8 days Tibetan New Year Festival
Tour In Amdo
1. -Arrive at Xining
Arrive at Xining airport; our guide and car will pick up you and
driving about 3.5 hours to Tongren. If you could arrive in Tongren
at about 6 o’clock pm, drive directly to Upper Wutun monastery
(Tib: Sengeshong Yago), to see monks burning the devil things at
the end of Dance in the field near the monastery. You can see this
ceremony also in Uper Wutun on 16th. You can not imagine how happy
the whole village people is when seeing the Tukchuwa is burning
and hundreds of village men let off countless firecrackers together…
At the moment in this atmosphere, you can create a strong feeling
of self-confidence towards New Year. It seems no any difficulties
can stop your steps to a bright future. Overnight Dianxin Hotel
** LD
2. -Tongren
In the morning, we visit some important monasteries in different
villages. Afternoon we go to see The Sunning the Buddha in Lower
Wutun (Sengeshong Yago). Some time starts at 12:30pm, some time
1:00pm but sometime 2:00pm BLD
3. -Tongren
We drive 7Km to Guomar village to see Sunning the Buddha. The whole
procession is exiting. As this grand event happens only once a year,
all the village people is eager to do prostration in front of big
Tangkha of Buddha which is 40m long and 20m wide, at the beginning
of the year to thank Buddha for the passed year and to pray for
good things in the coming year. After the procession at about 3pm,
you may drive to Sengeshong Yago (Lower Wutun) to see Turning the
Buddha ceremony.( But sometime finish earlier, sometimes longer).
BLD
4. -Tongren
Drive 5Km to Sengeshong Yago (Uper Wutun), a famous monk art school
set up in 16th century. Now it has 120 monks, the youngest is 7
years old and all of them have a good training to be artists in
this monastery. You can find their art works such as paintings and
sculptures almost in whole Tibetan area. Masks dance by monk artists
here is wonderful. The main theme of the performances describes
all the Protector Deities how to kill the devil spirits that is
made of barley flower in a box. You will see again but some different
from you see in Upper Wutun on 4th, monks burning the devil things
at the end of Dance in the field near the monastery. When seeing
Tukchuwa is burning and hundreds of village men too, let off countless
firecrackers together…BLD
5. -Tongren/Labrang
Drive 4 hours through a very nice valley to Labrang monastery. The
valley looks like “Grand Canyon” but afterwards we will
drive into the beautiful grassland where we can see yaks and sheep
and visit Nomads families. After lunch, we visit Labrang monastery,
which is one of six great Gelukpa (Yellow hat sect) monasteries
in Tibet, was founded in 1709, housing now 1000 monks. As Labrang
and Kumbum (Tar si) are considered as important institution of higher
learning in East-Tibet, during the New Year Festival time, here
attracts thousands of Tibetan people for pilgrimage, among them
a lot of nomads families from far away. BLD
We stay in Xiahe Government Hotel**.
6. --Labrang
A full day sightseeing strolling around Labrang to see many kinds
of nomadic peoples who come here to celebrate the great new year
festival from the grassland, some of them may come from far away
of remote areas. BLD Xiahe Government Hotel**.
7. -Labrang /Linxia
We see Sunning the Buddha; a large appliquéd Tangkha (30
by 40m) is displayed on the mountain slop opposite the monastery.
After lunch, we drive to Linxia or Lanzhou for overnight (Depending
on your flight time next day). BLD
8. Linxia
/ Lanzhou airport
After breakfast, we drive to Lanzhou air port to catch up the flight
which takes off at ….. Be sure arriving at airport before
…. BL
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