Day01 25.07 SUN Arrival Xining Today we arrive in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province. This city is mainly inhabited with Tibetan but also a home of Uygur, Kazak and Hui minorities. Meet with and escorted to our hotel in town. Overnight at 4-star Xining Mansion or simillar Day02 26.07 MON Xining – Kumbum - Koko Nor – Xining B/L/D Breakfast at hotel. Check out and leave for Koko Nor. First of all we will drive to visit Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si) of Gelukpa-sect, which was built in AD1560 in Huangzhong county and also one of the six grand monasteries in the entire Tibetan culture realm. Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Lamaistic "yellow hat sect", was born here. After the visit we will cross over Sun-and-Moon Mountain (Ri Yue Shan). In 641 Wencheng princess of Tang Dynasty passed by this mountain where today a sun-pavilion and a moon-pavilion are built on the summit for people to have a break. The Sun-and-Moon mountain has always been a distinguish line between meadow and agriculture area. Arrival at Koko Nor Lake, walk and enjoy the beautiful landscape by the Koko Nor Lake. Meaning the "blue sea" in Mongolian, Koko Nor lake, the biggest salty lake in China, with an area of 4,500 square kilometers and an altitude of 3,194m high above sea level. The big lake is acclaimed as "pearl on the highland" and the scenery of which is unusually fascinating and appears different shapes even at the same time. Drive back to Xining. Overnight at 4-star Xining Mansion or similar Day03 27.07 TUE Xining – Lijiaxia – Kanbula - Tongren B/L/D Drive to Lijiaxia. Boating on the reservoir of Yellow River, visit the Kanbula National Forest Park with the scenery of red sand rock as well as three famous monasteries in the Namdzong valley: Achung Namdzong Monastery, the Namdzong Nunnery and Benben Monastery. Namdzong, also called as Dzong or Djung, is a natural valley and is one of four holy main places of Amdo. Here a popular place is for the Tibetan monks for meditating. Keep drive to Tongren. Overnight at 2-star Yunlong Hotel or similar sac de luxe pas cher Day04 28.07 WED Tongren B/L/D The Shaman Festival in Tongren (Repkong) is a large-scale sacrificial performance activity prevailing among the local Tibetan and the Tu villages in Repkong area, which is held annually between June 17th and 25th of the lunar calendar. The June Festival celebration is a complex that rich in cultural patterns and connotations. Today we will first drive to the Tibetan village by the name of "Siheji" to see the festival activities such as offering sacrifices to deities, inviting deities, welcoming deities, dancing for deities, aaa taschen and above all, enjoy the unique military dancing performance. The June Festival will be held in scores of Tibetan and Tu villages along the Wutun River basin. In addition participating the crowds at Siheji village, we will enjoy military dancing at Gomargar and Gashari village. Drive back hotel. Overnight at 2-star Yunlong Hotel or similar Day05 29.07 THU Tongren B/L/D Another day for the June Festival in Repkong. We will join the locals at Wutun Village to enjoy mask dances and visit Wutun Monastery, the center of Tibetan Regong-Art, which is a successful mixture of religion and folk art. Overnight at 2-star Yunlong Hotel or similar Day06 30.07 FRI Tongren – Xiahe B/L/D Leave in the morning for Xiahe and upon arrival, visit 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. Overnight at 2-star Baoma Hotel or similar Day07 31.07 SAT Xiahe – Lanzhou B/L/D Leave Xiahe for Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu provice. En route make an excursion to the grottos of 1000-Buddha's-temple in Bingling over the yellow. The grottos of the monastery are firstly built in 420AD. Figures here are older than those in Dunghuang-Grottos. Late in the afternoon we drive to Lanzhou and check in hotel. 1N at 4-star Legend Hotel or similar Day08 01.08 SUN See off B Free till check out and transfer to Lanzhou airport for departure flight. End of the festival trip to Kham and Amdo in this summer.
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