Gannan

6-day tour of Gannan, a painful lesson: Gannan is definitely not a "special forces" paradise to rush into blindly! High-altitude strikes + cultural minefields will make you question life in minutes💥 👇 🚌Local transportation: Don’t expect buses/trains! Gannan has no railway, attractions are scattered, and shuttle bus schedules are so few it’s heartbreaking Rent an SUV! Rocky roads and cliffside mountain roads on the Rock Road will scrape the chassis of sedans to ruin Be cautious with self-driving! Few gas stations and no 98-octane fuel, frequent no phone signal, offline maps are a must ⚠ A tearful summary of 10 iron rules from a close friend 😭Tip 1: Take altitude sickness seriously! Gannan is all above 3000m, drink glucose heavily upon arrival + no washing hair or bathing for 24h! Out of breath hiking Zhagana? Use oxygen quickly (20 yuan/bottle at pharmacy) 😭Tip 2: Temple taboos must not be violated! At Labrang Monastery/Langmu Monastery: no hats, no photographing Buddha statues, no counterclockwise prayer wheel spinning! Don’t secretly photograph the sky burial platform, or risk angering the Tibetans 😭Tip 3: Zhagana accommodation is fiercely competitive! Book the popular “Cloud Resident Homestay” one month in advance! Stay in Dongwa Village to open your window and shoot the sunrise the next day, otherwise cry at the foot of the mountain 😭Tip 4: Don’t gamble on the timing for Flower Lake! Flowers bloom and birds are abundant from June to August, enter after 17:00! The light is soft and there are fewer people; going at noon? You’ll get sunburned and blinded by reflections 😭Tip 5: Don’t be soft when bargaining for horse riding! Sangke Grassland charges 80 yuan/hour? Bargain down to 50 yuan! Choose a gentle mare and check the saddle before mounting 😭Tip 6: Don’t trust “free viewing platforms”! Zhagana Dari Viewing Platform charges an entrance fee (80 yuan), the “secret trail” that wild guides hype is easy to get lost on + you might encounter wild wolves 😭Tip 7: Apply sunscreen like your life depends on it! High-altitude UV rays are deadly compared to coastal areas, SPF50+ reapplied every 2 hours! Exposed scalp? Wearing a hat with an open top = sunburned, oozing scalp (don’t ask me how I know) 😭Tip 8: Don’t randomly try Tibetan food! Butter tea is salty, be cautious (may cause diarrhea), try sweet milk tea first; Tsampa rolled into balls dipped in yogurt is easier to swallow; raw yak beef sashimi? Weak stomachs go straight to emergency 😭Tip 9: Don’t touch the grassland flowers! Gesang flowers are beautiful but all have thorns! Picking flowers is fined 500+ yuan, crouch low and shoot from an angle for better photos 😋Food guide (tested and true) 1⃣ Xiahe · Wuzelinka Tibetan Restaurant Hand-grabbed lamb ribs with garlic slices: balanced fat and lean, zero gamey taste! Yogurt with ginseng fruit: sweet and sour bursting sensation, sprinkled with sugar is amazing 2⃣ Langmu Monastery · Lisa Café Tibetan pizza + apple pie: an authentic small shop popular with foreigners, yak meat filling is finger-licking good 3⃣ Hezuo · Anduo Fried Firecrackers Noodles like firecrackers fried with beef: a rugged northwestern style fried noodle, spicy aroma makes you stomp your feet 4⃣ Zhagana Tibetan Family Guesthouse Tibetan hotpot + highland barley wine: dip yak meat around the fire pit