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The Magic of Monlam: Tibetan New Year Temple Trek

Travel days:  10 days
 /  9 nights
Booking

  • All flights mentioned in the program with economy class including tax and fuel surcharge.
  • All transfers mentioned in the program with air-conditioned car/coach.
  • First entrance fee for all sights mentioned in the program.
  • Accommodation in mentioned hotel with breakfast.
  • Private English speaking tour guide for all mentioned sightseeing.
  • All meals mentioned in the program (B for breakfast, L for Lunch, D for Dinner).
  • 24 hour TUI China telephone Hotline (German and English): +86 13910187388.
  • Tips
  • Personal expenses
  • All expenses not mentioned above
  • Xining
    San Want Hotel 5*
  • Tongren
    Rebkong Hotel 3*
  • Xiahe
    Wangfu Hotel 3*
  • Langmusi
    Langmusi Hotel 3*
  • Hezuo
    Gannan International 3*
  • Road conditions in Gansu and Qinghai have improved remarkably, although they are still not comparable to well developed areas
  • Note also that meals in Qinghai and Gansu cannot match that of more developed regions of China.
  • The hotel condition cannot match that of the cities in more developed regions of China.
  • The above mentioned rates are subjected to availability. Kindly note that no reservation has been made at this moment.
  • If you have any further ideas, please feel free to contact us. We will do our best to adjust the offer according to your wishes.

Travel content

For a different side to the Lunar New Year experience the unique Tibetan Monlam Festival in Tongren with a short tour to Langmusi. Monlam is an important monastic festival that takes place during January and February, the time of the Tibetan New Year. Of the number of ceremonies that occur during this festival they include the airing of Buddha's Thangka, the Maitreya Procession, the Mask Dance, the Fire Puja, and the Butter Sculpture Display. This journey takes you to at least four different monasteries during these ceremonies so that you get a chance to see the varying ceremonies that make up the festival.

Travel Itinerary

  • Day 1:
    (8th Feb) Beijing/Shanghai – Xining (L D)
    • Fly to Xining where your guide will be waiting for you at the airport
    • Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel.
    • Visit Tibetan Medicine Museum in which you will see more than 500 Thangka paintings. Thangka paintings are religious depictions of the Buddha undertaken by devotees of Tibetan Buddhism.
    • Dinner in a Chinese family to celebrate the Chinese New Year, family-style.
    • Overnight in Xining
  • Day 2:
    (9th Feb) Xining – Tongren (B L D) (190km, 3 hours)
    • Breakfast at the hotel
    • Transfer to Tongren by coach
    • Enjoy the beautiful landscape on the way.
    • Visit a typical Tibetan village.
    • Then, you will visit Longwu monastery which is one of the leading monasteries in Amdo Tibetan area and home to more than 800 lamas.
    • Visit Tibetan artists to learn about the arts and crafts of Tibetan Thangka paintings.
    • Overnight in Tongren
  • Day 3:
    (10th Feb) Tongren (B L D) (30km)
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Drive to Wutun Monastery and see the mask dance. This ceremony comes from the 8th century and the dancers portray the protector deities of Tibetan Buddhism. The dance circles around in front of the monastery and at the end of the day they perform a fire puja.
    • In evening, return to Tongren.
    • Overnight in Tongren

    　  　

  • Day 4:
    (11th Feb) Tongren (B L D) (50km)
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Buddha Thangka painting display at Guoma'er monastery.
    • In the afternoon drive to Shuangpengxi Tibetan village which has more than 300 years of history. Here you will make contact with an ordinary Tibetan family, and learn about Tibetan life.
    • In evening, return to Tongren.
    • Overnight in Tongren
  • Day 5:
    (12th Feb) Tongren – Xiahe (B L D) (130km, 2 hours)
    • Breakfast at the hotel
    • In the morning, we will invite a local Tibetan scholar to give a lecture to the group concerning Tibetan culture, Tibetan festivals, the content of the mask dance as well as various other aspects of Tibetan culture.
    • In the afternoon drive to Xiahe
    • Overnight in Xiahe
  • Day 6:
    (13th Feb) Xiahe (B L D)
    • Breakfast at the hotel
    • Visit Labrang monastery. The Temple of Labrang was established by Jiangmuyang who was the first local living Buddha in the year 1710 AD. At present, there are a total of 18 resplendent and magnificent Buddha palaces and more than ten thousand monks residing in the temple.
    • Overnight in Xiahe
  • Day 7:
    (14th Feb) Xiahe – Langmusi (B L D) (240km, 4 hours)
    • Breakfast at the hotel
    • Transfer through the magnificent mountain landscape of northern Sichuan and southern Gansu to Langmusi, roughly 5 hours drive away.
    • On the way you will visit the Milareba temple in Hezuo county.
    • We then continue our trip to Langmusi which is on the border of Gansu and Sichuan province.
    • Overnight in Langmusi
  • Day 8:
    (15th Feb) Langmusi (B L D)
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Buddha Thangka painting display at Langmusi Monastery. There will be thousands of local Tibetan people coming to the festival.
    • In the afternoon we visit the Gansu monastery, and later walk around the small town.
    • Overnight in Langmusi
  • Day 9:
    (16th Feb) Langmusi – Hezuo (B L D) (130km, 2 hours)
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Mask dance in Langmusi monastery. The dance will last the whole day; we will visit for the morning part and then drive to Hezuo.
    • Overnight in Hezuo
  • Day 10:
    (17th Feb) Hezuo – Lanzhou – Beijing/Shanghai (B L) (320km, 4.5 hours)
    • Breakfast at the hotel.
    • Stroll in Hezuo in the morning.
    • Drive to Lanzhou
    • Then catch the evening flight to Beijing/Shanghai.
    • End of service