Live Your Best Lives
Summer is the best season for the grasslands in Gannan. Flowers bloom, cattle and sheep roam, and herders and tourists run around. Under the clear blue sky, the grasslands are full of vitality, and everything is beautiful.
The Daxia River, formerly known as the Li River and called "Sangqu" in Tibetan, originates from the southern and northern foothills of the Dabulehka Mountain at the junction of Gansu and Qinghai on the Gannan Plateau. It flows through Xiahe and Linxia and flows into the Yellow River. The Daxia River is the mother river of Xiahe County, Gannan.
Xiahe County boasts 25 Tibetan Buddhist temples, eight mosques, and two Taoist temples. Labrang Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism, is located west of the county seat. Also known as Zhaxiqi Monastery, it is commonly referred to as "Labrang Monastery." "Labrang Monastery" means "the residence of the Living Buddha" in Tibetan. Founded in 1709, the 48th year of the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty, Labrang Monastery is known worldwide as the "World Center of Tibetan Studies." At its peak, it boasted over 4,000 monks.
Labrang Monastery covers an area of more than half of Xiahe County. In the 53rd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1714), "Labrang" (also known as the Jamyang Buddhist official residence) was established. The pronunciation of "Labrang" was changed to "Labrang", which means the residence of the highest living Buddha in the monastery.
The entire temple faces south and has more than 90 main halls, including six major colleges, 16 Buddhist halls, 18 Angqians (palaces of great living Buddhas), monks' quarters, lecture platforms, Dharma gardens, printing houses, pagodas, etc., forming a magnificent architectural complex with Tibetan characteristics, with no less than 10,000 houses.
Labrang Monastery's religious system is composed of six major colleges: the School of Learning and Contemplation, the School of Medicine, the School of Kalachakra, the School of Vajra, the Upper Tantra, and the Lower Tantra. It boasts the most comprehensive system among monasteries in the Mongolian and Tibetan regions. It focuses on the exoteric school, emphasizing the study of the five major treatises written by Indian Buddhist scholars: the Abhidharmakosha, the Prajnaparamita Sutra, the Madhyamika Shastra, the Abhidharmakosha, and the Vinaya Sutra.
Labrang Monastery houses over 10,000 pieces of ethnic cultural relics and Buddhist art. Sixteen large Buddha statues, over eight meters tall and made of gilded bronze or carved from sandalwood, are located in its various halls. There are also numerous small and medium-sized Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, pagodas, and Buddhist instruments made of various materials.
The temple also houses the clothing and other daily necessities of successive Jamyang masters, as well as golden edicts, seals, imperial decrees, large plaques, Thousand Buddha Trees, Pearl Pagodas, Jade Ruyi, meteorites, seahorse teeth, etc. bestowed by emperors.
Langmusi Town, a small town under the jurisdiction of Luqu County, runs through the town. Although less than two meters wide, it bears a rather impressive name: Bailongjiang, which literally means "white water river" in Tibetan.
Langmusi Temple lies on the north bank of the stream, while the south bank belongs to Ruoergai County, Sichuan. The Andoda Tsangsaichi Temple in Gansu and the Gelug Monastery in Sichuan face each other across the river. A stream divides and connects two provinces, uniting the Tibetan and Hui ethnic groups, who peacefully coexist. Buddhist temples and mosques exist on each side of the stream. Sunbathing Buddha statues and performing prayers, residents on both sides express their devotion to faith in their own unique ways.
On the more than 100-kilometer road from Langmusi to Zhagana, there are small scenes worth photographing everywhere. The summer barley fields and small Zang villages decorate the beautiful earth.
Huahu Lake is located beside National Highway 213 between Ruoergai and Langmusi in Gansu Province. It is a natural lake on the Reer Dam grassland.
Reer Dam is my country's second-largest grassland, second only to Hulunbuir, at an altitude of 3,468 meters. In Tibetan, "re" refers to a sutra called "re," and "er" refers to troops. The area was named "reer" because the Tubo Empire, when conquering the area, recited a sutra called "re" before sending troops.
There are three adjacent lakes on the Reer Dam: the smallest is called Coergan, the largest is called Coreha, and Huahu Lake is the middle one. The lakeside is a vibrant riot of color, resembling clouds, and the lake itself is filled with vibrant flowers, like water nymphs. These seemingly ordinary plants, however, in the plentiful rain of August, tint the pure blue water a pale lotus hue, sometimes deep, sometimes light, like the blush of a young girl in reverie.
Huahu Lake is the main habitat for many wild birds. Rare animals such as ruddy pochard, grey geese, white-crowned cranes, and swans swim on the lake. The viewing pier extends into the lake. You can walk to the pavilion, watch the rippling waves, listen to the birds singing, and experience the vastness and infinity alone.
Swans, black-necked cranes, red-crowned cranes, Tibetan mandarin ducks, terns, vultures, eagles, marmots, foxes, steppe pikas... and many other wild animals unique to alpine wetlands grow and live freely here.
Manzetang Wetland has an average altitude of 3,400 meters. It is an important part of the Yellow River National Cultural Park, the Long March National Cultural Park, the Ruoergai National Park, and one of the ten most beautiful grasslands in Sichuan. It combines the natural beauty of the Yellow River entering Sichuan and the cultural heritage, and is known as the "Thousand Bay Wetland, Fairytale Pasture."
Wetlands gave birth to the Yellow River and the winding Jiaqu River, creating breathtaking scenery with meanders, oxbow lakes, and seas of flowers. The plateau wetland ecosystem, known as the "Kidneys of the Earth," offers a vast network of green and blue, creating a haven for rare wildlife and birds.
Gemo Monastery, also known as Huiyuan Monastery, is one of the three major Gelugpa monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in Aba Prefecture, Sichuan Province. It is a branch of Labrang Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of the Yellow Sect. Gemo Monastery is renowned for its grand temple architecture, large pagodas, and mysterious Tibetan esoteric practices.
If you yearn for the magical wonderland in "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit", then you will definitely fall in love with Lianbaoyezhe. There are two types of hikers in the world, one is those who have been to Lianbaoyezhe, and the other is on the way.
The road to Lianbaoyezhe is filled with pristine scenery. A winding, tumbling river tumbles along the roadside, and steep cliffs flank both sides, as if telling you you're about to enter a magnificent place. As you approach Lianbaoyezhe, a towering mountain looms before you. Its imposing presence, profound and profound, inspires awe and awe.
The altitude difference between the north and south of Gangga Secret Realm is 1,300 meters. The unique geological structure contains a variety of geological resources such as cliffs, grasslands, plateau lakes, stone forests, canyons, prehistoric caves, and rivers.
The Bajiao Ancient City was first built in the Han Dynasty. It was once an important transportation hub and military fortress in Qinghai and Gansu. Therefore, the design of the ancient city broke away from the limitations of being round or square and formed its own style, making it easy to defend and difficult to attack.
Thank you for meeting everyone, the wonderful weather throughout, and the relaxed and cheerful attitudes of many friends, which brought joy to everyone. Thank you all. So, I hope you enjoy our work and continue to support China-TravelNote. See you next time.
