Look around for one last time in the beautiful Labrang Monastery in Xiahe and take your last picture of one of the friendly monks. You’ll be picked up early in the morning at your hotel and your Sichuan province travel highland experience will begin. You’ll become acquainted with your driver and your English-speaking guide. Since the people you’ll meet along the way have such interesting traditions having a guide with you is a wonderful way to learn as much as you can about them. You would miss out on too much if you didn’t have ‘subtitles’ to explain certain aspects of life in this area to you…. like why the men here have such unusual sleeves.

The road in this area has been greatly improved the last few years. The Sichuan landscape is hilly and from time to time you’ll see snowy mountain tops. During the summertime the grasslands are a sea of flowers, for instance the rare edelweiss. Sporadically you’ll see a small ‘village’ in this thinly populated area. Half-nomadic Tibetans mostly live here with their herds of yak and sheep. During the wintertime they live in villages and in the summers they move their herds to the grasslands. From May – October you’ll see many nomad tents on the plateau during your Sichuan province travels. You’ll visit a nomadic family and some point you’ll have to try the famous yak butter tea.  

Nearly everything the nomads eat, drink or wear comes from the yak or the sheep: milk, meat, wool and skin. You’ll arrive in Langmusi in the afternoon, at an altitude of 3800m, and you’ll spend a night in a basic hotel. The hotel only has warm water and electricity in the morning and evening and the power supply may shut down from time to time, be sure to have a flashlight with you.

Langmusi is home to two large Tibetan Monasteries and therefore most of the population, aside from the Hui and Goloks, is made up out of Tibetan monks. West of Langmusi you’ll find the sky burial plateau. A part of the Buddhist religion, is the belief in reincarnation, or rebirth of the soul in another human being or animal. At the moment that the human soul leaves the body (when someone dies), an empty shell remains (the body). This shell is offered to the vultures and other predator birds on a plateau outside of the village. If a sky burial ceremony takes place during your stay you can view it if you wish, but show respect by keeping your distance.

If a sky burial takes place, you can view it if you wish. More importantly, visit the main monastery in Langmusi during your Sichuan province travel. The temple usually has morning services. Your guide will lead you through the prayer hall where the highest priest of the monastery sits on a plateau, a type of throne. Anyone who passes him should bow their head in a show of respect.

Afterwards you'll travel to Songpan in the north west of the Sichuan province. Your journey will take you to a few different mountain passes and grassy plains. Even though the journey will be long, you won’t be bored for a minute. There are many different types of animals in this area. You may see a group of vultures on a hill, a type of marmot may scurry away and there are many yak and sheep that cross the road in herds. From time to time you’ll see trucks riding by with loads sticking out on all sides. Your driver will take a rest stop at a small Buddhist monastery belonging to the order of the Red Caps. More than 50km from Songpan you’ll drive down to the Min River Valley. The landscape will change into green valleys, rock formations and farmland. Once you reach Songpan, you’ll say goodbye to your driver and your guide. You’ll spend two nights in a small basic hotel, the power supply may falter at times and it’s best to bring along a flashlight.