Trip Overview
Monlam Festival, firstly was established in 1409 by Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelukpa of Tibetan. It starts on the fourth day of the Tibetan calendar and ends of the fifteenth day that is the day called the Butter Lamp Festival (Choe-nga Choepa) that is the greatest and last day of the Monlam Festival.
During the Monlam Festival, Buddhists pray and commemorate the miracles Buddha did about 2,500 years ago in India. The goal of the entire Monlam Festival season is to remember Buddha and his activities and to pray.
In Amdo Tibet, Labrang is the largest site for Monlam Festival. The Monlam prayer festival is actually almost a two week event. The festival. On this tour, besides Monlam Festival, we also visit Bingling Temple, Milariba Pagoda and the two monasteries in Langmusi.
Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival Xiahe via Lanzhou
Today, take the flight to Lanzhou. Our local guide will meet you upon your arrival flight. Drive about 1.5 hours from airport to Bingling Temple Grottoes.
After visiting the Bingling Temple Grottoes, drive 3-4 hours to Xiahe. Xiahe is a small and tranquil town around Labrang Monastery.
Overnight Wangfu or Baoma Hotel
(L, D)
Day 2 Labrang Monastery
This day of Monlam Festival is the day for unfolding Thangka. It means we need to get up early to join in the people for getting a good view of the Thangka as it is unfolded. The Thangka is a very large religious painting, usually of the Buddha.
The whole of display unfolding Thangka is slowly. When the ceremony is finished, and the prayers are completed, the Thangka is rolled up again, and the procession returns to the monastery.
After attending the program, visit the Labrang Monastery. Labrang Monastery, one of the six greatest monasteries of Gelukpa Tibetan Buddhism, is the biggest Tibetan monastery outside Tibet. It is famous for its Medical Academy, the largest institution in Tibetan Buddhism.
Before we have a dinner, we can visit a local Tibetan family to see how they celebrate the Festival.
Overnight Wangfu or Baoma Hotel
(B, L, D)
Day 3 Labrang Monastery to Langmusi
After breakfast, enjoy this day of Monlam Festival. It will be a wonderful performance of Mask Dance, which monks dance traditional dances. The costumes depict animals, devils, children and wise men and are extremely complicated and colorful.
After today’s program of Mask Dance, drive about 4 hours to Langmusi. On the way, stop at Milariba Buddha Pavilion for a visiting. The impressive and beautiful Milariba Buddha Pavilion is the only building of its kind in the region. It is surrounded by formidable guardian walls on the outside, which features white towers displaying the classic Buddhist style.
Overnight Dacang Langmu Hotel
(B, L,D)
Day 4 Langmusi to Labrang Monastery
Langmusi, actually is a town instead of a temple as most people thought. It is located on the border of Gansu and Sichuan. Meanwhile, it is also a meeting place of Muslim and Buddhism.
This morning, explore Ge\'erdi Monastery and Saichi Monastery.
After lunch drive back to Labrang Monastery for seeing the beautiful Butter Sculptures in the evening. The patient monks have spent many weeks to creating them. The butter sculptures are of flowers, trees, birds, animals, and tell different stories. This night comes to a climax of the Monlam Festival, it is an exciting moment.
Overnight Wangfu or Baoma Hotel
(B, L,D)
Day 5 Departure
After breakfast spend the time to see parading Maitreya Buddha Statue around the Monastery. It can be transported by monks or local believers. The sense behind parading the statue of Maitreya around the monastery is to remind the faithful to "keep the faith" and ensure that Maitreya returns only in statue form once a year to underscore the importance of the Dharma and the word of Buddha.
Then drive back to Lanzhou Airport for your flight back.
Trip ends.
(B, L)
