Amdo Tibet Horse Trekking
Visit Langmusi and the nomadic grasslands of Southwestern China
Seeing firsthand how Tibetan nomads have lived for centuries is an eye-opening journey through the pristine high-altitude area of Amdo Tibet.
For an authentic cultural experience try visiting the Tibetan nomadic grasslands near the town of Langmusi in Southwestern China. The natural beauty and Amdo Tibetan culture are the major draws of this area. Rolling hills of grass continue for miles, broken occasionally by rocky cliffs sprouting clusters of Buddhist prayer flags. These grasslands become covered with colorful wildflowers in the summer months and are dotted with sheep, yaks and nomadic tents.
A local company began offering treks around this area recently, either by horse or by foot. This allows travelers to experience the nomadic lifestyle by wandering over the vast green landscape and staying with authentic nomads.
Langmusi is a small town about 11,000 feet high, with a dirt main road and two Buddhist monasteries. It also has the distinction of straddling both Gansu and Sichuan Provinces which are separated only by the White Dragon River. Langmusi is surrounded by hills - some reaching 16,000 feet - as well as clear cold skies that drop rain without warning. The pleasing smell of smoke fills the air as you walk down the road and many signs on the shops are in English, signaling the increasing tourist draw. Probably once a pristine town, Langmusi is now feeling modernization, litter is strewn in the river, new hotels and restaurants are being built and all the little kids call out a perfect english "hello" when tourists pass by.
Tibet proper consists of three sections named Amdo, Kham and U-Tsang. The latter mostly encompassing what is now known as the Tibetan Autonomous Region - where Lhasa and Mt. Everest are - what people think of when Tibet is mentioned. But Amdo and Kham are in China. When the Chinese government took over Tibet in 1949 they split the territory with new borders but couldn’t change the culture. The Tibetan people in China still try to live the way they did before and do so surprisingly well.
The impact that the nomads make on their grasslands is minimal. In the summer months they move every month so their animals have enough to eat and in turn let the grassland recover. They use the dried yak dung for fuel; which when dried up and burned smells just like wood. Their tents are woven by hand from yak hair. At night they light their tent with a single energy-saving light bulb - powered by solar energy collected during the day from the small solar panel on top of their tent. There is no plastic waste, everything is natural.
Trekking through the grasslands and staying with the nomads is a once in a lifetime experience that shouldn't be missed.
Visitor Information
Getting there:
Air Canada often has reasonably priced flights into Beijing and Hong Kong via Vancouver. Getting to Langmusi takes a few days because there is no airport. There are flights or trains to Xining or Lanzhou where you can catch a bus or hire a taxi south through the monastery town of Xiahe to Langmusi. Alternatively you can fly to Chengdu and take a bus or taxi north through Songpan to Langmusi.
Where to stay:
In the center of Langmusi is the extremely clean family-run Xioufeng Hotel. A triple room costs 25 Yuan, about $3, per person.
What to do:
Horse or hiking treks can be arranged by the English speaking Langmusi Horse Trekking company.
There are also many possibilities for do-it-yourself hikes around the hills surrounding the town.
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