Overview
This small hill-encompassd dusty town, lying along the banks of the Daxia
River at an altitude of 3000 meters, is a county seat within the Gannan Tibetan
Autonomous Prefecture. Its historic role has been the servicing of the Great
Tibetan monastery of Labrang.
Today, shops along the main street supply the simple requirements of the
Tibetan farmers and semi-nomadic herdsmen from the grasslands as well as those
of the local monks. The two-storey wooden shop, mostly run by the Hui, stock
Tibetan religious objects such as hand-printed sutras, moulds, prayer wheels,
musical instruments, bells and vajras (thunderbolts), as well as hand-tinted
photographs of the Dalai Lama and late Panchen Lama. The town is thronged with
colorful pilgrims between harvests. Local watermills grind roasted barley into
flour (tsampa), the staple of the Tibetan diet.
The surrounding valley is serene, with yaks pulling ploughs in the nearby
fields. The grasslands, excellent pasturage for herds of yaks and horses, begin
about 30 kilometers beyond Xiahe. In the summer, they are carpeted with wild
flowers, and Chinese beekeepers spend the short summer here, moving their hives
every 20 days.
Attractions
Labrang Monastery
The Labrang Monastery is located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain
northwest of Xiahe County in Gannan Tibetan Nationality Autonomous Prefecture,
Gansu Province. A propitious place in the hearts of the Tibetan, it stands by
the Daxia River and faces the Dragon Mountain.
As for the Dragon and Phoenix Mountains, there is a beautiful legend. A
long time ago, this place was a boundless sea. After countless changes,
mountains and lands appeared. One day, a golden-wing phoenix flew here and
rested on one of the mountains in the south. It was so thirsty that it drank all
the water; thus the sea dried up. A dragon in the sea was greatly shocked, so it
cavorted out of the water, which led to the emergence of a spring at the site
where the phoenix drank. As the spring water effused more and more, the Daxia
River was formed. So the dragon became the Dragon Mountain and the phoenix
became the Phoenix Mountain. And the Daxia River flowed from west to east
through the two mountains, eroding the hollow into a basin. The Labrang
Monastery was built on the Zhaxiqi (means auspiciousness) shoal which is in the
north of the basin.
Sangke Prairie
Sangke Prairie lies about ten kilometres west of Xiahe County, Gansu
province. It enjoys a good reputation in the northwest Tibetan district for its
excellent pasture and frequent magnificent Buddhist ceremonies. Belonging to the
meadow steppe and bordered by the Daxia River, Sangke prairie is at an elevation
of 3000 meters (9843 feet) with an area of 70 square kilometres (27 square
miles).
The prairie is named for the summer-blooming sangke flowers that form a
natural carpet extending to the far horizons. Reflecting sky and mountains, the
Daxia River twists through grass and earth like an undulating silk belt.
Countless sheep, yaks, and tents are visible over the prairie.