headseast

A good read from National Geographic about the ancient Tea Horse Road, a trade route from China into Tibet. It starts “Deep in the mountains of western Sichuan I’m hacking through a bamboo jungle, trying to find a legendary trail. Just 60 years ago, when much of Asia still moved by foot or hoof, the Tea Horse Road was a thoroughfare of commerce, the main link between China and Tibet. But my search could be in vain. A few days earlier I met a man who used to carry backbreaking loads of tea along the path; he warned me that time, weather, and invasive plants may have wiped out the Tea Horse Road.” read more…

Leshan’s main attraction is the world’s largest Buddha, an incredible construction whose toes alone are taller than a man. The giant Buddha is set within a park full of sculptures and temples and beside a river and all of this is just a day trip from the Sichuan provincial capital of Chengdu. The Giant Buddha is the obvious highlight here but Leshan makes for a relaxing day out from Chengdu. The temple complex is huge and set within gardens with good views over the river from pavilions and plenty of water features. The Giant Buddha itself defies belief and you can climb down the cliff side to his feet.

The last entry for Tibet – at least for now. In contrast to the last post from the Shod Seb Nunnery, Ganden is a much visited Monastery and impressive as it is, its popularity shows – no photos of smiling monks here! Dating from the year 1417 Ganden was destroyed during the Cultural Revolution. Reconstructed in the 1980s it is visited by many pilgrims and there are now over 400 monks studying here. Still, this is a long way off it’s former glory. Ganden has a mountainside Kora as well as a nearby sky burial site. The views from the Kora are stunning as is the road that has been cut up the mountainside to ferry the pilgrims in by bus. Next stop Shanghai…

Another afternoon trip out of Lhasa to a different mountain in a different direction and this time a nunnery as opposed to a monastery. Shod Seb (meaning Juniper) is a little visited place, perhaps partly due to the extremely steep climb up the mountainside to reach it. Despite the rigours of the climb the experience was well worth it as a lack of visitors meant a degree of openness to those who make it that was unmatched in many other places we visit. I think this comes across in the photos. We left here with a smile – a very happy place.

An afternoons drive from Lhasa to the cliff side Drak Yerpa monastery famous for the monks who meditate for 3 years, 3 months and 3 days in the tiny caves which cover the mountainside.

In many ways Lhasa’s Barkor Square is the centre of the city. Facing the Jokhang temple, the holiest site of pilgrimage in Lhasa, this area is both a magnet for pilgrims and tourists making it the ultimate place for people watching in the city. Tibetans come from all over to prostrate here and make their way at least 3 times around the Kora, a circular route going around the temple itself. The Kora is alive and buzzing throughout the day and into the evening. It is as much a market as a religious experience with all manner of goods available. However much of a tourist trap this area is the power of the experience is undeniable and fascinating.

Xining is a mere two and an half hours by express train from Lanzhou but the city has a very different feel. Xining is capital of Qinghai province, a part of China with a large Tibetan and nomadic population and this boom city has a bit of the feel of a frontier. The boom itself is built on mining the vast resources of this province. Unlike most of China where population figures are enormous Xining has only 2.2 million and the whole province only 5 million. We had a day here to see a bit of the town and the Khumbum Monastery, one of the largest and most important outside of Tibet. The photos below are from the monastery visit which was interesting but lacked a certain authenticity due to the security and large amount of local tour groups.

Headseast – a blog all about China travel launched on 27th July 2009 with a photo of the symbol of Beijing, The Temple of Heaven in the south of Beijing.