Journey to Gannan 🍃: A Haven of Natural Beauty and Nomadic Lifestyle
🍃 Grasslands, canyons, lakes, forests, floral seas, villages,
🏯 Temples, stupas, morning mists, cloud seas, sunsets –
🌈 The otherworldly beauty of this place imbues one with a sense of detachment.
·
✅ Labrang Monastery
The smoke and mist that envelop the stupas imbue Labrang Monastery with a surreal, yet tangible quality. Golden rooftops, dwellings, mountain ranges, Gesang flowers… monks and laypeople observe a solemn peace, silently chanting sutras and beseeching blessings.
💰 Admission: 30 RMB | 7:00 AM – 7:30 PM
📍 Address: Luqu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
·
✅ Sangke Grassland
The wind carries the scent of verdant grass and open plains. Yaks, sheep, clouds, and flowers compose the most resplendent colors of the natural world.
💰 Admission: Free (parking fee required)
📍 Address: Sang'a Section, Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
·
✅ Zhagana
In Tibetan, "Zhagana" means "stone box," its terrain resembling a colossal palace. Here, people uphold ancient customs.
💰 Admission: 40 RMB
📍 Address: Diebu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
·
✅ The First Bend of the Yellow River
From an elevated vantage point, the first bend of the Yellow River resembles a ribbon fluttering through the sky, meandering and curving, with oxbow lakes scattered about like stars, each a unique scenic wonder.
💰 Admission: 60 RMB (60 RMB for the sightseeing escalator)
📍 Address: Suoke Tibetan Monastery, Tangke Town, Ruo'ergai County, Aba Prefecture
·
🫕 Gannan Cuisine
✔️ Butter tea, barley flour, and beef and mutton are known as the "four treasures" of Tibetan cuisine.
✔️ Common fare consists of home-style dishes or Northwestern-inspired beef, mutton, and noodles, as well as barley wine and various dairy products.
✔️ Gannan specialties include Jue Ma pork, Gannan zanba, Tibetan milk tea, Tibetan dumplings, yogurt, mutton served by hand, roasted whole lamb, and stone-grilled mutton.
·
🎒 Essential Items
✔️ Skincare: High-SPF sunscreens, hydrating facial masks
✔️ Clothing: Sun-protective outerwear, windbreakers, portable down jackets
✔️ Personal: Lip balm, sunglasses, insulated water bottle, umbrella
✔️ Medications: Rhodiola Rosea, glucose, oxygen
·
✅ Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Lanzhou
Day 2: Lanzhou - Hezheng Ancient Animal Fossil Museum - Ganjia Secret Land - Xiahe County (overnight in Xiahe)
Day 3: Xiahe County - Gahai Lake Wetland - Bailong River Scenic Area - Labrang Monastery (overnight in Labrang Monastery)
Day 4: Labrang Monastery - Flower Lake - First Bend of the Yellow River - Tangke (overnight in Tangke Town)
Day 5: Tangke - Zhagana (overnight in Zhagana)
Day 6: Zhagana - Labuleng Monastery - Linxia City (overnight in Linxia)
Day 7: Linxia - Lanzhou
