Monks in the Mountains (Gansu Trip part 1)

My first big adventure in China (Hong Kong doesn't count) was completely different from anything I have ever experienced, and completely outside the realm of what most people think of when they think "CHINA". I went to the very western part of the country. One part mountains (think: Everest), one part desert (think: oceans of sand) make up the province of Gansu. Unlike the eastern seaboard, western China is still developing and very poor. So, no tall buildings or interesting architecture, no shopping malls or even large cities. Just open spaces and lots of nature.

The trip had two very distinct parts. For the first half of the trip, we were in the cold Tibetan region (as close to Tibet as any American can get these days) where the air is thin and yaks are abundant. The second half of the trip we spent in the dry, arid, sandy, warm desert. There's so much to tell about each location that I think I'll split the trip into two blog posts so that it's bearable. I'll go chronologically. So let's start with Tibet.

Now Entering Tibetan Territory

After a 5am wake-up call, 5 hour flight and 5 hour bus ride (we were really in the middle of freakin nowhere) we arrived at the tiny town of Xiahe (pronounced "she-ah-huh"). When I say "tiny," I mean it. Xiahe has one street running through it. The town is almost dead because no one actually lives there. Most people in the region are farmers or herders so they only come into town once in a while to purchase stuff they can't make themselves.

Being college students, we located just about the only bar in town the first night...well, we didn't find it ourselves, our awesome tour guide Emma took us. She was the best. She was so excited to have a group of young people--she told us on the first day that she usually only guides old people because they have time to see this remote region of China. She also taught us that when you "ganbei!" (cheers!) at the beginning of the night in China you have to down your full glass......of...yak milk. Of course.

On our first full day in Xiahe we visited Labrang Monastery, which is apparently the most famous Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the world. Western China is interesting because it's actually very religious, as opposed to the more developed eastern half. What's more interesting is that much of western China is Muslim. During our long bus rides we could look out the window onto this rural landscape with a few houses and ranches, and right in the middle of the desolate village would be this great, beautiful, elaborate mosque. These mosques are actually a politically divisive issue...but we spent out time in the Buddhist region, so I'll stick to that.

Labrang Monastery (Labuleng Si in Chinese) is a large school of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism. They are called the Yellow Hats because they actually do wear these big, silly looking yellow hats. There are about 700 monks in residence at the monastery, most of them studying theology at one of the four religious schools housed within the monastery. To gain entrance to the school of theology, a monk must pass a very rigorous exam. Many monks spend years living and working at the monastery before they pass the entrance exam. Once a monk graduates from the school he has chosen, which may take many many years, he becomes a Master. Only specially chosen monks may be Lamas. Lamas are usually chosen from a very young age, many families choose to send their sons to the monastery, because they are said to be the reincarnation of a recently deceased Lama.

Our tour guide through the monastery was a monk who had been guiding tours of the monastery for many years and had recently been accepted to the school of theology. He didn't think he would ever become a Master, which gives you a sense of just how intense their studies are. The monastery houses 60,000 sutras (sacred Buddhist books) along with an extensive library of historic and religious books written in both Tibetan language and Hindi.

Our Tibetan Monk Guide

We were lucky enough to be there right when all of the monks, Masters, and Lamas gathered in the main hall for prayers and meditation. Their chants sound very strange, but listening to all of them chanting together was pretty cool.

Warm feet get in the way of proper meditation

It's pretty late here, and I'm getting a bit tired, so I think the rest of Tibet will have to wait for another time.
...I should have left you with a cliffhanger or something so that you'll be left wanting more...hmmm.......
AND THEN SOMEBODY SHOT JR!
Until next time!