TTC-A-02: The route from Lanzhou to Xining

Highlights:

• --The traditional Chinese teahouse at People's park;
• --Lanzhou Yellow River bridge
• --Binling Cave
• --Labrang monastery
• --Ganjia grassland
• --Rongpo Gonchen monastery
• --Jampeyang Lhakang
• --Sengeshong Art School of "Sengeshong Yagotsang"&" Sengeshong Magotsang"
• --Lhamo Dechen monastery
• --Achung Namdzong nunnery
• --Dolma Lhakang
• --Guru gonkang
• --Kumbum monastery
• --Kokornor Lake
• --Giant Panda Sanctuary

Chengdu: 500m
Lanzhou: 1500m
Labrang monastery: 2900m
Tongren: 2800m
Lijiaxia: 2100m;
Kumbum: 2200m
Xining: 2200m

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Detail program:

Day1: Arrive in Chengdu
After arrives in Chengdu airport, pickup and transfer to your hotel, assist to check in. Relax in the rest hours of this day by having visit to the traditional Chinese teahouse at People's park.

Altitude: Chengdu: 500m

Day2: Chengdu to Lanzhou and then to Binling Cave
By morning flight to Lanzhou, after arrive in Lanzhou, drive to Yongjing County, and by boat to the Bin-ling cave complex, where the 183 Buddhist grottoes containing 694 statues and terracotta sculpture and frescoes. The earliest date of those sculptures had been built since the Western Qin Dynasty, and the greatest period of development occurred in Tang Dynasty.

Driving hours & distance: 160km on paved road, about 3 - 4 hours
Altitude: Lanzhou: 1500m

Day3: Lanzhou to Labrang monastery
Departure in the morning by vehicle, about 3 or 4 hours drive from Lanzhou to Xiahe on highway, we arrived in the small town of Xiahe, where Labrang monastery is located. Labrang monastery is one of the Six Great Gelukpa monasteries in Tibet, although 90 damaged temples have yet to be stored, it is amongst the handful anywhere in Tibet that survived the culture revolution relatively intact. It was founded in 1709 by Jamyang Zhepa I Ngawang Tsondru, who was revered as an emanation of Tsong-Khapa's teacher Umpaa Pawo Dorje. The area, where Labrang monastery located, is auspicious and holy in the eyes of the Tibetans. Northwest of the monastery is an elephant-shaped mountain, and southeast of it is a mountain covered with emerald pine trees. The First Living Buddha Jamyang built the monastery in 1709 at the request of Beleg Chakhan Dainzin of the Qianshou Banner of the Mongol Hoshod in Qinghai. It has since grown to include six major Dzacangs (monk institute), 48 Buddha halls and residences for the Living Buddha, and some 500 living compounds for monks. In terms of size, it is referred to as "the minor U-Tsang" in Amdo.

Driving hours & distance: 260km on paved road, about 3 - 4 hours
Altitude: Labrang monastery: 2900m

Day4: Labrang monastery to Tongren via Ganjia grassland
Heading north for Ganjia grassland, and enjoy the view of the enormous grassland, and then continuing drive for Gartse monastery, which is revered as one of the eight foremost places of spiritual attainment in Tongren County; after visit to this secret site of gelukpa sect of tiebtan religion, we turn to west to Tongren.

Driving hours & distance: 200km on paved & dirt road, about 6 - 7 hours
Altitude: Tongren: 2800m

Day5: Tongren
Tongren is a famous historical and cultural city of the eastern Tibet of Amdo, whose venerated history is borne out by a host of places of cultural interest, including the Rongwo Monastery, the unusual scenes and sights of Maixiu, and the art of Religion. During our stay in Tongren, we are going to explore several villages which the monasteries of Wutung, Lungwu, and the Repkong arts.

Altitude: Tongren: 2800m

Day6: Tongren to Lijiaxia
In the morning drive to Lijia-xia, after arrive at Lijia-xia by boat crossing through the reservoir, a half-day hiking up to Namtzsong monastery, to discover the Red - land view of Kanbula, return to Lijia-xia town for overnight.

Driving distance & hours: 160km on paved & dirt road; roughly 3 - 4 hours
Altitude: Lijiaxia: 2100m

Day7: Lijiaxia to Kumbum then to Xining
Drive to Kumbum monastery, which was built in the 15th century, It is situated in the west of Gyantse Town With mountains enclosing from the east, west and north 3 sides, its uniqueness is that its three Sects of Buddhism-Sakya, Nyingma and Guolu are living harmoniously under one roof. Each sect has 6-7 courtyards in the monastery. There are various kinds of Thangka, a huge bronze statue of Jiangba, the jainrese of a Thousand Hands and a Thousand Eyes in the monastery. There is a hall of art mad during the Ming Dynasty. The airhost is so vivid that they look very much alive. Besides the monastery is the world famous 9-storey 10,000-Buddha Pagoda. It stands 32m, has 108 Doors, 77 Buddhist chambers and countless shrines. Enshrine in the Pagoda are 10,000 statues of Buddha. The Pagoda opens 8 doors, which are decorated with relief sculptures of lively flying dragons, running lions and walking elephants. It is a masterpiece of the joint efforts of the Nepalese, Tibetan and Chinese. Return to Xining in the evening.

Driving distance & hours: 200km on paved road; roughly 4 - 5 hours
Altitude: Kumbum: 2200m; Xining: 2200m

Day8: Xining to Kokornor Lake and return to Xining
In the morning drive to Kokornor Lake that was called "West Lake" in ancient time. With name of "Kokonor"in Mongolian and "Cowenbu" in Tibetan is all-mean "blue sea". After return to Xining, heading north to Huzhu, a small town where lives other minority. Normally, people thinks that the people living in high Tibetan plateau should be Tibetan only, but Tu minority is another tribes that also live in high plateau for centuries. Numbering 250,000 according to the china national census of 2000, the Tu ethnic minority tribe is mainly located in Huzhu, Minhe, and Datong Counties in Qinghai Province as well as some counties in Gansu Province. The spoken Tu language belongs to the Mongolian group of the Altaic Phylum, however, no written form exists, and this minority people is also using the characters created in recent years. Today we are going to visit to the town of Huzhu to get to know this minority tribe in Tibetan plateau, and to make interaction with local people by pays a family visit.

Driving distance & hours: 380km on paved road; roughly 5 - 6 hours
Altitude: Xining: 2200m

Day9: Xining to Chengdu
By flight from Xining to Chengdu, after arriviing in Chengdu, transfer to Chengdu Giant Panda Research Base, one of the most important centers in the world for the conservation of the Giant Panda.

Driving distance & hours: 100km on paved road; roughly 3 - 4 hours
Altitude: Chengdu: 500m

Day10: Chengdu to the airport for departure
After having breakfast, check out of your hotel and transfer to airport for your departure (transfer timings will depend on the flight schedule)