Gannan: A Secret Realm Closest to Heaven
by 31Foster~Elijah
Apr 16, 2025
### **Gannan Travel Guide: The Ultimate Hidden Gem, Beautiful Scenery with Low Costs!** 🏔️✨
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### **【Top 5 Must-Visit in Gannan】** (with Pitfall Tips 💡)
1. **Labrang Monastery** — A world-class Tibetan Buddhist academy, the prayer wheels are even longer than your fitness ring! Visit in the morning to see the monks debating, a scene like an "academic battle live."
2. **Zhagana** — The "Stone City" recommended by National Geographic, shrouded in mist it looks like a fairy’s overturned bonsai. Stay overnight; the starry sky at dawn will dazzle your eyes!
3. **Langmu Temple** — A town straddling two provinces, the Gansu temple has a golden roof, the Sichuan temple offers sky burials (not for the faint-hearted). Tibetan yogurt in town costs 5 yuan a bowl, so sour it feels like your soul is leaving your body!
4. **Sangke Grassland** — In July and August, it’s as green as a Windows desktop. Horse riding bargaining tip: "Boss, you name the price, I’ll cry first to show you."
5. **First Bend of the Yellow River** — At sunset, the whole river looks gilded. The viewing platform is at 3600 meters altitude; move as slowly as a sloth is recommended.
**💡 Pitfall Tips:**
- Don’t take photos randomly in temples! Ask the monks first, or you might get a "Buddhist enlightened glare."
- Horse riding prices on the grassland are inflated; halving the price is standard practice.
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### **【Hidden Nearby Activities】🍖**
**😋 Foodie Radar:**
- **Tibetan Steamed Buns and Yak Meat Hotpot** — Recommended: "Lisa Restaurant" in Langmu Temple, the buns are so stuffed you’ll question reality, and the yak meat is chewy (not for those with weak teeth).
- **Butter Tea** — The first sip tastes like salty milk tea with butter, the second sip… surprisingly a bit intoxicating?
- **Qingke Barley Wine** — Known as "Tibetan beer," if you have a low tolerance, silently repeat: "I’m here to travel, not to lie down."
**📸 Offbeat Easter Eggs:**
- **Awancang Wetland**: Free entry! More water birds than tourists, photographers with long lenses look like they’re filming "Animal World."
- **Gahai Lake**: June is the migratory bird conference site, remember to bring binoculars or you won’t distinguish birds from dark spots on the lake.
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### **【Money-Saving Accommodation Tips】💤**
- **Zhagana Tibetan Homestay**: 80-150 yuan per person, open the window to stone mountains and sea of clouds, downside is WiFi signal is hit or miss (perfect for quitting the internet).
- **Xiahe County Youth Hostel**: 30-50 yuan per bed, carpooling and finding travel buddies is super convenient, the lobby at night is full of "wild donkeys" (experienced travelers) studying travel guides.
- **Warning**: Don’t blindly book "scenic rooms," the plateau weather is unpredictable, you might open the window to only see "fairyland-level thick fog."
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### **【Final Words】⚠️**
- Apply sunscreen like it’s free! The UV here can turn you from a "pale face" to "plateau red" in half a day.
- Bring a windbreaker; even in July rain, it can be cold enough to sing "Frozen."
- Hiring a car with a local driver is more reliable than self-driving; they know which mountain passes have no signal and which roadside toilets charge 1 yuan (bring small change!).
**💬 Summary:**
Gannan is that "magical place where a 3,000 yuan salary can feel like 30,000 yuan quality,"
(P.S. Keep your distance from marmots, they’re fat for a reason—tourists feed them too much!)
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**🚗 Let’s go! Be a "grassland runaway princess/prince" in Gannan for a few days!**
(Remember to post on social media with the caption: "Tibet substitute, boss I’m taking leave next week for a refill!")
Post by _Lily_33 | May 27, 2025























