Kumbum should be a name, associated with meditation drums, but it is only a show. The Chinese have at this spot, 25 km south of Xining and completely under their rule, since centuries buildt up a buddhist Hollywood-monastry in chinese architecture, without any spiritual charisma. A kind of museum of tibetian religion for tourists, including monks as actors.

This “monastry” was on the program on a rainy 21 September, and was only attractive for those of us, who up to now had nothing to do with Tibet. It changed nothing, that we met already at the entrance with the mother of the abbot, a reincarnation and living Buddha.

Next day we had a cool but sunny morning, when we left Xining. Shortly before Lanzhou road conditions start to be poor, and we had even to cross a reservoir of the Yellow River by a ferry. We passed huge loess profiles and proper field terraces with lots of fruits and chinese date and Sichuan-pepper trees. The area is inhabited by the muslim Hui, everywhere mosques in a ludicrous chinese temple style were to see. Then, 200 km south of Lanzhou, we suddenly arrived in Tibet. Stupas, praying flags, yaks and the wild looking Kampa people: In the former tibetian region Amdo we visited, at 2900 m altitude, the monastic city of Labrang, one centre of the Gelugpa sect.

We had the best moments early next morning, when circling the monastry with hundreds of pilgrims from all over Tibet. Later on, to visit the inside of the temples was more a touristic and badly organized exercise – but impressive to see, that the more than a thousand monks did their daily traditional routine, without being disturbed. We had deep insights in the monastic cantine (none of us was hungry enough to wish to join today’s lunch!) and were able to see the monks meditating, smacking, praying & singing (in this succession). China’s influence is small, openly pictures of the Dalai Lama are exposed and worshipped.

Back to Lanzhou: The last ferry was announced for 07.00 pm, at 05.30 we were queuing up at the landing. Without success, “gouvernment” people overtook us and the last boat left without our cars. In the dark night we had to hire a private barch, crossed the tossed up ocean and arrived safely at the other side after 30 minutes.

Today rain, rain, rain. And this in a loesscovered landscape with phantastic views of thousands of terraces. In the loess many cave dwellings were to see, such as Mao used one in this area for two years to recover from his long march. A landslide stopped our drive on the new national road and we had to use the old silk-road route on the ridges of the loess mountains. We arrived in Ping Liang in the evening at a comfortable hotel and had a good dinner.

(GA & BA)