Travel Destinations: Yushu, China

Also known as Jyekundo, Yushu is located at one of the remotest provinces in China. Between the Amdo grasslands and the dense forested valleys of Kham in Qinghai Province, you will find Yushu. Here, the people are mostly Tibetan and there are some incredibly beautiful monasteries to visit.

One of the best times to visit Yushu is at the end of July when the three day horse festival commences on the 25th. Tens of thousands of Tibetans come here to celebrate at the town that has long been an important caravan town as merchants made their way to Tibet.

There are some truly wonderful cultural attractions one should not miss when visiting Yushu. Start with the Jyekundo Dondrubling Monastery (Jiegu Si). It dramatically overlooks the town on a elevated natural bowl. It was first built in 1398 but has been rebuilt since then. The main assembly hall is simply stunning with an incredibly peaceful inner sanctum where Buddhas watch you from above.

The monks are very welcoming and will most likely offer you a cup of butter tea which you definitely should not pass up on. Once you leave the monastery, take the ‘kora’ from behind it so that you can experience some wonderful views of the town. The best way to get up here is to go by foot through the mani lhakhang (a chapel containing a large prayer wheel) and through the town.

Another great attraction is the Sengze Gyanak Mani (Mani Shicheng). This is one of the oldest mani walls in Tibet, dating from 1715 and has an estimated two billion mantras carved into it. You will still see pilgrims coming here to turn prayer wheels. Some of these are over 10 meters tall. The Sengze Gyanak Mani is located 3km east of Yushu.

One sight you should not miss is the spectacular statue of King Gesar of Ling in the centre of town. He was a Tibetan warrior-god, much respected in Tibet, and his heroic actions are recorded in the longest epic poem of the same name.
You can also join local worshippers at dusk as they walk around the Namgyal Chorten in the west part of town.

In the surrounding area of Yushu you will find a large amount of terrific monasteries you can visit, but you will need a good couple of days to visit them all. Start with Princess Wencheng Temple. It is nestled in a side valley about 20km south of Yushu and is famous for being the spot where the beautiful Chinese princess Wencheng stopped for a month as she made her way to marry King Songtsen Gampo of Tibet. Inside, the inner chapel has an amazing carving in rock of the Tibetan god Vairocana (also known as Nampa Namse) which is said to date from the 8th century.

Yushu is often overlooked by visitors exploring everything China has to offer, but is one spot that shouldn’t be missed. It gives you culture, history, beautiful natural scenery and a chance to interact with different Chinese ethnic groups.