Langmusi Monastery

Introduction
Langmusi is not only the name of a monastery, but also the name of a town. Langmusi is located at the juncture of Gansu, Qinghai and Sichuan provinces, where there are charming natural sceneries and unique ethnic customs which attract many monks and pilgrims come here for religious practice. With the prosperity of tourism, this plateau town has become the hub of three provinces as well as the famous tourist resort. The full name of Langmusi is "Dacang Langmu Gerdi Monastery". 

In Tibetan language, "Dacang" means tiger cave, "Langmu" means fairy, and "Gerdi" is the name of the living Buddha who founded the monastery. Therefore, Langmusi is called Tiger Cave & Fairy Monastery as well. People must be wondering how the tiger cave and the fairy are tied together. This is because there was a stalactite with the image of a slim fairy in the cave, and it was said that there was also a fierce tiger in the cave in the old time. Therefore, it is called a place where there is a fairy in the tiger cave.

Langmusi Town
Langmusi is remarkable for its peaceful natural scenery and poetical landscape. The town and the hills are wreathed in mist all the year round. The hills are always so mysterious, the valleys are so deep and quiet and the town is extremely tranquil and tender. The town is divided into two parts by Bailong River: the northeast part is Langmusi Village which belongs to Maqu county, Gansu province; while the southwest part is Namu Village which belongs to Zoige County, Sichuan province. Because of different mountain shapes, the geography, vegetation and climate in the two villages are different. 

In Langmusi village, the mountain is gentle with more grass and less trees; whereas in Namu Village, the mountain is relatively steep with thick forests. Langmusi has the reputation of "Little Switzerland". People will feast their eyes on the charming scenery in Langmusi: under the clean blue sky, green trees make the shade; bright flowers are in full blooms; mountain brooks wind here and there; and birds' songs persist. The weather is changeable in a day here: in the dawn the rosy clouds spread all over the sky; in the morning the sun shines brightly; in the afternoon the wind sweeps away clouds and the rain falls down; in the evening the sky becomes clear again and the sunset glow appears.

There are about 1100 residents in Langmusi, most of whom are Tibetan, Hui, Salar and Bonan people and believe in Buddhism and Islam. Monastery is the heart of the region. There are two Buddhist monasteries and two mosques here. Gerdi Monastery is one of the largest and most influential Gelug Sect monasteries in Aba Prefecture in Sichuan province. Founded in 1412, this resplendent monastery administers 18 sub-monasteries with more than 500 monks. The most precious treasure in the monastery is the Buddha's relics of Dengbijianzan's (Gerdi the fifth) body. It is the oldest and best-preserved body relic in the whole Tibetan region.