🛤️ A Hidden Tibetan Circuit: 5 Days Across Langmusi, Xiahe & Tongren

🌍 Explore the untouched Tibetan highlands of Gansu and Qinghai Looking to escape the tourist trail and dive deep into Tibetan culture, art, and nature? This 5-day journey across Langmusi, Xiahe, and Tongren is a hidden gem of northwestern China. You’ll walk beside monks at sunrise, discover ancient art schools, and cross endless grasslands dotted with yaks and prayer flags. 📍 Day 1: Langmusi – Sacred Stillness on the Border Tucked between Sichuan and Gansu, Langmusi feels like a peaceful Himalayan outpost. Start your day wandering through the Serti (Gansu side) and Kirti (Sichuan side) monasteries, then follow the gorge trail into the mountains. Horses graze, prayer flags flutter, and red-robed monks pass in silence. ✨ Don’t miss: • Tea and dumplings in a quiet family-run café • Sunset from the rooftop of Zhaxiqi Hotel 📍 Day 2–3: Xiahe – Monastic Life & Rolling Grasslands 🚗 Route Tip: When traveling to Xiahe, avoid the Luqu route (busy and less scenic). Instead, go via Sai’erlong—a more local route through green meadows and Tibetan villages. In Xiahe, wake early to join locals in the kora around Labrang Monastery, one of the most important in Tibetan Buddhism. 🎫 Entry: ¥40 | 🕘 English tour: 10:00 AM (check exact start point at the ticket booth) ✨ Highlights: • Labrang’s wax sculpture hall and monastery museum • Lunch at Chuan Xiang Lou or your hotel • Afternoon visit to the Snowland Art School Project – a jaw-dropping showcase of Tibetan painting talent • Sunset walk in the village or picnic at Sangke Grasslands 🏨 Stay: Sangpei Dongzhu Hotel – Comfortable, with a great restaurant on the 2nd floor. Try the Tibetan meat pie! 📍 Day 4–5: Tongren (Rebgong) – The Art Capital of Tibetans in China A short ride from Xiahe brings you to Tongren, a city known for its living thangka art tradition and ancient monasteries. Start your visit at Wutun Lower Monastery, where you’ll see golden stupas and painters at work. 🚕 Taxi from Tongren center: ~¥20 (15 min) 🎨 Then explore: • Wutun Upper Monastery – quieter, with art rooms and murals • Rebgong Nāgārjuna Painting Gallery – ask student artists to open the door and show you their work • Gomar Gompa, a beautiful hillside temple 🚌 Return to town by local bus (¥1, from bridge near Gomar) 🍽️ Lunch: Sonam Yarphel Restaurant – simple Tibetan dishes, great rice bowls 🛕 Afternoon: Rongwo Monastery, the heart of Rebgong, alive with monks, pilgrims, and centuries of tradition. 🌟 Final Tips • This route is perfect for those wanting a deeper connection to Tibetan culture without crossing into Tibet itself • Public transport is available, but private hire or shared taxis allow more flexibility • Spring to autumn is ideal for green grasslands and active monastery life 📌 This Tibetan circuit is one of China’s best-kept travel secrets. Come for the culture, stay for the people, and leave with stories few others have lived.