Seda & Yachen Gar Travel Guide: Transportation, Accommodation, and Tourism – Just for That Lingering Red

Preface

From the moment I saw the first pictures of these two places, I had only one thought in my mind: I must go there, for nothing but the lingering red in my heart.

Seda - the world's largest Buddhist academy

What everyone calls Seda refers to Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Seda County. Many people simply call it the Five Sciences Buddhist Academy, but that is actually wrong. Most of the Buddhist academies in Tibetan Buddhism have the word Five Sciences in their names.

The Five Sciences are Arts and Crafts (technology), Linguistics (linguistics), Medicine (medicine), Astronomy (astronomy) and Buddhism (Buddhism). This is the world's largest Tibetan Buddhist college. It is like a university, with scripture halls, accommodation, supermarkets, bookstores, vegetarian restaurants and hotels.

The monks study and live here. Young monks wear headphones and hold a cup of Xiangpiaopiao milk tea, while others wear NIKE sneakers and hold the latest mobile phones. After class, they go home in groups of three or five. Everything about life here seems very real. It has nothing to do with gods, Bodhisattvas, or monks. This is just a school.

About the construction of fire escape passages in the college

Back in late 2017, a video of the academy undergoing demolition and construction went viral online, leaving everyone regretting not visiting this beautiful place sooner. After the rumors were debunked, it was discovered that due to the large number of monks studying there and the overcrowded buildings, the academy had built numerous fire escapes, both to facilitate travel for the monks and to prevent widespread fires. Later, everyone wondered if Serthar Buddhist Academy was still as beautiful as before, with the fire escapes. The answer: It's still as beautiful and breathtaking!

About Transportation

You can go to Chaidianzi Station to buy tickets. The departure time is 6:40 in the morning every day. You can buy tickets on platforms such as Ctrip and Qunar. During the peak season, there will be extra trains in the morning. The ticket price is 263. If everything goes well, it will take a total of 12 hours and is expected to arrive around 19:00 in the afternoon.

The bus arrives at Seda County. If you live in the Buddhist College, you have to get off at Luoruo Township. The bus will drop you off at the gate of the Buddhist College. After you scan your ID card and go through security, there will be a bus going up the mountain at the parking lot. The bus supports Alipay and WeChat payments, 3 yuan per person per trip.

<Self-driving route>

Route 1:

Depart from Chengdu - Wenchuan - Lixian - Miyaluo (lunch recommended) - Ma'erkang - Guanyinqiao - Seda (13 hours)

For those who have more time, it is recommended to spend an extra day relaxing at Guanyin Bridge for one night.

Route 2:

Depart from Chengdu - Yakang Expressway - Kangding - Xinduqiao - Luhuo - Seda (12 hours)

In autumn, you can consider taking a day off in Xinduqiao, where the autumn is as beautiful as a fairy tale.

Accommodation

There are 3 places to choose from for accommodation.

Most people choose to live in the county town because the accommodation conditions in the county town are the best, there are various levels of accommodation, and it is very convenient to make reservations online and eat there.

However, it must be mentioned that the county town is nearly 20 kilometers away from the college. During the day, you can share a car next to the Jinma Square in the county town, and you can share a car at the bus parking lot when returning to the county town from the college. The uniform price is 6 yuan per person per trip. However, if you watch the sunset at the college and stay until night, and then want to go back to the county town, there is no car sharing and you can only charter a car. The cost ranges from 60 to 100 yuan, and you need to bargain on your own.

This is also the accommodation I chose this time. There are seven or eight accommodations along the street, and some new ones have opened this year, ranging from beds to standard rooms.

But they are all ordinary hotels, and the hygiene is generally not good. There is no independent toilet, and you can't take a shower. But it is very close to the bus parking lot, just a few steps away, and you can take a bus directly to the mountain. It is also very convenient to eat, and it is not like the college where you can't eat meat. You don't have to worry too much about not being able to take a shower. Try not to take a shower when you first arrive at the plateau, as it can easily cause altitude sickness.

There are only Larung Hotel under the mandala and some guesthouses in the academy. Larung Hotel does not accept advance reservations and can only be checked in on site. If it is the peak season, it is common to have no rooms available.

If you live here, you can take a bus to the terminal, Mandala, and then walk back a little bit to get there. The altitude here is about 4100 meters. You also need to pay attention to altitude sickness. The guesthouses are concentrated near the bank credit union. When you take the bus, you can tell the driver to get off at the credit union. You can see the guesthouse when you get off the bus, but the conditions here are limited.

About Play

【Strategy for playing in the academy】

When you first arrive at the Buddhist college, you must move slowly, don't walk too fast, and don't climb too high. The altitude is over 4,000 meters, and altitude sickness is really uncomfortable.

<Single-day recommended gameplay>

Foot of the mountain → Bus → Mandala → Panoramic shooting point → Most beautiful fire road → Restaurant gathering area for dinner or tea → Bus down the mountain

Take the bus from the gate at the foot of the mountain and go directly to the terminal station, Tacheng. This is the highest point of the Buddhist College. You don’t have to climb the mountain if you get here first. You can walk around here and follow the monks to the mandala, and then follow the road to the panoramic shooting point. This section of the road is relatively flat and not very tiring.

After taking the panoramic photos, you can walk down the fire road below. This fire road has the most beautiful scenery and reaches the Juem parking lot at the foot of the mountain. Then walk along the road to the restaurant gathering area, where you can have a vegetarian meal or drink butter tea.

I have to mention that dining in the Buddhist college is really very cheap. The college sets prices for merchants, so the food is very cheap. After staying there, you can go to turn the prayer wheels, then stop by the roadside and take the bus down the mountain.

Tips:

There is a Chinese scripture hall in Larung Gar Hotel, where Chinese classes are held most evenings. You can go there to find a monk and ask if there are any classes that night. You can also go to listen to Buddhist scriptures and feel how the class atmosphere here is different from that of our universities.

【Guide to playing around the college】

Donggar Monastery

One of the famous monasteries of the Baiyu lineage of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, it is located on the Jinma grassland in Seda County. It was founded by the first Dongga Rinpoche, an incarnation of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, in the 24th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1686). It was once the political, religious and cultural center of Wasi Seda.

Starting from Seda, you can rent a car or take a taxi, the cost of a car is about 40 yuan per trip.

Yaowang Mountain

This is a gathering place for marmots and a must-see when visiting Seda. Except in winter, you can see a few fat marmots just by walking on the grass. You can bring some vegetables or fruits to feed them, but be sure to pay attention to safety. Marmots carry a lot of germs. If you are scratched, be sure to leave and go to the hospital for treatment.

At the bus stop at the foot of the Buddhist College mountain, there are many vans picking up passengers, with a round trip fare of about 80 yuan per van.

Sky Burial Platform

This is the only sky burial platform open to the public. Tenzin Rinpoche said, "Here, one can sense the meaninglessness of the physical body; here, one can understand the impermanence of life; here, one can see the undependability of life... In this charnel ground, one can realize the truth of all things life and death."

Sky burials begin around 1:00 PM each day, so arrive early to ensure proper timing. Please respect the deceased and refrain from taking photos or videos. A round-trip minivan charter costs approximately 60 yuan per vehicle, departing from the bus stop at the foot of the Buddhist Academy.

The fat groundhog is not afraid of people at all

Yachen Gar - Girls with Red

In April, Serthar is a place with few tourists. Its vast landscape and elegant environment make it a peaceful place for the monks to live and practice. In Tibetan Buddhism, it is a major center of study and practice, on par with Serthar Buddhist Academy.

Over 20,000 female nuns live permanently on Jumu Island, a veritable land of women. Unlike Serthar Buddhist Academy, which is nestled against the mountain, most of the nuns' housing at Yachen Gar Monastery is built around the river. The Changqu River encloses a small island, the world's largest Jumu area, and beyond it lies the Drakpa (male monk) area.

About Transportation

The biggest reason why this place is not discovered by many tourists is probably the transportation. Unlike Seda, which has a direct bus service, getting here is really a hassle.

To get to Yachen Gar from Seda, take a bus to Ganzi first, and then transfer to Yachen Gar.

You can go to Xinnanmen Station to buy tickets. The departure time is 6:30 in the morning every day. You can buy tickets on platforms such as Ctrip and Qunar. The ticket price is 231. If everything goes well, it will take a total of 12 hours and is expected to arrive around 19:00 in the afternoon.

So when you arrive in Ganzi, you need to stay overnight in Ganzi and then set off for Yachen Gar the next day. There is a shuttle bus to Yachen Gar at 6:30 am in front of the Liangjia Hotel, and you need to book a ticket in advance.

Even if you miss the shuttle bus, there are vans hailing the trip to the Asian Youth Games for 45 yuan per person. The college regulates these black cars, so you don't have to worry about the clearly marked prices (black cars allow you to depart later, they are available all day, and the ride takes about 3 hours). You can also ask the accommodation owner to help you contact a car.

Depart from Chengdu - Travel as you wish - Ganzi - Yachen Monastery - Baiyu County - Derge - Ganzi - Yachen Monastery

When you arrive in Ganzi, it is recommended to take a circular route without going back. The Baiyu Temple in Baiyu County, the Gaden Monastery in Derge, and the Derge Sutra Printing House are all worth visiting.

Accommodation

There are only two places to stay at Yachen Gar. One is the Yachen Hotel. Please note that the Yachen Hotel is usually closed from May to November because there are not many tourists. The Yachen Hotel is next to the parking lot where the shuttle bus or van parked, and it is a short walk away.

Another accommodation and dining area is marked in the picture below. There are seven or eight hotels here, ranging from multi-person rooms to standard rooms. Except for the bed rooms, all rooms have independent bathrooms. Meals are also served here. There are many restaurants, but they are all vegetarian.

About Play

The picture below shows several major tourist attractions, but there is no specific order for visiting.

Outdoor classroom

This is the place where Master Asong gives lectures every morning. You must not miss it. Every morning most of the monks will gather here to listen to the lectures. It is a sea of red, which is very spectacular.

Here is the residence of Master Asong. You can bring a khata to pay homage to Master Asong and ask for blessings. He is one of the most outstanding heart disciples of Achuk Lama of Yachen Monastery. The current abbot of Yachen Monastery, Asong Living Buddha, is the incarnation of "Hungka RA", one of the eight great vidyadharas in India in the past. He was the incarnation of "Nanka Niangpo", one of the twenty-fifth great disciples in the era of Guru Rinpoche.

The grassland under the Medicine Buddha statue is the best place to take pictures of Juemu Island. The winding Changqu River surrounds the Juemu area, like an island. There are a total of 4 roads leading to the Kingdom of Women on Juemu Island. Please note that men are not allowed to go on the island.

The one in the left window is Asong Living Buddha

Every morning during the outdoor class, Master Asong sits at the window on the second floor and teaches everyone.

The golden pagoda is the stupa of Achuk Living Buddha, the founder of Yachen Gar, and next to it is the mandala of Yachen Gar.

On the hillside near the Jyumu Island, there are small huts made from wooden boxes. These are the retreat rooms for meditation. The 100-day retreat is the most important part of the Jyumu's year-long practice at Yachen.

As the cold winter approaches in November, the temple's outdoor open classes end and the 100-day retreat begins. The nuns will enter a "matchbox" hut that can only accommodate one person and conduct a 100-day retreat practice, exchanging extremely difficult living conditions for the joy of practicing the Dharma day and night.

In fact, retreat is not as mysterious as imagined. The nuns lock themselves in the retreat house just to allow themselves to think more quietly. They enter the retreat house at dawn every day and can only walk out of the retreat house after dusk to end the day's retreat.

They are forbidden to eat, drink, or speak to others. After a hundred days of retreat, less than 1% of the nuns receive a certificate of accomplishment. Therefore, nuns who come here to practice cultivation often stay for three to five years, or as long as ten. Receiving a certificate is a great honor for them, and most then return to their hometown temples to become nuns.

Conclusion

Whether it is the well-known Larung Gar Buddhist Academy in Seda or the sparsely visited Yachen Gar Buddhist Academy, the densely packed red houses, the mysterious red Buddhist kingdom, and the hurried red believers are definitely worth your pilgrimage across thousands of miles. I hope this guide can help everyone.