláng) is the crux around which the province is formed. This valley was once the sole western passage in and out of the Middle Kingdom.
8Getting There & Around
The Héxī Corridor is connected to the rest of Gansu and eastern China by high-speed rail and modern highways. Cities along the route have airports, though most travellers opt to fly in/out of either Lánzhōu or Dūnhuáng and travel by train within the province.