If you’re dreaming of visiting the grasslands in summer, yearning to experience Tibetan culture without the fear of altitude sickness, longing to embark on a light hike where there’s no ceiling, and hoping to touch the white clouds with your hands, but you only have 3-4 days of vacation, then listen up! Gannan in Gansu Province is your perfect destination!
Gannan, located in Gansu, has been rated by “China Geography Magazine” as one of the “50 Places to Visit in a Lifetime.” It may not be as vast as Xinjiang or as remote as Tibet, but it possesses its own unique charm with mountains, meadows, lakes, blue skies, prayer flags, pilgrimages, cattle, sheep, and white pagodas.
If Tibet is considered the last pure land on earth, then Gannan is a paradise on earth. Starting from June, the scenery is at its peak, making it the best time to visit Gannan.
We’ve prepared a comprehensive 【Gannan Travel Guide】 for you, covering various aspects such as attractions, transportation, routes, and accommodations. You can simply follow it!
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Gansu·Gannan Must-Visit Attractions
Gannan is a Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture located in the southwestern part of Gansu Province. It is one of the “Five Major Pastoral Areas” in China and has been evaluated by “National Geographic” as a “Secret Land That Must Be Visited in This Life,” making it a place that you must visit at least once in your lifetime.
Although it’s not Tibet, it feels even better than Tibet. There are no high altitudes or overly treacherous roads, but you’ll find a rich Tibetan culture, stunning natural scenery, and sparse crowds. This is the secret land of Gannan.
Gannan is vast, with numerous attractions. Along the way, you’ll encounter snow-capped mountains, grasslands, temples, lakes, secluded villages, and ancient towns, while also experiencing the charm of the Tibetan plateau. Let’s take a sneak peek at some of the must-visit attractions!
📍Ganjia Secret Land
Ticket + Sightseeing Bus: 120 yuan
Driving along G316 towards Labrang Monastery, you’ll pass by Ganjia Town. On the roadside, you’ll see the large characters “Ganjia Secret Land.” As you drive further in, passing through the small town, you’ll feel like you’ve entered a hidden paradise, with endless grasslands and secluded villages coming into view.
Traversing the Ganjia Grassland, you’ll see rocky mountains rising like screens, with the White Stone City nestled at the foot of the mountains. The Eight-Corner Ancient City, White Stone Cliff, White Stone Cliff Temple, White Stone Cliff Cave, and Di Stone Secret Land will be unlocked one by one as you progress.
This area was once part of the ancient Western Xia Dynasty’s territory, carrying a rich historical and cultural heritage. As you stroll through, you can sense the traces of those once-glorious years left behind.
⚠️Money-Saving Tip: Instead of directly navigating to Ganjia Secret Land, navigate to “Di Stone Secret Land.” You can drive directly to the foot of White Stone Cliff without paying the entrance fee!
📍Labrang Monastery
Ticket: 40 yuan
Located in Xiahe County, Gannan, Labrang Monastery was reportedly founded in 1709 by the first-generation Jamyang Awang Songzhe Lama through a dream revelation from the Buddha. As one of the ten major monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism and one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug school, Labrang Monastery is known as the “Vatican of the East” and is renowned as the “World Tibetan Academy.” It preserves the best Tibetan Buddhist teaching system in the country.
Labrang Monastery also boasts the longest prayer corridor in the world. Along this prayer path, you’ll encounter young children and elderly individuals walking with difficulty, holding prayer wheels in one hand and turning them with the other, chanting the six-syllable mantra with a peaceful and determined gaze.
It is also one of the filming locations for the movie “A World Without Thieves.” Movie fans can follow in the footsteps of the film’s scenes here!
📍Sangke Grassland
June to September is the most beautiful season on the Sangke Grassland. With few people around, the vast grassland is adorned with various wildflowers in full bloom, creating a sea of flowers everywhere. Yaks and sheep roam freely, creating a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere.
You can stop anywhere and take photos casually, and every shot will look like a screenshot from a movie, providing a truly healing experience.
If departing from Xiahe County, you can navigate to Langmusi and then drive along the G316 national highway to cross the Sangke Grassland.
📍Langmusi Twin Temples
Ticket: 60 yuan
Langmusi doesn’t refer to a single temple; it is a small town located at the border of Sichuan and Gansu provinces. The White Dragon River flows through the town, with a Tibetan Buddhist temple on each side. Entering Langmusi Town, you can experience the spiritual atmosphere and the incredible feeling of having Gansu on your left and Sichuan on your right.
The temple on the north side of the river belongs to Gansu and is called “Dacang Langmu Saichi Temple.” The entrance fee is 30 yuan per person. The architecture is golden and splendid. The back mountain leads to the sky burial platform, which can be reached by walking for about 40 minutes. This is the only sky burial platform open to visitors in the Gannan area. Apart from Seda, this is almost the only place where you can witness a sky burial. You can take a motorcycle to get there. The sky burial takes place between 7 and 9 in the morning, but it doesn’t happen every day; it only occurs when a local person passes away.
The temple on the south side of the river belongs to Sichuan and is called “Dacang Langmu Gerdi Temple.” The entrance fee is 30 yuan per person. In addition to the temple, there are vast meadows and forest canyons. The Sichuan Gerdi Temple’s corpse hall enshrines a living Buddha’s body, which is open every three to five days. Behind the temple lies the Namo Canyon, the source of the White Dragon River. Climbing up the hillside, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Langmusi.
📍Huanghe Jiuqu First Bend
Ticket + Uphill Escalator: 120 yuan
The undulating Ruoergai Grassland stretches for hundreds of miles, offering a healing and pleasing sight. The best time to visit is at dusk, when you can watch the sunset. The Yellow River meanders like a ribbon, adorning the lush green grassland. The magnificent scenery of the shimmering waves under the sunlight evokes a sense of reverence.
📍Ruoergai Flower Lake
Ruoergai Flower Lake is a beautiful wetland, known as the home of black-necked cranes and nicknamed the “Blue Sapphire” of the Ruoergai Grassland. From June to September, various plants in the lake flourish, and leisurely wild ducks swim around the lake surface, while the reeds along the shore sway in the wind.
This place can be described as a photographer’s paradise. On a clear day, the photos taken here are truly stunning. The only drawback is the need to walk a considerable distance, so it’s ideal for in-depth exploration if you have good physical fitness.
📍Zhagana
Ticket + Sightseeing Bus: 85 yuan
Zhagana is a stone city, also known as the “Oriental Eden.” It consists of four Tibetan villages and a scenic area. You can stay in a small village at the foot of the sacred mountain, take a morning stroll in the stone city, and hike to the observation deck to await the sunrise.
There are two routes to visit Zhagana. The first is to take the scenic area’s sightseeing bus, and the other is to walk. It is recommended to walk to the Fairy Beach, which is the best spot to overlook and photograph the panoramic view.
Gansu·Gannan Transportation Guide
How to Arrive?
✈️By Plane: Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport, Xiahe Airport
🚃By Train: Lanzhou Station
🚄By High-Speed Train: Lanzhou West Station, where most trains stop
Transportation in Gannan
The attractions in Gannan are scattered and far apart, so the best way to explore is by self-driving, which offers more flexibility. The roads in Gannan are relatively flat and easy to drive on. If you don’t have time for self-driving, joining a tour group or chartering/sharing a car are also viable options. Unless you have abundant travel time, public transportation is not recommended for exploring Gannan.
Gansu·Gannan Recommended Routes
🎈4 Days 3 Nights Itinerary (Suitable for a short first-time visit to Gannan)
D1 Lanzhou—Lanzhou Free Exploration
D2 Lanzhou—Labrang Monastery—Sangke Grassland—Diebu
D3 Diebu—Zhagana—Flower Lake—Langmusi
D4 Langmusi—Guomang Wetland—Milarepa Temple—Lanzhou
🎈5 Days 4 Nights Itinerary (Suitable for friends with more travel time)
D1 Lanzhou—Lanzhou Free Exploration
D2 Liujiaxia—Bingling Yellow River Stone Forest—Dazong Holy Lake·Marmot—Xiahe
D3 Labrang Monastery—Sangke Grassland·Horseback Riding—Zhagana
D4 Zhagana—Ruoergai Grassland·Flower Lake—Langmusi
D5 Guomang Wetland—Bafang Shisan Alley—Lanzhou West Station
The above itineraries are for reference only. You can arrange your trip based on the Gannan attraction map and your available time.
Gansu·Gannan Food Recommendations
The cuisine in Gannan is mainly dominated by Sichuan-Tibetan and Northwestern flavors. Yak hotpot, Tibetan hotpot, Tibetan cuisine, mutton… are all must-try delicacies. The beef and mutton, in particular, taste much better than in other places, without any gamey smell. Make sure to indulge in these delicious dishes during your trip!
⭐️Recommended Restaurants by Netizens:
📍Wuzelin Ka Tibetan Restaurant
📍Snow Mountain Nepal Bar
📍Clear Soup Yak Meat Soup Pot Tibetan Hotpot
📍Rock Road Cafe
📍Sichuan People Sichuan Flavor Sichuan Cuisine
📍Thumb View Restaurant
Gansu·Gannan Accommodation Recommendations
Gannan has many homestays where you can experience the grassland up close. The sight of cattle and sheep grazing in the wind-swept grass is no longer just a textbook description; you can see it as soon as you open your eyes or look up. Instead of making specific recommendations, it is suggested to first choose your daily destination and then find suitable hotels/homestays nearby.
Gansu·Gannan Precautions
- Staying in Tibetan areas for an extended period at high altitudes may cause altitude sickness. Please search for precautions related to altitude sickness on your own.
- Many travel agencies on the internet pretend to be individual players forming teams. They may deceive you into coming to Lanzhou and then claim that their own vehicles are temporarily unavailable, urging you to join a tour group. Please carefully discern such situations.
- The weather on the Tibetan plateau grassland is extremely unpredictable. Check the weather forecast in advance and bring one or two thick clothing items. Sometimes, if the weather is unfavorable, you can wait a while as it may clear up.
- You can drive up to Langmusi, as climbing the slope is too tiring. Recently, the probability of witnessing sky burials in the morning is quite high.
- The sunlight duration is long, and the ultraviolet rays are strong. Remember to bring sun protection gear.
- The food tends to be heavy in flavor. You can carry your favorite snacks with you.
- Avoid taking a shower immediately upon arriving in Gannan to prevent mild altitude sickness. Refrain from intense exercise.
- Bargaining is possible when riding horses on the grassland. It’s recommended to give it a try.
- Consider bringing a few pairs of comfortable travel shoes or soft-soled flat shoes.
- Respect Tibetan customs.
The above is the 【Gannan Travel Guide】 compiled by the editor for everyone. If you find it helpful, be sure to save this guide~
