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About 280 kilometres southwest of Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province, Xiahe County demonstrates the harmonious combination of natural beauty and centuries-old traditional culture.
The sky burial ceremony: people dismember a body to feed the "holy hawks.”IF a trip to Tibet is out of the question because of the time and costs involved, or because of concerns about the altitude, it may be time to consider Gannan (South Gansu) Tibetan Autono-mous Prefecture in Northwest China's Gansu Province.
The trip to Gannan is rugged, tough and demanding, but glorious scenery and Tibetan culture will compensate.
The journey offers magnificent mountainscapes, vast pastures, charming villages and mystery towns - all offering unique adventures that are best savoured slowly.
A temple with splendid colours and a unique design is typical of Lanbrang Monastery.
So, are you ready?
Here we go!
Labrang Monastery
About 280 kilometres southwest of Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu, Labrang Monastery in Xiahe County is the second largest of China's six great lamaseries practising the Yellow Sect (Gelug) of Tibetan Buddhism.
The monastery was founded in 1709 by the first generation of "Living Buddha" Jamyan Zhepa. It is home to six institutes: esoteric Buddhism, higher and lower institutes of theology, and institutes of medicine, astrology and law. It is the highest seat of learning for Tibetan Buddhism outside Tibet.
Lamas in their saffron robes can be seen throughout Lanbrang Monastery, where over 2,000 lamas receive professional training in Buddhism and medical and cultural education. Tibetan nomads live in tents on the grassland between Xiahe to Langmusi, with their horses, yaks and sheep nearby.
At its peak, before the "cultural revolution" in the 1960s, it had 4,000 monks, including the third highest-ranking lama in Tibet. Today it has more than 2,000 monks in residence. The sight of pilgrims, monks, monasteries and mountain scenery as you enter Xiahe County makes you feel as if you've entered another world.
Labrang Monastery has magnificent and resplendent architecture. A Pilgrim's Route encircles the numerous temple halls. Travellers and pilgrims walk in a clockwise direction and can spin each of the 1,174 painted wood prayer wheels set within the corridors and alcoves.
The 3,000-seat lecture hall and the 13-metre-high bronze statue of the founder of the Yellow Sect are two of the tourist attractions, as well as the library and museum housing a large collection of valuable Buddhist art and history, along with artifacts from astronomy, medicine, language, geography, Tibetan medicine and calligraphy.
There is also an exhibit of colourful yak butter sculptures.
Pilgrims who walk from their homes to pray at the monastery dressed in their finest, most colourful clothing are as interesting as any of the other sights.
Sangke Grasslands
Hire a motorcycle or rent a bicycle to make an excursion into the Sangke Grasslands surrounding Xiahe County. The grassland is named for the sangke flowers that bloom on it in summer. It is bordered by the Daxia River, which reflects the clear blue sky and the mountains surrounding the plateau.
Visitors can experience traditional nomadic cultures by visiting a house or tent, sitting on the bed (serving as a sitting-room as well), and sharing a bowl of hot yak-butter tea, the quintessential Tibetan beverage. The more adventurous can make Tsampa - Tibetans' staple food - from parched barley flour, yak butter, special cheese pellets and sugar, which are mixed with the fingers.
A horseback ride will surely add adventure to the visit.
Sky burial ceremony
Following part of the route marched by the People's Liberation Army during the 1940s - north over high mountain passes, through grasslands and wildflowers on the fringe of the Tibetan plateau - visitors arrive at the small town of Langmusi.
Langmusi (Langmu Temple), straddling the border between Sichuan and Gansu provinces at the foot of the Tibetan plateau, is intriguing because of the colourful diversity of the local Tibetan people.
The main attractions, other than the remote setting and stunning scenery, are two 15th-century monasteries, one located in each province.
Home to over 600 monks, Langmusi is one of the largest monasteries outside of Tibet.
Tibetan sky burial ceremonies are held at the burial site just outside the town.
A sky burial is a way of returning a person's body to nature. The process is some what grim. The body is brought to one of the holy hills designated for sky burials. While one man starts a fire to notify the scavenging birds - Tibetans call them "holy hawks" - four others work in parties of two to dismember the body and chop it into bite-size pieces for the birds. The rest is up to the "holy hawks." Tibetans believe the less flesh and bones that remain, the more decent the deceased.
Travel tips
Travellers can fly or take a train to Lanzhou, capital city of Gansu Province. Flying takes about 3 hours, the train takes 28 hours. A long-distance bus will take you to Xiahe County, but renting a motorcycle is a better idea. It makes for a shorter journey and you can stop anywhere along the way to take photos.
Clean beds and 24-hour hot water is guaranteed in the hotels along the way to Labrang Monastery and the price is reasonable, less than 20 yuan ($2.41) for one night. Local families also provide accommodations but they will charge you almost the same price.
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