10 Days Tibetan Ethnic Minority Tour: Celebrate New Year Monlam Festival with Tibetans (Xining - Tongren - Xiahe - Lanzhou)

Summary

Day 1 Xining Arrival
Day 2 Xining-Tongren: Ta'er Monastery, Upper Wutun Monastery (Mask Dance & Tibetan Fashion Show)
Day 3 Tongren Town: Lower Wutun Monastery (Sunny of the Buddha Ceremony)
Day 4 Tongren Town: Worship Maitreya
Day 5 Tongren Town: Watch Vajira Dance
Day 6 Tongren-Xiahe: Drive to Xiahe
Day 7 Xiahe: Labrang Monestery
Day 8 Xiahe: Labrang Lamastery (Religion Dance)
Day 9 Xiahe: Sacrifice day
Day 10 Xiahe-Lanzhou: Lanzhou Departure

Day 1 Xining Arrival

Our Xining private tour guide will meet you at the exit of Xining airport holding with a welcome signal "China Private Tour" and escort you to your hotel. 

The rest day is free on your own to explore Xining city.

Day 2 Xining-Tongren

After breakfast, drive to the Ta'er Monastery. Ta'er Monastery was founded in the Ming Dynasty (1379). It is called "Genben xianbalin" in Tibetan, which means "Maitreya Temple with 100000 lion roaring Buddha statues". It is the activity center of Tibetan Buddhism in Northwest China and enjoys great reputation in China and Southeast Asia. It is also one of the six major temples of Gelug Sect (yellow sect) in Chinese Tibetan Buddhism. Every year, major festival activities all held here. There are numerous Buddhist classics and academic monographs on history, literature, philosophy, medicine and legislation.

In the afternoon, drive you to the Regong in Tongren town. Regong area is famous for the birth and birth of the great "Regong Art", which is the essence of the Gelug (yellow sect) culture of Tibetan Buddhism. Here, you will watch the one of the most famous activities-Mask Dance & Tibetan Fashion Show during the festivals in Upper Wutun Monastery.

Stay overnight in Tongren town.

Day 3 Tongren Town

After the breakfast, drive you to the Lower Wutun Monastery in Tongren town. The Lower Wutun Monastery is called "Gadan pengcuo Qulin" in Tibetan, belonging to the small temple of Ningma school. Later generations called it "magongniangwa", meaning "Ancient Mother Monastery".

On this day, the monks are busy preparing for the Sunny of the Buddha Ceremony from the morning. They will spread out all kinds of tents and cloth with Buddha patterns, and receive the baptism of sunshine around the Monastery. At the same time, they will march in the street. This is one of the most important ceremonies of Tibetan Buddhism.

Stay overnight in Tongren town.

Day 4 Tongren Town

Free on your own in the morning until the guide bring you to the Lower Wutun Monestery again.

On the second day after Sunny of the Buddha Ceremony, there will be large-scale activities to Worship Maitreya. All local Tibetans will attend. At the same time, it is also an important day for local people to communicate, gather and sacrifice.

Timely return to Hotel in Tongren town.

Day 5 Tongren Town

In the morning, you will be taken to the Lower Wutun Monestery to watch the Vajira Dance. It is a folk activity handed down, usually divided into two groups, dancing with the mask of the legendary ghost. Tibetans think that it has the effect of avoiding evil and driving disaster.

In the afternoon, you can choose to continue to watch religious activities, or you can have your guide take you to visit other Tibetan monestery nearby.

Day 6 Tongren-Xiahe

Free own your own in the morning and the guide will bring you to the Xiahe county after lunch (drive about 4 hours). Upon arrival, drive back to your hotel.

Day 7 Xiahe

Today, you will spend 5-6 hours visiting Labrang Monestery, the largest Gelug monastery in Gansu Province. Labrang Monestery is a variant of Tibetan language "lahang", which means the residence of living Buddha master. It is one of the six temples of Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and is known as "world Tibetan School" in the world. In its heyday, there were more than 4000 monks. In 1980, it was open to the outside world for tourism.

Labrang Monestery is the political and religious center in the southern region of Gansu, which has the best Tibetan Buddhism teaching system in China. This is also the fundamental reason why Xiahe has become an important stronghold of Tibetan Buddhism Gelug school.

After the sightseeing, drive back to your hotel in Xiahe.

Day 8 Xiahe

Today, you will enjoy another day participating in the Buddhist Festival of Labrang Lamastery, watching the unique Religious Dance – the performers in colorful traditional outfits dance beautifully (and weirdly) show their respect to bodhisattva and tradition.

Day 9 Xiahe

Today is the last day of the festival, and everyone is preparing for the final ceremony. On this day, all believers will kneel down and pray to the gods to pray for good weather and peace in the coming year.

Day 10 Xiahe-Lanzhou

Drive back the Lanzhou (train station, airport) for your next destination. Our service ends.

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.