Xiahe in upland Gansu - a precious moment of travel

Xiahe is a relatively small town, with main attractions that are easily accessible by walking. Labuleng Temple, founded in 1709, is one of the six most important monasteries of the Gelugpa, or Yellow Hat, sect of Tibetan Buddhism. In 1997 there were relatively few tourists as I walked through the courtyards or entered the many dim, candlelit halls with a noticeable aroma of sandalwood. Seated monks would ring bells while the walls held many racks of sacred Buddhist texts. Long, tubular cloth garlands hung from the wooden rafters almost reaching down to the piles of carpets where the monks would sit during services, chanting or meditation. There were countless bronze statues illuminated by flickering yak butter lamps.

I was often alone, which I prefer in these situations. It was perfect to sit and listen to the chanting of the monks or watch them perform slow, dramatic dance movements accompanied by the long-horned musical instruments producing deep wails, the banging of cymbals, and the beating of large drums covered in yak leather. It was awesome to watch.

Some wore plumed yellow hats as they walked, while others sat under trees reading Buddhist scripts known as sutras. Young novice monks ran around courtyards that would act as debating squares.

The monastery had its grand temples and residence buildings, but it also housed six colleges where astronomy, Tibetan medicine and theology were taught along with schools specializing in painting, dance and music. Printing workshops continued the tradition of hand-printing strips of rice paper using carved wooden blocks.