Favorite place in China to visit?

I loved the Great Wall. Sounds touristy, but there was something really amazing about hiking up it in the dark and watching the sun rise! (We went to the Simatai section)

As far as places to vacation/explore, it would be tough to beat Yunnan for me. Here’s why:

GIANT prayer wheel in Zhongdian/Shangrila

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Monastery over-looking Zhongdian

My Tibetan host brother in a little village near Zhongdian

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Glacier!

A nature reserve in a tiny town I can’t recall the name of…

An abandoned prayer site we came across

And soooo much more! It was tough to pick though. Could have easily gone with Chengdu or Xinjiang as well. What’s your favorite?

One of my favorite spots in China is in Xiahe in southern Gansu Province. The quiet town is most famous for Labrang Monastery (拉卜楞寺) founded in 1709, one of the two most important Tibetan Buddhist Yellow Hat Sect monasteries outside of Lhasa.

The architecture is stunning. Many murals on the wall and upholsteries are maroon, gold, white, red, and blue which are lit up by yak candles throughout the rooms. There are giant Buddhas from the Past, Living, and Future that tower high above the alters. There were monks walking all around the monastery- which was surprisingly vast. To sum it up in one word: surreal.

It’s about a four hour bus ride from Lanzhou, Gansu’s capital.