Travel Destinations: Tongren, Qinghai Province, China

Qinghai Province is a great place to go if you are in China and want to get a sense of Tibet without having to go through the process of getting a visa for Tibet itself. The only thing that separates Qinghai and Tibet really are the lines drawn on a map.

Tongren is also known as Repkong in Tibetan. It is a lovely quaint monastery town, home to Tibetan monks and shop owners of different ethnic minorities including the Hui and Tu. Tongren and the surrounding villages are famous for being the place where some of the world famous Tibetan thangkas and painted statues. They are so famous that a whole branch of Tibetan art has been named after the town.

So what is there to see and do here? Here is a list of the fabulous cultural and historical sights you can visit on your trip here.

RONGWO GONCHEN GOMPA (Longwu Si):

This is the main monastery in Tongren and an amazing architectural design. It is a labyrinth of restored halls, chapels and the residences of the monks who live here. It is massive and the interior design is just as impressive. It was constructed in 1301 and should definitely be explored. The best time to come here is during the morning.

WUTUN SI:

Six km away from Tongren you will come to Wutun Si in Sengeshong village. This is the place to come if you are interested in any aspect of Tibetan art. Wutun Si is divided into two monasteries, Upper (Yango) Monastery which is closer to town, and the Lower (Mango) Monastery.

Depending on when you go, there are different chapels open but the monks will happily show you around those which are open as well as a workshop or showroom. The monks who create these designs here are highly skilled and even monasteries as far away in Lhasa will commission them to undertake a piece and because of this, the prices are steep.

GOMAR GOMPA (Guomari Si):

If you take a hike across from Wutun Si you will come to Gomar Gompa. This is a 400 year old and looks like an ancient walled village. 130 monks are supposed to be housed here but people have remarked that it seems to be deserted. After visiting here, you can walk back to Tongren which will take you an hour or so if you walk up alongside the river.

Tongren is a quaint little town which should definitely be visited if you are lucky enough to be travelling this way. You will not be disappointed.