To experience the Buddhist culture of Tibet without going through the hassle of permits and tour guides, there may be no better place than Labrang Monastery (Lābǔlèng Sì, 拉卜楞寺), located near the tourist boom town of Xiahe, six hours out from smoggy Lanzhou.

Labrang is the largest Tibetan lamasary outside of Tibet. Its sprawling grounds feature a host of 18th century architectural masterpieces including the Grand Sutra Hall, Spring Debate Palace and the Temple of White Umbrella as well as hundreds of prayer wheels and over a thousand monks swathed in fuschia robes. (Don't be surprised if you see a few sporting MP3 players).

There were once some 4,000 monks resident at Labrang, but most were forced to return to Tibet during the Cultural Revolution and the monastery was closed. It reopened in 1980 but the government strictly regulates enrollment, keeping the monk population at around 1,500.

Entry to the grounds is free but to enter some of the buildings, like the Ser-Kung Golden Temple, requires that you join a tour. This is easy enough with English tours departing from the gate at 10am and 3pm with a minimum of five people. Plan B? Latch on to a Chinese group. The ticket office is on the right-hand side of the monastery parking lot.

Though it's nothing compared to the official hurdles generally required to visit Tibet, there is one possible complication to be aware of when traveling from Lanzhou: travel insurance (bǎoxiǎn, 保险). Many of the bus lines running to Xiahe require you to purchase a policy. For this reason it is best to buy tickets in advance to make sure the insurance has been sorted.

Gansu guide | Xiahe guide | Xiahe attractions
Xiahe flights (Lanzhou) | Lanzhou hotels
Xiahe on the China Travel Blog