| Gansu, the Mainland's Little Lhasa by Tom | | | | worship at Labuleng, contributing to the |
| Carter | | | | colorful activity that gives Xiahe its |
| | | | attractive allure. A three-kilometer kora |
| In these over-publicized times of China's new | | | | (spiritual walking circuit) halos the area |
| railroad to Tibet, one might be better off | | | | and is heavy with foot traffic from dawn to |
| avoiding the tourist circus than rnning away | | | | dusk, whereby crimson-robed monks and |
| with it. Indeed, unless the reader has a | | | | natively dressed Amdo pilgrims spinning |
| certain fondness for overbooked hotels and | | | | hand-held mani wheels orbit the monastery |
| intrusive, red hat-wearing tour groups, Lhasa | | | | while breathlessly prostrating themselves and |
| is hardly the Tibetan delight that travel | | | | chanting. |
| agencies continue to bill it as. | | | | |
| | | | In between turning 1,200 vibrantly painted |
| Fortunately, lesser-traveled Gansu province | | | | wooden prayer wheels, the resplendently |
| in northwest China offers the cultural charm | | | | ornamented nomads rest beneath stupas to chat |
| of Tibet without the crowds. Sharing borders | | | | and sip yak butter tea, a veritable portrait |
| with six other provinces except Tibet, it is | | | | of Tibetan culture. |
| physically unobvious that Gansu would be home | | | | |
| to any kind of Tibetan population. This, | | | | Visiting the holy capital city of Lhasa on |
| coupled with the great shadows cast by the | | | | the roof of the world may sound thrilling, |
| ever-popular neighboring Sichuan and Shaanxi, | | | | but increasing occupation and rampant tourism |
| results in Gansu being one of China's | | | | has rapidly diluted it from the serene |
| well-kept travel secrets.The narrowly arching | | | | getaway it once was. Xiahe, known as Little |
| province makes it somewhat inconvenient to | | | | Lhasa, in the Gansu highlands is a more |
| traverse, yet it is due to this shapely fact | | | | intimate, and conveniently closer, |
| that the northern and southern regions offer | | | | alternative for those desiring a secluded |
| dramatically different topography, climate | | | | retreat of unadulterated Tibetan culture. |
| and culture, lending to Gansu's uniquely | | | | |
| varying harm. | | | | Transportation |
| | | | |
| Situated adjacent to both Xinjiang and | | | | 1. Flights from Beijing to Dunhuang Airport, |
| Qinghai provinces, the small city of Dunhuang | | | | daily at 7:30am (3 hours, 1,880 yuan) |
| in Gansu's Hexi corridor is famed for its | | | | |
| mountain-sized sand dunes and ancient | | | | 2. From Langzhou to Xiahe, busses leave the |
| Buddhist grotto cave art. A tree-trimmed | | | | North Bus Station at 7am, 8:30am and 2pm (5 |
| oasis emmed by a limitless expanse of sand, | | | | hours, 25 yuan). |
| Dunhuang, once an important outpost along the | | | | |
| Silk Road, is now a travel destination as hot | | | | Accomodation |
| as the outlying deserts. | | | | |
| | | | 1. In Dunhuang, the Feitian Binguan located |
| On the theoretically and geographically | | | | on Mingshan Lu directly across the street |
| opposite end of the province, the mountainous | | | | from the bus terminal is a popular backpacker |
| terrain of Xiahe provides a cool, quiet | | | | hangout, offering dorm rooms and hot-water |
| respite from both the sweltering sands and | | | | showers for only 20 yuan. |
| disorderly tour groups of Dunhuang. After | | | | |
| threading through verdant grasslands grazing | | | | 2. There are a number small inns of varying |
| with yak, golden fields of wheat and | | | | standards along Renmin Jie in Xiahe, though |
| undulating hills of the contiguous | | | | the Tara and Overseas youth hostels on the |
| Qinghai-Tibetan plateau, Xiahe suddenly | | | | west end of town seem to be the preferred |
| appears beneath the surreal blue sky like a | | | | choice (25 yuan for a dorm bed). |
| monastic vision. | | | | |
| | | | Regional cuisine |
| Of the Gannon Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, | | | | |
| Xiahe is in fact no more than a simple | | | | Hand-pulled noodles and thinner beef-noodle |
| slat-wood settlement along the Daxia River | | | | soup (saozi lamian) are provincial favorites. |
| physically and socially orbiting the | | | | Hui-Muslim influences to the north include |
| impressive Labuleng, mainland China's largest | | | | heavily seasoned mutton/lamb kabob (yangrou |
| Tibetan monastery. Hugged up against the | | | | chuan), fresh baked bread (nang) and bushels |
| surrounding mountainside, the picturesque | | | | of fragrant peaches and watermelon. Tibetan |
| state known also as the Labrang Lamma | | | | fare is simpler, including the notorious yak |
| monastery was built in 1710 and accommodates | | | | butter tea (po cha), a pungent, thick, salty |
| six Buddhist seminaries and over 500 monks of | | | | beverage that Tibetans consume habitually, |
| the Yellow Hat sect. | | | | and Tsampa, a nomadic staple of barley flour |
| | | | kneaded with butter tea to form an edible, |
| Buddhists from across the region come to | | | | nourishing dough. |