Today I have Joella from Paper Crane Stories here talking about a very special place that few tourists make it to. Through her blog, I followed Joella on lots of adventures through China while she was based in Beijing (she’s actually lived abroad on and off for over 9 years!) so we’re really getting advice from an expert here today!
The Country
China
The Place
Xiàhé is the Chinese name and Labrang is the Tibetan name. It’s in Gansu, western
China.
Why You Need to Visit
If you are interested in learning about Tibetan culture, while technically remaining in Mainland China, then this is the place for you. Although it’s just a small town, Xiàhé is a very important place for Tibetan people as it’s the home of Labrang Monastery. Nestled in a mountain valley in Gansu, the huge monastery is fascinating and attracts thousands of Tibetan pilgrims from all over the Tibetan Plateau.
You can walk the 3km kora (the pilgrimage around the monastery) or head up into the hills to enjoy the view. There are beautiful golden roofs, hundreds of colourful prayer wheels and some rather cute goats running around town. You might even end up getting roped into a football game with some young trainee monks like my husband did. Xiàhé is also a great place to try delicious Tibetan food or you can venture off for a trip into the grasslands.
How to Get There
We took a public bus from Xining, Qinghai (your hostel can advise you on up to date bus times). The bus was all part of the spirit of the journey. It took seven hours, was extremely cramped, falling apart and the bathroom break was in a field- but it certainly felt like an adventure. It was interesting to see local people stop the bus and get off in, what felt like, the middle of nowhere.
You could also venture here from Langmusi (another Tibetan town with access to jaw dropping grasslands and horse treks), which is where we headed to when we left Xiàhé. That bus was, admittedly, slightly more comfortable and only took around four hours.
(Editor’s note: I also passed through Xiàhé by hitchhiking, which I found to be very easy in western China.)
Where to Stay
You should be fine turning up with no reservations and finding a place to stay. We stayed in two places. The first was Tara Guesthouse, which is extremely basic, but a real bargain for budget travellers at 40 RMB (about $6) for a room! We also stayed in Boama which was much more expensive at 160 RMB (about $25) a night for the room but it had it’s own bathroom and a huge bed.
We found prices much cheaper in person than we had previously seen online. Also, be aware that hot water is not usually available all day. Ask your hotel to let you know the times it will be available.
Getting a visa to China
The easiest way to get a visa to China is through a company like iVisa (the one I personally trust the most!). You can apply online here.
PIN IT!
You can follow Joella on Twitter:@joellaBjacobs, Instagram:@JoellaJacobs, Pinterest:@joellaBjacobs, and Facebook: Paper Crane Stories
Joella says
Thanks so much, Silvia! 🙂
Silvia says
Thank YOU!
Rachael says
This place looks beautiful! I’ve never been to China but always thought of visiting Beijing or Shanghai. I think I need to add Labrang to that list now.
Silvia says
You do!
Justine says
This place sounds absolutely amazing Joella! Yet another place to add to my travel list 😉
Silvia says
It definitely deserves a spot there 🙂
Karla says
Wow, first time I’ve heard about this place and now I’m curious enough to put it in my travel list the next time I go back to China. Love the thought that accommodations are actually cheaper than you thought they were online, hope I get the same luck! Happy travels!
Silvia says
It’s definitely worth a spot on your bucket list!
Hitch-Hikers Handbook says
Labrang looks amazing! I fell in love with the Tibetan part of China this year when we visited Litang, Lijiang, Shangri-la and some other places along this route. I guess I would love Labrang too!
Silvia says
It is such a gorgeous part of China!
Jackie | The Globetrotting Teacher says
I love reading about off-the-beaten places like this! The village looks like an amazing cultural experience. I haven’t been to China yet, but I’ll have to consider this area as part of my itinerary.
Silvia says
You should definitely include it on your itinerary!
Amélie says
I’ve grown increasingly curious about the Tibetan Plateau and this post makes me want to visit even more! Looks gorgeous!
Silvia says
It really is so fascinating, and it’s great that you can visit without a special permit!
Lesley says
This place looks beautiful and I’d love to learn more about Tibetan culture and interact with locals. Great addition to my list.
Silvia says
It deserves a place on your list for sure 🙂
Carol Colborn says
$6 for a room! Wow what a bargain! And you get to know about Tibet!
Silvia says
It’s such a cheap region to travel through!
Carolann & Macrae - One Modern Couple says
This place looks so interesting and a destination we haven’t heard of! We went to Beijing last September but didn’t make it out of the area – perhaps next time we can head here. We also found it interesting that hitchhiking is easy in Western China and may just have to try our hand at it when we go!
Silvia says
Hitchhiking is really easy there – I guess it’s just gaining popularity so people still think it’s “cool” haha
antonette - we12travel says
I’ve never been to China but would love to learn more about the Tibetan culture so I’ll definitely keep this in mind for the future … I’m going to Nepal soon and am pretty sure that I’ll love to come back to that region soon after!
Silvia says
Oh you’re going to love Nepal! And you’ll learn so much about Tibetan culture there as well 🙂
Laura says
I do love learning about Tibetan culture. There’s so much to learn, really. It looks like this place sort of has it all. It’s small enough to get around easily and see local culture without being overwhelmed. Looks awesome.