Things to do in Nangqian

Gar Monastery is located in Nangqian County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. It is located on a mountain with an altitude of more than 3,700 meters and is divided into the upper and lower temples. The north side of the mountain is full of strange peaks and cliffs, and the wind is cold, but the south side is slightly sloping and warm and sunny. The hundreds of buildings of Gar Monastery are irregularly distributed on this large hillside on the south side of the mountain, from bottom to top, until the top of the mountain. Gar Monastery has a history of nearly 1,000 years. It is said that more than 700 years ago, Guru Padmasambhava practiced in this town. The treasure of the town is a pair of peculiar prayer wheels, which are said to be the dowry brought by Princess Wencheng when she married Songtsen Gampo in Tibet. During this long time, this pair of prayer wheels placed in the upper temple of Gar Monastery were turned day and night by two lamas on duty. The constantly turning prayer wheels have accompanied the Tibetans deep in the plateau through thousands of years of wind and rain. The peaks around the Gar Monastery are of various shapes, some like balls, some like pillars, some like doors, some like walls, and some rocks like various animals. There are fewer trees on the top of the mountain, and occasionally encountering a few trees is enough to make people marvel. These weathered pines and cypresses, each with a unique shape, beautiful posture, vigorous branches and leaves, and strong character, survive tenaciously in the narrow cracks of the strange rocks, fully demonstrating the beauty of life in nature. There are also colorful prayer flags flying in the wind, draped all over the mountain, entangled everywhere, one after another, until the top of the mountain. Looking around from the upper temple of Gar Monastery, you can see that the mountains have become lower, the trees are far away, the road is like a snake dance, the house is like a box, the water is like a mirror, and the clouds are like flowing smoke. When you are there, you will feel a hundred feelings. The geographical location of Gar Monastery is relatively remote, with only about 10 households around it. Except for monks, few people come here. Gar Monastery currently has three living Buddhas. As the monks in the monastery have always adhered to the Buddhist idea of ​​great compassion and equality of life, they have lived in harmony with the animals in the mountains for many years and never killed them. There are many higher animals such as macaques, stone sheep, roe deer, yellow sheep, sika deer, elk, foxes, wolves, snow leopards and nearly 100 bird species such as snow chickens, pheasants, golden pheasants, eagles, vultures, and owls living here. On the road of about 76 kilometers from Nangqian to Gar Monastery, there are alpine grasslands, ancient salt ponds, virgin forests, and forest streams. The most rare is that this section has a canyon forest landscape rarely seen on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Starting from Nangqian, drive along National Highway 214 to 1024 kilometers and turn south to enter the gravel road to Baizha Forest Farm. Continue for about 25 kilometers, and then go west to enter the Barong Valley (also known as Gar Monastery Canyon). Drive about 15 kilometers to the end of the canyon. The road to Gar Monastery is rugged and difficult to travel, and it is even more muddy and difficult to travel in the frequent rainy days in summer, so it is best to drive an off-road vehicle. If you want to fully appreciate the cultural customs of Gar Monastery, appreciate the nearby natural scenery, and have close contact with wild animals, you need to stay in the local area. You can stay in Bamai Township not far from the entrance to Baronggou, or you can stay in the unoccupied houses of the monastery.

From Nangqian to Gading Temple, both Baidu and Gaode show that it takes 142 kilometers to drive. If you choose Gaode's cycling route, the 72-kilometer road is completely achievable by car.

The sacred mountain of Naijama can only be said to be a famous mountain in the local area. However, because the local people have endowed Naijama with a special and magical color, this ordinary mountain has become different.

Sapu Sacred Mountain doesn't attract many visitors, making it a relatively niche attraction. Obviously, the trail is difficult to navigate. The final section even passes a 5,500-meter-high pass on gravel. The drive also involved a long stretch along the Nujiang River Gorge, which was incredibly thrilling, with sheer cliffs right next to the car. The mountain is beautiful, and the glacial lake at the foot of the mountain is tranquil and still. It's a great place for quiet contemplation, but not for tourism.