It is a amazing place!At the western end of Xiahe,there is a mountain range which looks like a golden phoenix.It is named Feng Mountain.Opposite it is Dragon Mountain,just  like a sleeping dragon;Daxia river flow eastwards between these two mountains and has washed the valley into a dragon-boat shaped basin which the local Tibetans call"Treasure Basin".The famous Labrang Monastery is situated in this basin at the foot of Phonenix Mountain.

Labrang means Buddhist palace in Tibetan,namely the living place for lamas.It has a history of more than 300 years.labrang is one of six great monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism in China.Labrang was established in the 48th year of Kangxi period in Qing Dynasty,in 1709,and rebuilt in successive generations.Up until 1947,it had today"s scale.It is the political,religous and cultural center of the Tibetan people in Gansu,Qinghai and Sichuan Provinces.

Labrang occupies an area of more than 1.234 mu.It has 6 scripture  altars,84 Buddhist halls,31 Tibetan-style buildings,31 Buddhist palaces,more than 500 scripture rooms,living rooms for more than 10,000 monks,and many other different buildings.The total architectural area is more than 400 thousand square meters. The buildings are tall and magnificent  with gilded tiles and red walls.Seen from afar,the golden roofs sparkle under the sun.Labrang monastery is especially famous  for its six halls.They are the Wensi,Xubuxia,Shilun,Yiyao,Xijingang and Xubushang.So, Labrang monastery becoms the biggest Buddhist school in the world. It is reputed as "the second Tibet".

and so on :)

Many activities are held every year in Labrang Monastery,From the 3rd to 7 th of the first Tiberan mounth there is the "Praying Congregation"in memory of Sakyamuni's victory over the six heretic masters.During this period ,there are seven daily meetings in the Scripture Reading Hall; one of these is  for praying  thus the term "Praying Congregation".On the eighth day,a ceremony  for freeing animals is held during which selected horses,oxen,and sheep are sprayed with clean water and then set free with colored brocade or cloth tied  around their ears.These animals will never be killed.

The grandest ceremony is the display of  the Portrait of Buddha which is held on the 13th of the first Tibetan month,The monks hang huge,finely-made Buddha portraits on the side of Dragon Mountain and hundreds of thousands of pious believers assemble to worship the Buddha,It is a solemn and grand scene.

On the 14th,a dharma ceremony is held in front of the Scripture Reading Hall.The danvers are about 30 persons, and other more than 20 persons  perform the beautifu music,When the dance begins,the dancers wear masks and play different roles.It is said that Sakyamuni' victory has begun from this days.

So if you want know more and wanna  have a  amazing trip in Xiahe,contact me !I will do my best for you ~~~~~~