Sichuan Yaqing Monastery Travel Guide

Where is Yaqing Monastery?
Yaqing Monastery is located in Baiyu County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, about 700 kilometers from Chengdu, at an altitude of around 4,000 meters. It is an important practice site of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism and is known as the "Daughter Kingdom of Tibet" because 90% of the practitioners in the monastery are nuns.

How to get to Yaqing Monastery?
1. From Chengdu (recommended self-driving/car hire)

Route: Chengdu → Kangding → Xinduqiao → Garze → Yaqing Monastery (about 15 hours in total)
Road conditions: National Highway 317 + provincial roads, some sections are dangerous, SUV or off-road vehicle recommended
Best season: May to October (roads are closed due to heavy snow in winter, not recommended to visit)

2. Public transportation (suitable for backpackers)

Chengdu → Garze: Bus (about 12 hours, ticket around 200 RMB)
Garze → Yaqing Monastery: Carpool (about 3 hours, around 100 RMB per person)

Accommodation recommendations

Nuns’ Island Guesthouse (50-80 RMB/night, basic conditions but the purest experience)
Garze County Hotels (200-300 RMB/night, suitable for those not adapted to high altitude)

Note: Most accommodations inside Yaqing Monastery have shared bathrooms; it is recommended to bring your own sleeping bag and toiletries.

Must-visit spots

Nuns’ Island (residential area for practitioners, aerial views of the red houses are stunning)
Statue of Guru Rinpoche (one of the tallest golden Buddha statues in the world, shining brilliantly)
Prayer Wheel Corridor (free, follow the nuns to spin the prayer wheels and feel the power of faith)
Sunrise/Sunset Viewing Platform (overlooks the entire Yaqing Monastery, with breathtaking light and shadow)

What to eat?

Monastery Canteen: Vegetarian meals (10-20 RMB/meal, donation-based)
Garze County: Tibetan cuisine (recommended butter tea, tsampa, yak meat hotpot)

Note: Drinking alcohol, smoking, and eating meat are prohibited inside Yaqing Monastery; please respect local customs.

Precautions

Altitude sickness: Take Rhodiola in advance and avoid strenuous exercise.
Respect beliefs: Do not take photos of the nuns casually; photography is prohibited inside the assembly hall.
Eco-friendly travel: Carry your trash with you and protect the pure land of Tibet.

Budget reference (4 days 3 nights)

Transportation: 500-800 RMB (carpool/self-driving)
Accommodation: 150-300 RMB
Meals: 200-400 RMB
Total: about 1000-1500 RMB

Travel tips
Best photo time: 6-8 AM (morning mist + chanting atmosphere)
Essentials: Sunscreen, sunglasses, warm clothing (large temperature difference between day and night)
Network signal: China Mobile/China Telecom are good, China Unicom is weak