Gannan: Labrang Monastery and Little Tibet on the Grasslands

Gannan is known as the "window to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Little Tibet." Five days and four nights, between the temple and the grasslands, you encounter the tranquilst vastness of Tibet.

Labrang Monastery boasts the world's longest prayer corridor; after more than three kilometers of prayer wheels, the fingertips are filled with butter incense. The Six Great Institutes and golden tiles with red walls are the religious center of the Amdo Tibetan area.

Zhaga is a stone village embraced by mountains, which Locke calls "the birthplace of Adam and Eve." Morning mist rises from the canyon, and Tibetan villages, barley fields, and snowy peaks form a natural ink painting.

Langmu Temple spans Gansu and Sichuan provinces, at the source of the Bailong River. Saichi Temple on the Gansu side faces Ge'erdi Temple across the river from the Sichuan side; the Tianzangtai and White Pagoda add a solemn touch to the area.

In summer, the mulberry grass stretches endlessly in summer; horseback riding, tenting, and watching horse racing are the most relaxing aspects of Gannan. At night, the Milky Way dips so low it seems as if you could reach out and pluck them.

Gannan's quiet is leaving the noise outside the mountains. When you walk for a long time in the prayer corridor of Labrang, you suddenly hear your own heartbeat—that is the true sound of travel.