# Gannan travel guide (甘南) Gansu Province · Northwest, China · 9 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/gansu/gannan ## The feel of the place - **Fish in a Golden Basin:** Sitting at the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at an altitude of 3,200 metres, Labrang Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist academy in the world and one of the six great seat monasteries of the Gelug (Yellow Hat) sect. It oversees 108 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries across the junction of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan. The Daxia River flows past the monastery, and the Longshan and Fengshan mountains embrace both the monastery and the river. Seen from the mountaintop, the monastery precinct resembles a fish. Tibetan people call this auspicious spot 'fish in a golden basin', the most sacred place under blue skies and white clouds: Labrang Monastery in Xiahe. ## The feel of the place ### Religious Activities Gannan is rich in religious activities and folk festivals throughout the year. Major religious ceremonies include the Great Prayer Festival in the first lunar month, the Great Prayer Festival in the seventh lunar month and the Great Prayer Festival in the ninth lunar month. Folk festivals include Chajian (Arrow Planting), Niangnai Festival, Xianglang Festival and the Lianhua Mountain Huaer Fair. Folk arts include storytelling of The Epic of King Gesar and Nanmite, a Tibetan opera unique to Labrang. ### Geography Gannan is a must-pass on the route from Lanzhou to Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan. The route Lanzhou → Linxia → Labrang Monastery → Zecha Stone Forest → Gahai Lake → Langmu Temple → Huanglong Temple → Jiuzhaigou → Muni Valley is widely regarded as the safest and most economical golden route for visiting Jiuzhaigou. The best travel season is May to October. ### Preparation and Advice ### Climate and Travel Seasons Because of its high altitude, Gannan is cooler than other parts of Gansu, with average summer temperatures of 8–15℃. Ultraviolet radiation is intense at this elevation, so sun protection is essential, and photographers should adjust their exposure times accordingly. Sunshine is abundant, and day-night temperature differences are large, so take precautions against both heat and cold. ### Best Time to Visit The best time to visit the Gannan grasslands is from late in the fifth lunar month to early in the sixth lunar month. Spring comes late to the high-altitude meadows, but once it arrives, wildflowers blanket the hillsides, and white sheep, black yaks and grazing horses make up a breathtaking scene. Winter is cold, but the Great Prayer Festival, held from the fourth to the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, is the most important religious event of the year for the local Tibetan community. People gather here from far and wide to pray for peace in the year ahead, and the scale of the celebrations is unmatched. ## Getting there & around ### Getting There and Away Only long-distance buses serve the area. Hezuo has the largest bus station in the autonomous prefecture. The road from Hezuo to Xiahe is in good condition, but the route from Hezuo through Langmusi, at Gansu's southern tip, to Jiuzhaigou in Sichuan is comparatively rougher. ### Long-distance bus stations ### Hezuo North Bus Station (合作北汽车站) ### Panxuan Road (盘旋路) ### Hezuo Passenger Transport Center (合作客运中心) ### Diebu County Passenger Station (迭部县客运站) Labrang Monastery (拉卜楞寺) ### Local Transport Buses run between the various towns and counties, with a flat fare of ¥1. Minibuses shuttle between the bus stations and the monastery areas (1–2 km), at ¥1–2 per person. ### Bus Long-distance buses in Gannan are not always punctual, so it's best to buy tickets a day in advance. Journeys are long, and road and vehicle conditions can be unpredictable, so be prepared. Set off early, ideally before 7 a.m. ### Dining Gannan also has many Sichuan restaurants, usually run by Han Chinese, with fairly reasonable prices. In addition, good Western food can be found in places such as Langmusi. ### Hua'er and Shaonian “Hua'er” is a form of antiphonal singing popular in the farming and herding areas of Gansu, Qinghai and Ningxia, among the Hui, Tibetan, Salar, Yugur, Dongxiang, Bao'an and other communities. It is also called “Shaonian.” As a region where ethnic minorities live together, Linxia naturally has its Hua'er festivals as one of its distinctive features. Each year, Hua'er festivals spontaneously held by local people draw more than 10,000 participants: at Songming Cliff in Hezheng County on the 27th–29th day of the fourth lunar month, at Bingling Temple in Yongjing on the 4th–5th day of the fifth lunar month, and at Lianhua Mountain in Kangle County on the 3rd–9th day of the sixth lunar month. These are all large-scale folk events. - **Xiahe Bus Station (夏河汽车站)** — (End of Renmin East Street) ## Eat & drink Although this is a Tibetan autonomous prefecture, the food here is mostly noodles. Apart from dedicated Tibetan restaurants or Tibetan households, it is hard to find authentic Tibetan food. Unlike in the Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetans here do not drink butter tea or milk tea; instead they drink a sweet tea called sanpaotai (三炮台) or babao tea (八宝茶). ## Shopping Along Renmin East Street, outside Labrang Monastery in Xiahe, there is a row of small shops selling all kinds of Tibetan ornaments and knives, a place no visitor should miss. The goods are similar to those on Barkhor Street in Lhasa, but prices are somewhat higher. You can buy small accessories to take home, which city girls in particular love. However, unless you are very confident in your own judgement, do not buy antiques or other valuable items here, to avoid being cheated. ## Where to stay Xiahe has quite a few small guesthouses, especially near the edge of the monastery area. However, the rooms and beds here carry a strong smell of butter. The rooms themselves are quite clean. - **Labrang Civil Aviation Hotel (拉卜楞民航大酒店)** — (No. 12 Renmin East Street, Xiahe County, 0941-7128888) ## Things to see - **Labrang Monastery** (★★★★★): Admission ¥40; Opening hours 8:00–18:00 (May 1 – October 7); 9:15–16:30 (October 8 – April 30 of the following year); Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/labrang-monastery - **Milarepa Buddhist Palace** (★★★★): Admission ¥20; Opening hours 8：00—18：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/milarepa-buddhist-palace - **Sangke Grassland** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 3–4 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/sangke-grassland - **Langmu Monastery** (★★★★★): Admission ¥30; Opening hours 8：00—19：30; Time needed 1–3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/langmu-monastery - **Gahai Lake** (★★★★): Admission ¥50; Opening hours 8：00—21：00; Time needed 1–2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/gahai-lake - **Zhagana Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥85; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/zhagana-scenic-area - **Yeliguan National Forest Park** (★★★★): Admission Yehai Lake ¥60 per person, Chibi Valley ¥60 per person, Qinni Gully ¥60 per person, Lotus Mountain ¥30 per person, Forest Park ¥78 per person; Opening hours 8:00–18:00 (April–October); closed at other times; Time needed 5–6 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/yeliguan-national-forest-park - **Maqu Grassland** (★★★★): Admission Free; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/maqu-grassland - **Ganjia Hidden Realm Scenic Area** (★★★★): Admission ¥80; Time needed 1 day — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/ganjia-hidden-realm-scenic-area --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 762–771. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.