2015 China

24 April, Zhangye to Xiahe
Overseas Tibetan Hotel 300CNY

The rail tracks that link Zhangye and Lanzhou run between two mountain ranges, some snow-covered. Where the valley is flat, it is farmed, the earth a deep, rich black-brown. Where it becomes hilly, the train passes through one tunnel after another. The road between Lanzhou and Xiahe climbs to over 2900m above sea level past potato terraces and vegetable farms where long lengths of plastic laid in the fields look like water glinting in sunlight. It passes through Hui (Chinese Muslim) country, mosques in every town and village, their minarets Middle East in design or entirely Chinese complete with tiles and titled roofing.    

Wikipedia: “Xiahe ... is a county in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu province, the People’s Republic of China. It is home to the famed Labrang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The town is populated largely by ethnic Tibetans, as well as some Hui and Han Chinese. The area is highly rural and pastoral (including yak and other animal rearing). The geography is mountainous. In recent years it has become a tourist attraction. The town was named Xiahe in 1928.”

Wikitravel: “The town lies along one main street parallel to the Daxia River. The Chinese section (commercial) lies to the eastern end of the road and the Tibetan section lies at the western end. In between lies the monastery.”

If you want a taste of Tibet without going to the trouble of travelling there, Xiahe is the place to get it. Text on shop fronts is in both Chinese and Tibetan, clothing and architecture are uniquely Tibetan, monks roam the streets and frequent the local restaurants where yak meat is on offer.

A long day, but pretty and therefore pleasing.