Langmusi

Langmusi, known in Tibetan as Taktsang Lhamo སྟག་ཚང་ལྷ་མོ་, or just Lhamo, is a small village straddling the border of Gansu and Sichuan in the Amdo region of the Tibetan Plateau. Sitting at 3325m, Lhamo lies in a beautiful valley surrounded by alpine forests and amazing mountains. The town only has a population of around 3500 to 4500, with more than 1100 of the people belonging to the two monasteries found in the village. During Tibetan New Year (Losar ལོ་གསར་) and during other important festivals throughout the year, many pilgrims can be found going to Lhamo. These pilgrims often prostrate to the ground every 3 steps all the way to the monasteries. The journey for them can take several weeks or even months.

Kirti Monastery, on the Sichuan side of the village, is home to around 750 monks. Behind the monastery is a gorge with several old meditation caves. In Tibetan, "Taktsang" means "Tiger Cave" and a short hike behind Kirti Monastery will bring you to the caves for which the town is named. Hiking behind the monastery is one of the highlights of the area. Even if you don't plan on going into the monastery, you will most likely have to pay the Y15 entrance fee in order to hike behind the monastery.

Sertri Monastery, on the Gansu side of the village, is home to around 350 monks. It is the higher of the two monasteries and sits in a less impressive setting than nearby Kerti Monastery. There is a pilgrimage kora around Sertri. It is best to go in the morning as there are normally many Tibetan pilgrims also doing the kora. The entrance fee to Sertri Monasery is Y20 per person. If you follow the paved road past Sertri, it leads to several small villages home to Tibetan herders. These families are quite friendly and are worth the extra hike to reach.

 

The main reason people go to Lhamo is for the hiking and horse trekking. As stated above, there is excellent hiking behind Kerti Monastery. The Langmusi Tibetan Horse Trekking company arranges quality horse treks in the area for around Y150 per day, per person. They arrange everything from 1 to 5 day treks to the surrounding mountains and nomadic grasslands of the region. The company is half-owned by Kelsang, who also owns the Langmusi Hotel located across from the trekking company. Kelsang is a local Tibetan who knows the area well and is quick to help with any travel related questions you may have. The horse treks are led by Tibetan guides who also know the area well. In my opinion, the horse treks in Lhamo are better than those found in nearby Jiuzhaigou or Songpan as the treks in Lhamo go through very authentic and traditional Tibetan nomad areas.

Lhamo, despite being small, has quite good facilities for travelers. There are several inexpensive guesthouses to choose from (I recommend the Langmusi Hotel located across from the horse trekking company) as well as restaurants. The Snowy Mountain Cafe, next door to the Langmusi Hotel, serves up several good western dishes (including great pizza). The Amdo Cafe is located along the dirt road to Kirti Monastery and offers real coffee, cakes, sandwiches smoothies. They also sell an assortment of handmade Tibetan handicrafts. The Amdo Cafe is the perfect place to buy authentic Tibetan souvenirs that are made locally by Tibetan nomads. The Dong Zan Tibetan Culture restaurant, located across the street from Leisha's Restaurant, is a great Tibetan owned restaurant that serves great Tibetan and Chinese food. They have large screen TV's and also offer free wireless internet.

If you have any questions about travel in the Langmusi area or any other region of the Tibetan Plateau, feel free to send me an email at [email protected].

Comments

[Losang]

Harper.....I don't know where you heard that! In the 10 years I have been living and traveling across Tibet I have NEVER come across a remote monastery that offered wife or had a widescreen TV.

[Harper Cosper]

Wow, I've been hearing a lot of stories about Tibetan monasteries being placed on the edge of a cliff, requiring you to hike on such a dangerous trail, only to find out that they actually offer you widescreen TVs and free wifi in a nearby hotel. If I go to Tibet, I'm gonna make sure that the visit will be as natural and authentic as possible.

[James]

Spectacular photos. I really liked the stories about the combination of old and new. Among the pilgrims who make pilgrimages to temples, pizzerias and coffee shops that serve hungry tourists and locals

[Losang]

Maria...That is amazing that you saw me in Taktsang Lhamo! I have been there 3 or 4 times this summer and I saw several foreigners so I can't be sure if I saw you or not. I hope you have the opportunity to go there again.

Have a good day!

Losang

[Maria Carlos]

Hello! I had the privilege of travelling in Tibet on a horticultural tour this summer. we were in Taktsang Lhamo on the same day you were! We had lunch somewhere, walked up the street and spent about an hour at Sertri Monastery. I have a pic of the stupa in front of the Monastery, as well as one of the Dong Zan Tibetan Culture restaurant. Am enjoying your blog, and love your photos. They almost take me back to that amazing place. Thanks for doing this!

[Chau]

Hello,

I've sent you an email but it seems that you're too busy for response. We're planning to have a trip from Xining overland to Chengdu through Amdo this September. Please tell me where can I find a good independent Tibetan guide that is knowledgable about this area, we want to have some camping with the nomadics and trekking around Mt. Amnye Machen. Thanks a lot for your help.