Oldest Surviving Monastery in Amdo

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Athletics in Labrang

Khorra (circumambulation) is not as leisurely or contemplative as one might expect. It seems more like an athletic event at the Tsegaling, the "sanctuary of joyful living," which appears to be the oldest and most prominently placed building at Labrang Tashikyil. The monastery itself was founded in the eighteenth century by the famous Gelukpa scholar Jamyang Shepa, and many of the buildings survived the turbulent 1960s intact. The locals circle the building at a crisp pace; some even run at points where there are no prayer wheels to spin. Spinning prayer wheels is believed to activate the mantras visible on their exterior and others packed inside. Perhaps the swift pace means that this is lunch break khorra.

Upon arrival in Labrang, we decided to splurge. Just out of town in open pastures surrounded by jagged hills, the Labrang Hotel has luxurious cabins made to look like Tibetan tents. SV and I rented bikes and peddled to Labrang Tashikyil, glad for the fresh air and exercise.

Rude Awakening

But Labrang is less friendly than Rongpo. The buildings are all closed, even the printing house. Signs are posted to indicate areas off limits to foreigners. One monk waves us away from entering the medical college. We sneak into the courtyard of one complex, only to be shooed away by a shouting lady. On top of that, SV's bike gets stolen. She hunts it down and with some detective work finds it in one of the many alleys where the monks live. She suspects a local boy who had been following us around.

We head to town for shopping and hot chocolate at the Everest Cafe. I scout out faux fur to line a future winter coat, and SV stocks up on medical texts at the local book stores. No time to visit the Ani gompas (nunneries) nearby. It rains and we have to wrestle our bikes into the back of separate cabs to return to the hotel.

On a packed bus in the morning, we wind through Amdo's ridges of red rock and past adobe villages during our descent to Xining.

Travelers to Labrang:

The famous monastery of Labrang Tashikyil is a worthwhile destination for anyone traveling in Amdo. Because the town of Labrang (Ch: Shahe) sees many foreigners, you can find good hotels and restaurants, catering to Westerners tastes as well as other useful facilities like bike and jeep rentals. The down side of its popularity is that the monastery is heavily regulated and monks take less interest in interacting with visitors than elsewhere.

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