Monlam Festival Tour in Tongren and South Gansu 2026

Itinerary

Itinerary
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DAY
1

24.02.2026 Xining - Tongren

Arrive in Tongren, the hometown of Thangka art

In the afternoon drive from Xining to Tongren, the hometown of Thangka art.

165 km
2 hours 24 minutes
Overnight at Shengyu Tianlun Hotel

Mask Dance at Gomargar Monastery

Photo by Prof. Hans Först

DAY
2

25.02.2026 Tongren

Experience the “thanks-giving breakfast” and Thangka Buddha-Painting Exposure at Gomargar Monastery; grand Buddha circuit activity at Wutun Monastery

In the morning we set out for approx. 10km to Gomargar Monastery to see the grand assembly with Tibetan locals and monks of the monastery, experience the “thanks-giving breakfast”. The highlight of the tour today is no doubt the Thangka Buddha-Painting Exposure, which normally starts from 14:00 pm and will last for 3-4 hours. After the first hour visiting Gomargar Monastery we drive to lower Wutun Monastery to participate the grand Buddha circuit activity. Drive back hotel.

Overnight at Shengyu Tianlun Hotel

Breakfast

Thanks-giving Breakfast in Gomargar Monastery

Photo by Prof. Hans Först

DAY
3

26.02.2026 Tongren

Mask dance at Wutun Monastery; grand Buddha circuit activity at Gomargar Monastery

Continue visit at Repkong (Tongren). We will spend the whole day long at Wutun monastery and Wutun village the center of Tibetan Regong-Art, which is a successful mixture of religion and folk art. Enjoy the mask dance at Wutun and take photos. In the afternoon drive to Gomargar Monastery to see the grand Buddha circuit activity.

Overnight at Shengyu Tianlun Hotel

Breakfast

Mask dance at Wutun Monastery

Photo by Prof. Hans Först

DAY
4

27.02.2026 Tongren – Diebu (2396m)

Mask dance at Gomargar monastery

Half day to the Gomargar monastery to enjoy the monk mask dance. In the afternoon drive to Diebu.

358 km
6 hours 47 minutes
Overnight at Luoke Zhouji Hotel

Breakfast

Mask Dance at Gomar Monastery

DAY
5

28.02.2026 Diebu - Tiebu - Langmu Si (3600m)

Tiebu Sika Deer Nature Reserve

In the morning, drive to the Sika Deer Nature Reserve at Tiebu, we can see the wild sika deer. In the afternoon, drive to Langmu Si at the border of Sichuan and Gansu provinces.

169 km
3 hours 58 minutes
Overnight at Langmu Si Hotel

Breakfast

Sika Deer in Tiebu Reserve

Photo by Liu Bin

DAY
6

01.03.2026 Langmu Si – Luqu (3500m)

Sunning-Buddha ceremony at Langmu Si monastery

In the morning, watch the big sunning-Buddha ceremony at the hillside by the Langmu Si monastery with crowds of Tibetan locals. A huge Thangka with Buddha will be unrolled. All participants as pilgrims, farmers, nomads and tourists at the ceremony will be blessed by gods. In the afternoon drive to Luqu.

86 km
1 hour 18 minutes
Overnight at Tong Wa Geng Mu Hotel

Breakfast

Huge Thangka in Langmu Si Monastery

DAY
7

02.03.2026 Luqu – Zhuoni (2541m)

Jewelry show and mask dance (Cham) in Xicang Monastery

Drive to Xicang Monastery to take part in the jewelry show, which is celebrated on the eighth day of the second month in Tibetan calendar to admire nature and pray for good luck for the new year. The followers will put on their finest traditional clothes. You’ll also enjoy mask dance (Cham). Then drive to Zhuoni.

196 km
3 hours 35 minutes
Overnight at Taohe Hotel

Breakfast

Jewelry Show in Xicang Monastery

Photo by Prof. Hans Först

DAY
8

03.03.2026 Zhuoni – Xiahe (2800m)

Thangka unroll at Zhuoni Si Monastery; amazing show of Butter Sculpture Arts at Labrang Monastery

Take pictures of the Thangka unroll in the Zhuoni Si (Cho-ne Gonchen, Gandan Shedrubling Monastery). Ensuing along the hill, the marvelous thangka unrolled on the hill ridge, showing to pray to the Buddha for blessings. All the monks and believers gathering together, pray for peace and happiness. The portrait at the ceremony is to be changed every year among these three holy figures: Maitreya, Amithaba and Tsongkapa. Drive back to Xiahe. At about 16:00 go to the monastery Labrang, and at 18:00 enjoy the amazing show of Butter Sculpture Arts, a vivid hand art created by the Buddhist monks inspired by the Buddha teachings.

166 km
3 hours 3 minutes
Overnight at Labrang Civil Aviation Hotel

Breakfast

Show of Butter Sculpture Arts at Labrang Monastery

Photo by Prof. Hans Först

DAY
9

04.03.2026 Xiahe – Lanzhou

Grand Buddha circuit activity at Labrang Monastery

In the morning visit the big Labrang monastery, the most important religious centre on the northeast border of the Tibet region. The monastery created in 1710, as one of the six grand monasteries in Tibet area, has served for centuries there to connect the Tibetan and Mongolian. Another highlight of our tour to Xiahe in the morning: visit the grand circuit together with thousands of pilgrims and monks at Labrang to make a round walk of the monastery with the huge statue of Maitreya, Buddha of the Future. After that we drive to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province. Service ends.

232 km
3 hours 17 minutes

Breakfast

Labrang Monastery

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