Sangke Grassland, also Sankoh Prairie, is located on the west side of Xiahe County in Gannan Prefecture of Gansu Province. There are hills and hills on the grassland, and there are also open wilderness. In every summer, there are green grasses and wild flowers everywhere. It is very beautiful. To Sangke Grassland, you can also rent a horse in the local area to go to the collectors to experience traditional Tibetan folk customs such as Zanba, butter tea, and Guozhuang. The grassland is only about 11 kilometers away from Xiahe County, where the Labrang Monastery is located. You can come here when you have time to visit the Labrang Monastery.
Sankoh Prairie is 10km southwest of
Laburang Lamasery, the reputed "school of Tibetan studies." Summer is the most bustling time on the prairie. Across the green grassland to the horizon, galsang flowers are blooming beautifully. Hundreds of thousands of Chinese and foreign tourists come here. Tsering and his classmates plan to open a Happy Pasture, a restaurantto sell butter tea, tsamba and local home-cooked meals and provide a shelter for the tourists.
It is generally convenient to visit the SangkeGrassland after a visit to the Labrang Monastery. You can take a small car in the county town or rent a bicycle to take a leisurely ride. The traffic is convenient. The regular play time is about 3-4 hours. After riding the horse, you will return to Xiahe County. If you feel better, you can stay overnight on the grassland. The chalet on the Sanko Prairie also provides horseback riding, Tibetan food, and homestay services. The accommodation is usually a tent or a room in the earthen house. Each person is about 50 yuan. The conditions are limited, but they are more Tibetan, and they are on the grassland at night. The shooting stars are also very beautiful.
After the Sangke Grassland, tourists will basically experience horse riding. The price of riding in the Sanko Prairie is about 50 yuan per hour. The horse riding here does not allow the horse to run on the grassland. Lead slowly. Walk along the hillside behind the grassland to the herdsmen's private pastures. Generally, these pastures are well protected, the grass grows lush, and there are all kinds of dense wildflowers inside, and the scenery is very beautiful. The groom will wait for a while, let the tourists take pictures in the grassland, and then lead the tourists back on horseback.
After returning to the herd, you can return to the county directly, or you can experience Tibetan food or accommodation in the local area. The main food here is glutinous rice, butter tea, etc. The price is relatively affordable, basically the same as the county. The herd can also provide services such as roasting whole lambs, but the price is more expensive and you need to say hello in advance. Staying on the grassland at night can watch the stars.
In addition, every summer, there will be festivals such as the Xainglang Festival on the grassland. The herdsmen often sing together and dance in the evening, and the pastoral activities in the accommodation often hold such activities. If you are lucky enough to catch up with such scenes, join them. They will experience the jubilant grassland style together!
Xianglang Festival
Among frequent Tibetan Buddhist ceremonies, the most important one is the
Xianglang Festival that falls on the third week in July. In
Tibetan, “Xianglang” means gathering firewood. It is said that when Labrang Monastery was built, there were hundreds of monks but the alms they could get were limited. Firewood was especially scarce. Therefore, monks had to go far away to gather the firewood in summer. The tradition is passed on and develops into a festival in the Gannan area. Nowadays, local people celebrate the festival by having leisure time on the prairie. On fine days, they take tents, utensils, and highland barley wine and camp on the prairie for several days to relax. Interesting activities such as horse race or tug-of-war are held between different villages or households.
To the local
Tibetan people, Sangke Grassland is a good natural pasture. To visitors, it is the best place to experience the nomadic life, spend summers and return to nature.
Travel Tips
Add: 10 km southwest from Labrang Temple, in Xiahe County,Gannan Prefecture of Gansu Province
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
Entrance Fee: CNY 50