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Ruoergai Grassland (Tips, Photos)

Wednesday, September 29th, 2021

At 8:00am we start for Ruoergai Grassland (our first destination today) from Labrang Civil Aviation Hotel in Xiahe in Gannan Tibet Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province. The 280km drive takes about 3 and half hours largely along the National Highway 212.

Ruoergai Grassland is located in the north of Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province, and borders Maqu, Luqu of Gansu Province. It is on the east edge of Tibet-Qinghai Plateau with an altitude between 3000 and 3600 meters.

Ruoergai Grassland is said to be the fourth largest grasslands in China after Hulun Buir Grassland in Inner Mongolia, Yili Grassland in Xinjiang and Xilinguole Grassland in Inner Mongolia. Ruoergai Grassland belongs to the kind of alpine meadow, also one of the China’s three largest wetlands, covering 10436.58 square kilometers.

This time we don’t enter the heartland or the most beautiful part of Ruoergai Grassland. Instead we just stop its north edge, nearly 30km south of Langmusi. Langmusi a sleepy village sitting between Gansu and Sichuan, inhabitated by Han Chinese, Hui and Amdo Tibetans. So before we get to Ruoergai Grassland, we have to pass by the mysterious and primitive village.

I’ve been to some mesmerising grasslands elsewhere in China, like Narat Grassland, Gegentala Grassland, and Mulan Weichang Grassland.In comparison, Ruoergai Grassland is neither the greenest nor a fertile grassland, but what catches my eyes and makes my excited is its numerous wild flowers. I feel quite shamed to be unable to name most of the flowers, which I have to call them wildflowers of grassland.

The best time to view the wildflowers of Ruoergai Grassland is between July and early September. Below are some of the wildflowers of Ruoergai Grassland I take on our short trip to the edge of this fourth largest grassland in China to feed your eyes. Hoopefully my poor photography will not let you down.

Hassle-free Chengdu & Sichuan Guided Tours

If you don’t want to go the do-it-yourself route and prefer the hassle-free escorted tours, here are some options for Chengdu and Sichuan guided tours:

Chengdu tour
Chengdu Car Rental with Driver
Create My Chengdu Trip
Jiuzhaigou Tour
Sichuan Tour

Further Readings

Top 10 Attractions in Chengdu
Best Time to Visit Chengdu
Chengdu Airport
Railway stations in Chengdu
Chengdu Taxi
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding (Tips, Photos & Map)
How to visit Wuhou Shrine
How to visit Du Fu Thatched Cottage
How to visit Jinsha Site Museum
How to visit the tomb of Wang Jian in Chengdu
How to Visit Wangjiang Pavilion Park in Chengdu
How to visit Qingyang Palace in Chengdu (Tips, Photos & Map)
How to Visit Jinli Street
How to visit Kuan Alley and Zhai Alley
Qintai Road, Qintai Gujing Chengdu (Tips, Photos & Map)
Shaoling Road Bar Street Chengdu (Tips, Photos & Map)
Jiuyanqiao Bar Street in Chengdu (Tips, Photos & Map)
The Old Teahouse in Pengzhen Town, Chengdu

Bipenggou, Bipeng Valley (Tips, Photos & Map)
Best time to visit Jiuzhaigou
Best Places to Visit Autumn Leaves in Sichuan
Top 10 Places to Visit in Sichuan
Ruoergai Grassland, my first trip to Ruoergai Grassland

Drive from Hanzhong to Ya’an
Ya’an Night View
Most Beautiful Sky Road in China
Moxi Old Town ( Tips, Photos & Map)
Hailuogou Glacier Camp No.04 (Tips,Photos & Map)
Hailuogou Glacier Camp No.03 (Tips, Photos & Map)
Kangding (Tips, Photos & Map)
Drive from Kangding to Xinduqiao
Drive from Xinduqiao to Danba
Jiarong Tibetan Blockhouses
Jiarong Tibetan Ancient Watchtowers
Drive from Xinduqiao to Yajiang
Drive from Yajiang to Litang
Drive from Litang to Daocheng
Drive from Litang to Batang
Drive from Batang to Mangkang
Drive from Shangri-la to Daocheng
Drive from Daocheng to Yading
Yading Brings You Inner Peace

Tags: How to visit Ruoergai Grassland, Ruoergai Grassland
Posted in Lanzhou Travel, Sichuan Travel | No Comments »

Gahai Lake, My Trip to Gahai Lake

Friday, August 12th, 2011

On Augaust 01, on the way back from Langmusi Town to Xiahe County, we made a detour from the national highway No.213 and went to Gahai Lake for a short trip. Gaihai Lake is located 1km west of the main road, the national highway No.213, about 30km away from Langmusi on the way to Luqu and Xiahe.

Gahai Lake is the largest fresh water lake in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, an important wetland in the east of Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau. Gahai Lake is a part of the National Gahai Zecha Natural Reserve. Gahai Lake is under the administration of Luqu County, which is situated 90km north of Langmmsi and 260km south of Lanzhou.

Gahai Lake is surrounded by the mountains with an altitude of 3480. Gahai Lake has rich water resources with water coming from three streams from the nearbye mountains as well as the underground sprinsg. It is a pefect habitat for over 100 migrant birds like swans, black-neck cranes…

The area around Gahai Lake is very fertile with lush grassland, a ideal place for grazing yak herds. In summer, Gahai Lake is a field of wildflowers, a paradise for holiday maker.

Next time, if you go to Langmusi from Lanzhou or Xiahe, do drop here for a few minutes to immerse yourself into the beauty of nature – white clouds, lush grasslands, wildflowers, birds and fresh air!

The entrance to Gahai Lake, RMB20 per person

The entrance to Gahai Lake, RMB 20 per person

The Rock Carved with the Chinese characters meaning “Gahai Lake”

The Rock Carved with the Chinese characters meaning - Gahai Lake

East side of the Lake

Middle part of the Lake

West side of the Lake

The distant view of the Lake

Wildflowers of the grassland around Gahai Lake

More wildflowers around the lake

A close look at the flower

Tags: Gahai, Gahai Lake Gansu, How to visit Gahai, Visit Gahai Lake
Posted in China Travel, Hezuo Travel, Langmusi Travel, Lanzhou Travel, Linxia Travel, Xiahe Travel | No Comments »

How to Visit Labrang Monastery

Tuesday, August 9th, 2011

by Labrang Monastery is located on the north of Daxia River in the west of Xiahe County of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province. This most important Tibetan monastery outside Tibet was first founded by Ngagong Tsunde, the first generation of Jamyang from nearby Ganjia in 1709. it is an important monastery of the Gelukpa or the Yellow Hat Sect.

At its peak there were over 4000 monks. Currently there are over 3000 monks from Qinghai, Gansu, Inner Mongolia and Tibet as well.

If you have only one day visiting Labrang Monastery, you are advised to visit the interior of some buildings escorted by monk tour guides. This is also the only way that you can enter some of the temples and institutions. In the afternoon, you may take the kora – the pilgrim path, walking around the monastery.

If you travel individually, after buying your entrance ticket, you’d better to wait at the ticket office around 10:15am or 3:15pm if you come here in the afternoon. Starting from the two fixed time, monk-turned English speaking tour guides will show you around on the prearranged travel route in the monastery. Visitors should be sensitive to the religious nature of the site.

The entrance to Labrang Monastery

First visit Institute of Medicine

A tour guide ( a monk ) from the monastery led us into the Institute of Medicine. Labrang Monastery is home to six Tratsang ( monastic colleges or institutes), covering Medicine, Astrology, Theology and Esoteric Buddhism.

The Institute of Medicine is the only college of the six to be allowed for visiting. This institute is free of charge and open to everybody including common people who are interested in the Tibetan medicine.

We are in the courtyard of the Institute of Medicine. Visitors are forbidden to take pictures inside the institute.

Next visit Shou An Temple

Next our monk tour guide took us to visit a small temple known as Shou’an Temple. There are numerous temples and chapels in the monastery. People are only allowed to enter two temples – Shou’an Temple and Shou’xi Temple. Visitors are not allowed to take photos inside the temple. The monastery has numerous Buddhist statues. The tallest one is 12 meters high and is housed in the Shou’an Temple inside the monastery.

We are entering the Shou’an Temple.

The Qing Dynasty Plaque over the gate to the temple.

The tangka paitings on the wall by the entrance to the temple.

Then move on to Labrang Monastery Relic Musuem (Yak Butter sculpture)

Then we were led to a relic musuem managed by Labrang Monastery, where numberous ya butter sculptures on display. The yak butter sculptures inside the small musuem give out a strong smell, almost choking to those who are not used to yak butter. This is the only place where we can take pictures.

We are inside the compound of the small yak butter sculptures museum.

A yak butter buddha sculpture

A close look at a yak butter flower sculpture

Continue to visit Shou’xi Temple

Also known as the Matreya temple, Shou Xi Temple is a fine example of the Labrang Buddhist temples, with five storeys and a palace-like structure. The temple has a plaque with the inscription of emperor Jia Qing “Shou Xi Si” ( Longevity Temple ).

The roof of the temple has gilded tiles decorated with various gilded bronze miniatures. It has a beautifully decorated wooden entrance to the temple.

Shou Xi Temple is a fine example of the Labrang Buddhist temples

Finally visit the main Prayer Hall (Grand Sutra Hall)

The Grand Sutra Hall is the most impressive of the buildings and can accommodateto 4,000 monks. It is an amazing sight to see the monks chanting here behind the wooden doors. Each morning as they wait to go and pray.

The Grand Sutra Hall

Take the 3 km kora (pilgrim path)

In the afternoon, you may take a 3km kora around the monastery, past rows of prayer wheels, stupas and chapels that circle the monastery. The rest of the monastery area is free, but in most cases, you are not allowed to enter these buildings. It is quite interesting to visit the living quarters of the monks.