6 Days Essence Tour for Tibet Culture in Qinghai and Gansu

Day 1 Arrive Xining

Fly or take the train to Xining. Upon arrival. Pick up and transfer to hotel.  The rest time is on your own.

Day 2  Xining – Ta’er Monastery – Qinghai lake –Xining

Visit Ta’er monastery, Ta'er Monastery is one of the six greatest monasteries of Gelug Sect (or Yellow Hat Sect, a branch of Tibetan Buddhism). The monastery is also one of the most popular scenic spots in Qinghai Province and has been listed as a state-level protected cultural relic. The monastery was built in 1577, in memory of Tsong Khapa (1357-1419), founder of Gelug Sect. Being the religious activity center of this sect, Ta'er Monastery is also considered as a sacred monastery in China..

After Ta’er monastery, we will drive to Qinghai lake for a visit. Qinghai lake is the largest inland salt in lake in China, also a holy lake.  It present different amazing view in four season.  Take your time to visit this lake, if you prefer, you can also rend a bike and do the some bike riding here.

Then we will drive back to Xining

Day 3  Xining – Kanbula National Forest Park- Rebkong Art Museum- Tongren

After breakfast, we will drive to Tongren  and ready to experience Tibet Culture. including seals used by the emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

Kan Bu La National Forest Park - Unique Danxia landform, abundant plant resource, strong religion atmosphere, friendly people, Li Jia Xia Hydropower Station...

Rabkong Art Museum - a famous historic and cultural city located in picturesque southern Qinghai, in the Tibetan Nanzhou County.

Day 4 Tongren: Longwu Temple,  Wutun Temple – Xiahe:

Longwu Temple is located in Longwu Town of Tongren County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, around 186 kilometers from Xining; the Longwu Temple is one of the ancient temples in Qinghai Province, and its largest Gelug temple. It was built in 1301 and already has a history that stretches back more than 700 years with several halls. The temple is filled with rare and valuable artifacts, as well as several imperial artifacts including seals used by the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. The temple has organically grown over its long history, what started as a prayer hall expanded to know include a scripture hall, an astronomy room, several courtyards as well as beautiful grounds. The largest prayer room within the temple is over 1700 square meters.

Wutun Temple is located in the Wutun village just outside of Tongren; the Temple is divided into the "lower" and "upper" temple. This classically styled temple is filled with ancient Tibetan treasures: frescos and weavings. The temple is widely renowned across Qinghai; these two half-temples combine a comprehensive record of the religious history of Tongren and Qinghai. Wutun in Tibetan translates as "the temple located in the area of prosperity", constructed in 1645 the temple is famous for its invaluable collection, including Sakyamuni's hair and other Buddhist relicts. The monks of the temple have also been unceasingly collecting new relics to add to the already substantial collection that exists within the upper and lower temple, such is the value of this collection that the Wutun Temple is often referred to as an "art college".

Day 5 Xiahe : Sangke Grassland and Labrang Monastery

Xiahe, a county under the jurisdiction of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, lies in the southwest of Gansu Province. On the northeast edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is located between 35°12' north latitude and 102°31' east longitude. Xiahe is named after the Xiahe River and has different landscapes ranging from towering mountains, valleys, grasslands and forests. The profound Tibetan Buddhism and various custom activities are also highlights of Xiahe. Labrang Monastery, one of the six main temples of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism is located in the western region of the county. And the beautiful Sangke Grassland is nearby.

Labrang Monastery: Located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain northwest of the county, Labrang Monastery is the first must-see attraction. It is one of the six great monasteries of Gelukpa sect as well as the location of Gansu Provincial Buddhism College. The Labrang Monastery boasts tens of thousands of statues of Buddha made of gold, silver, copper, and aluminum, as well as many Buddha hats and many Buddhist treasures adorned with pearls, jadeite, agate and diamonds.  Sangke Grassland: Located about ten kilometers west of the county, Gansu province, Sangke Grassland enjoys a good reputation in the northwest Tibetan district for its excellent pasture and frequent magnificent Buddhist ceremonies. Sangke Grassland is an ideal place to experience the nomadic life, spend summers and return to the nature. It is also a nice place to appreciate the Tibetan folk culture to the full by wearing Tibetan costumes and riding horses or yaks across the land.

Day 6 Xiahe- Xining

Drive back to Xining and drop you to Xining airport or train station or downtown according to your choice and end the service