Why is Banguo Earth Forest So Special
The main ditch of the Banguo Earth Forest is 3.5 kilometers long. The soil columns are mainly distributed on both sides of the Dashaqing(大沙箐) and the branch ditches. The main shapes are old castle, city wall, screen, column. The Banguo Earth Forest is the representative of monadnock in the old stage. Therefore, the height of the earth forest is generally 5-15 meters and the highest is 16.8 meters.Due to the rock difference of the developed strata, there are different colors of the earth forests. However, the small earth forest has a single color,including white earth forest, maroon earth forest, brown yellow claybank earth forest and pale yellow earth forest. In general, the main color is yellow. It maintains the original features of the earth forest, which shows the majesty of the earth forest. The surfaces of the soil columns are mixed with shimmering quartz sand and agate sand, as if inlaid with gems. Under the sunshine, the soil columns are multicoloured.
There is a wide Dashahe River(大沙河) in the middle of the Banguo Earth Forest. There are a series of laterally extending tributaries and gullies on both sides of the river. It seems that a row of august warriors are at a stalemate in the two armies, and it also seems to welcome the visitors from away to the desert world. Entering into the narrow gullies, there are spacious racecourse and parade ground. Along the edge of the steep slope of the surrounding, the soil columns are dense with all kinds of shapes, such as large-scale ancient building groups, the pagodas of Southeast Asia, Gothic-style ancient castles, ancient Egyptian sphinx, European Gothic-style ancient castle, ancient Egyptian sphinx, ancient Roman cathedral, Tibet’s Potala Palace, the Palace Museum’s Panlongzhu.
Where is Banguo Earth Forest
It is located in Pingtian Township, Yuanmou County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture.
How to Get There
There are no direct vehicles to enter into the Banguo Earth Forest. Therefore, visitors can get there by chartering cars or self-driving.
Introduction of Banguo Earth Forest
In the early Quaternary period-1.5 million years ago, there are many rivers and dense lakes, dense forests and numerous animals in Yuanmou Area with mild climate and abundant food. It is a paradise for the ancestors of the “Yuanmou Men”. With the passage of time, it had undergone enormous changes. The mud, sand and gravel brought by the rivers filled the lakes, destroyed the forests and ancient tribes, and buried some ancient humans, ancient creatures and ancient cultural sites. Afterwards, the neotectonic movement made the gentle river and lake strata uplift into hills and hillocks, and gradually developed the crust of weathering. At that time, Yuanmou had undergone strong sunshine, concentrated rainfall, obvious dry and rainy seasons, hot summers. The power of nature created the unique style of Banguo Earth Forest. The natural engraver slowly carved the stratum into shapes such as dragon pillars, palaces, temples, castles, figures, birds and beasts, and kept them. The ancient wonders of the earth forest have finally been achieved, forming a community of earth forests in the Yuanmou, which is rare in the world.
Best Time to Go
It is the best time to visit Banguo Earth Forest from November to March of the following year. Because it is the dry season, the road condition is better and the climate is warm.
Nearby Attractions
China (Gantang) No.1 Lisu Ethnic Village
China (Gantang) No.1 Lisu Ethnic Village is located in Gantang, south of Yuanmou County, 5 kilometers away from the county seat, with a total area of 15,000 mu. It is a tourism village characterized by ethnic customs. It also combines the colorful ethnic culture with local customs of the local people. It is a good place to taste the special food and experience the daily life of Lisu people.
Yuanmou Man Museum
Yuanmou Man Museum is located in Yuanmou County. It has a preface hall and five exhibition halls, which show the human origins, ancient human and paleontological fossils, scene simulations, etc. Since the opening of the museum, it has attracted a large number of foreign tourists to visit.
Wumao Earth Forest
Wumao Earth Forest, also known as Laohutan Earth Forest. It is about 36km from the downtown of Yuanmou County. The unique landscape was formed by geological movement and soil erosion one or two million years ago. It is named for its shape like immense forest and the main composition of the expansion is earth. There are four main styles columns : earth pillar style, castle style, bamboo shoot style and mushroom style.
Travel Tips
- The sunlight is strong there, don’t forget to use sunscreen cream.
- The temperature of Yuanmou varies greatly between day and night.
- The scenic area is large. Follow the route map and walkways.
- Bring enough water because the air is dry in the area. There are few food store in the scenic area.
The news was updated on March 7, 2019.
In poems, pear blossoms are often described as the purest among its kind. Their petals are pure white and transparent. Standing under a blooming pear tree in spring and immersing yourself in the fragrance despite the falling flowers in wind. How romantic it is!
In southeast Yunnan’s Gejiu City, there is a fairyland of pear flowers. It is the Jiaji Village. Though the village is less known to the outside world, it is fantastically beautiful for its more than 1,000 acres of pear trees. Every spring, the pear blossoms are in full bloom, turning the village into sea of white flowers.
More than 70 years ago, Jiaji villagers began to plant pear trees in the village for the hope of harvesting fruit. With more and more trees are planted, they have not only benefited from the pears in autumn, but also created a fairyland of flowers in spring.
The news was updated on March 6, 2019.
As weather warms up in Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, thousands of black-headed gulls are about to migrate. Bird watching enthusiasts are cherishing the last chance to see gulls before they fly away in the middle of March.
Visitors are flocking to watch the gulls at the Haigen Dam at Dianchi Lake these days. “I’m very happy to see and feed them,” said a visitor. “My son likes gulls. The wildlife adds a stunning landscape to the city.”
Yang Ming, a senior member of the Kunming Bird-watching Association, said when spring comes, the white feathers on young gulls turn black, which means the bird has reached sexual maturity and it is time for them to begin to head back to Siberia, where they breed.
It is said the earliest cluster of black-headed gull usually comes back to Kunming is mid-October, and the rest arrive by mid-November.
General Information
Yuanmou County invested more than 20 million yuan to build “Yuanmou Man” Museum has been officially opened, which took almost 5 years, and is open to public free of charge.
The museum displays the restored portraits of the “Yuanmou Man” and two replicas of the “Yuanmou Man” tooth fossils, as well as the ancient anthropoid and rhinoceros fossils found in Yuanmou, which fully demonstrates the evolutionary history of ancient humans and prehistoric life in various periods.
Where is Yuanmou Man Museum
It is located in the downtown of Yuanmou County, Chuxiong.
How to Get There
After arriving in Yuanmou County, it is very convenient to get to Yuanmou Man Museum. Taxi or car rental is the better way to get there, which takes about 10 minutes. For those bike lovers, it takes about 12 minutes to get there by bike.
History
Yuanmou is rich in ancient cultural heritage. It still retains many fossils and relics of ancient creatures, ancient humans and ancient cultures. It has caused the extensive attention of experts and scholars in disciplines of geology, paleontology, paleoanthropology, archaeology, geography, etc. at home and abroad for nearly a century, which is called as “Natural Primitive Society Museum” by anthropologists.
Content of Yuanmou Man Museum
The “Yuanmou Man” Museum has a preface hall and five exhibition halls, which show the human origins, ancient human and paleontological fossils, scene simulations, etc. Since the opening of the museum, it has attracted a large number of foreign tourists to visit.
Best Time to Go
It is suitable to visit Yuanmou Man Museum at any time.
Nearby Attractions
China (Gantang) No.1 Lisu Ethnic Village
It is located in Gantang, south of Yuanmou County, 5 kilometers away from the county seat, with a total area of 15,000 mu. It is a tourism village characterized by ethnic customs, which focuses on ethnic culture, village farm experience filled with ethnic characteristics, special festival carnival, pastoral scenery tour, ecological leisure tour, specialty catering, Lisu training institute, Lisu culture display center, green fruit and vegetable planting and picking garden, green ecological stocking area, leisure area integrating water and the sky, featured folk houses, etc. It also combines the colorful ethnic culture and local customs of the local people. It is a good place to taste the special food and experience the daily life of Lisu people.
Why is the Sanla Waterfall So Special?
Sanla waterfall is located in 20 km east of Babao Town, Guangnan County, Wenshan, near Sanla village, flowing from the Babao River into Babao Town, also known as Xiangquan waterfall响泉瀑布. Sanla waterfall is divided into three stages, respectively named Yuping Tai玉屏台, Muyu Tai沐浴台, Gonghua Tai弓花台. Yuping Tai, the first level waterfall, is 20 meters wide with a drop of 40 meters. The second level falls 30 meters, with the width of 20 meters, surrounded by verdant willow. The second level waterfall rushes through the green bushes and trees for more than 10 meters, then spills straightly out of the hanging wall and roared into the valley floor, forming the third level waterfall, 15 meters wide with a drop of 50 meters. Sanla waterfall is a great spectacle of Yunnan Falls.
Where is Sanla Waterfall?
Sanla waterfall, located at the Sanla village, 20 kilometers east of Babao town, is also known as “Xiangquan waterfall响泉瀑布”. The Babao river flows here, pouring down from a cliff more than 10 meters wide, and the waterfall was divided into three levels, with a drop of more than 120 meters.
Nearby Attractions
1. Babao Scenic Area八宝风景区
Babao provincial-level scenic area is located in the southeast of Guangnan County, Wenshan Autonomous Prefecture, 160 kilometers away from Wenshan. The Babao scenic area is dominated by peaks cluster, peak forests and karst waterfalls. It is composed of four sections, including Babao, river, Tangna karst cave汤纳溶洞 and Sanla waterfall三腊瀑布, with a total area of 68 square kilometers.
2. Tangna Karst Cave汤纳溶洞
Bamei Village is surrounded by mountains and is not accessible by road. Bamei village mainly relies on two natural limestone karst caves to get in and out the village, one is behind the village, one is in the front of the village. The villagers have to touch the rock faces and take the bamboo raft, canoe or boat to pass through a water cave which is several kilometers long. This water cave is called Tangna Karst Cave.
3. Bamei Village坝美村
Bamei village of Bamei Town, Guangnan County is surrounded by mountains. Because of its unique karst landforms, caves, rivers and villages, people in and out of the village must sail through the cave. The land in front of the village is flat and open and behind the house there are green bamboos, which are similar to the Jin Dynasty litterateur Tao Yuanming陶渊明 described the Peach Blossom Spring桃花源, so it is called “The Last Xanadu”. People at Bamei are dominated by Zhuang people.
Best Time to Visit
Tour is suitable all year round, but the best time to visit is from June to October. It is satisfying to stand by the waterfall on a summer day.
How to Get There
You have two ways to get to Sanla Waterfall of Guangnan County, Wenshan. Sanla waterfall is about 20 kilometers from the east of Babao, there is no direct regular bus. Therefore, you can take the chartered bus. As for the price, you can discuss with the locals.
1. By Long-distance Bus
Long-distance route is Kunming-Wenshan-Guangnan-Babao-Sanla Village, you need to transfer four times. After arriving in Guangnan County, you can take the regular bus from Guangnan County to Babao Town, about 2 hours. Then another 0.5 hour is needed from Babao to Sanla Village.
Kunming East Bus Station-Wenshan Bus Terminal
Departure Time: 7:20-20:10
Price: 126 or 117 or 140 CNY
Distance: 317 kilometers
Consume Time: 4-4.5 hours
Wenshan Bus Terminal-Guangnan Bus Terminal
Departure Time: 6:20-17:40
Price: 47 CNY
Distance: 178 kilometers
Consume Time: 2.5-3 hours
Guangnan Bus Terminal-Babao Bus Terminal
Departure Time: 7:10
Price: 20 CNY
Distance: 80 kilometers
Consume Time: About 2 hours
Tips: The price and time are for reference only, specific with actual condition. More prices and departure times, you can ask for details at bus terminals.
2. By Railway
Now, train is more convenient and faster than long-distance bus from Kunming to Guangnan County. After arriving in Guangnan county, you can take the shuttle bus to Babao.
Kunming Station-Guangnan County Station
Departure Time: 10:36, 12:00, 12:19, 13:35, 13:52, 17:12
Price: 119.5 CNY
Distance: 424 kilometers
Consume Time: About 2.5 hours
Kunming South Station-Guangnan County Station
Departure Time: 7:30-17:40
Price: 109 CNY
Distance: 417 kilometers
Consume Time: About 2 hours
Accommodation at Sanla Waterfall
Sanla Waterfall is kind of remote, you ought to come back to Babao Town or Guangnan County for overnight.
1. Shiwai Taoyuan Hotel世外桃源大酒店
Address: No.18, Babao Road, Liancheng Town, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山州广南县莲城镇八宝路18号
Tel: 0876-5619999
Starting Price: 350 CNY
2. Guangnan TeAnNa Hotel广南特安呐酒店
Address: No.255, Beining Road, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山壮族苗族自治州广南县北宁路255号
Tel: 0876-5151299
Starting Price: 260 CNY
3. Yinhe Hotel广南银河大酒店
Address: Shangmao Street, Babao Town, Guangnan County, Wenshan文山州广南县八宝镇商贸街
Tel: 0876-3068286
Starting Price: 98 CNY
Useful Travel Tips
1. The road to Sanla waterfall is not so good. So pay attention to safety when walking and driving.
2. Zhuang People live around. So you are supposed to learn some culture and custom of Zhuang minority in advance, respect Zhuang minority culture.
3. In highland area, temperature difference is large between daytime and night, you must bring sun cream, sunhat, sun glasses, umbrella, coats and some medicines that protect from heatstroke.
Tours Including Sanla Waterfall
8 Days Yunnan-Guizhou Karst Landform Tour and Ethnic Minorities Discovery
The news was updated on February 28, 2019.
Located in Xinping Yi and Dai Autonomous County of Yuxi City, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, Damuyu Village is endowed with idyllic scenery and colorful Dai culture. Locals there still weave cloth and do embroidery works in traditional ways. These well-preserved customs have become windows to showcase Dai culture and ways to raise their income.
Yang Guizhen, a villager in Damuyu, is a provincial-level inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of Dai embroidery. With thoughtful design and elaborate workmanship, her works are favored by customers.
Yang said a dozen of local households in the village have participated in the development of Dai embroidery industry. A suit of traditional Dai costume costs RMB 800 to 3,000 (120-450 US dollars) and due to the increase of income, Yang’s family have moved into a newly-built three-storied house and bought a car.
According to local government officials, tourists can experience colorful Dai culture via weaving cloth, doing embroidery and enjoying music performance. They can also buy bamboo crafts, embroidery works and local pottery in the village. Besides, to integrate culture and tourism, various festive activities are held in the village.
The news was updated on March 4, 2019.
The Mangshi-Mandalay direct air route has served 3,323 passengers since its opening on January 31, according to statistics released on February 28.
“Besides Dehong tourists, those from Dali, Baoshan and other neighboring prefectures can also apply for visas in Mangshi now and travel to Myanmar with ease,” said a staff with the Bureau of Commerce in Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture.
On January 12, Myanmar visa service centers in the Chinese border towns of Mangshi and Ruili were inaugurated by the Consulate General of Myanmar in Kunming.
In the first month, 27 flights were operated along the Mangshi-Mandalay route, carrying 1,530 international tourists to China and 1,793 to Myanmar. Cross-border trips are gaining popularity among residents in the border areas.
“Since the opening of the direct route, local travel agencies have rolled out quite a few 8-day tour packages from China to Mandalay, Bagan and Yangon in Myanmar,” said Zhou Yiyun, full-time deputy director of the Dehong Tourism Development Committee. Traditionally, one-day tours are preferred by those in the China-Myanmar border area.
Having passed the national acceptance check, Mangshi Airport became Yunnan’s fourth international air service on November 15, 2018, following the airports in Kunming, Xishuangbanna and Lijiang.
The news was updated on February 27, 2019.
Actually, this idea comes from Sun Haiping, the first Party Secretary of the working team to Guangzhong Village, which helps the local fight against poverty. Since Sun shouldered the poverty alleviation task in 2017, he has been attracted by the amazing scenery there. The lucid waters and lush mountains arouse his panting interests.
At the end of 2017, Sun invited Lai Weiquan, a Malaysian painting master to draw the first mural in Guanzhong, which was named “Towards a new life”. In March 2018, Lai came to the village again and created a new painting “My childhood”.
During the Spring Festival of this year, Lai Weiquan came to the village with another painter Lu Fangzhou. Both of them share the similar painting style which perfectly matches the view of the village. This time, ten murals were painted. These efforts are bringing more tourists to the village for taking photos.
Chinese Name:香格里拉藏族家访（白天）
English Name: Tibetan Family Daytime Visiting in Shangri-La
Brief Introduction
Tibetan people are one of the most important Chinese minorities with unique traditions and customs, who are most concentrated on the western borders of China. They are very open to the world. Tibetan home visiting in Shangri-La is a good way to learn about the culture and way of life of today’s Tibetan families. It’s a interactive activities of experiencing the original, unique and colorful Tibetan customs.
Traditional Tibetan Houses
There are several types of Tibetan buildings while a home in Shangri-La is typical built with natural materials, such as wood, stones, and dirt or mud. Tibetan architecture is worth appreciation. Their houses are designed to blend in with the beautiful natural landscape that surrounds them. Many families raise animals as well, including cows, yaks, sheep, and horses. In their homes, the ground floor is then used as a stable for animals and a rough wooden staircase rises to the upper floors.
Main Activities
Stepping into the Tibetan home, you’ll receive a Hada offered by an old man at the door. And the Droma(refering to male) offers barley wine at the door, then leading you to the living room. After seated, you’ll be served with hot buttered tea, highland barley fried noodles, barley wine, etc. At the same time, you can have a chance to enjoy the singing and dancing of Tibetan people. There are many kinds of Tibetan songs and dances in Shangri-la. The most representative ones are Jiantang Guozhuang dance, Nixi love dance, Tacheng Reba dance, Deqin string dance, yak dance, etc.
Introduction
Honghe Huayudong National Forest Park in Hekou County travel guide introduces the main attractions, entrance tickets booking, The best time to visit, How to Get there, the highlights, facts, history, photos, weather, accommodation, visiting routes, travel tips, tour maps of Huayudong National Forest Park in Honghe.
Huayudong Forest Park is located in 27 km north from Hekou County and it covers an area of 33.33 square km, among which 20 square km are forest land. In June 2001, Huayudong Forest Park was approved to be listed in the experimental area in the nationally protected areas of China.
The Huayu Cave in this area is 12 meters wide and 8 meters high. After entering the cave to around 20 meters, you will find it hard to walk further. It is said that this cave is 6 km long in total. Spring water flows out from the cave and forms a pool at the entrance. There are fishes of one kind that have patterns on their bodies swimming in this pool. Thus the cave has got its name from here. The water overflows the pool and drops from the rocks to form waterfalls as a very beautiful scenery.
The Huayudong National Forest Park has typical features of tropical rain forest and inside it there are abundant categories of animals and plants. It is one of few tropical rain forests that are kept well in original state in Yunnan and is regarded highly valuable in research as well as in tourism industry.
Development History
Project Profile
The main area of the park is scenic area, amounting to 1576 hectares. It is planned to build a rainforest exploration area, a water recreation area of Huayu Cave, an ornamental area of trees and tropical economic trees, a wildlife rescue and breeding exchange center and an amusement park. A total of 10 scenic spots, 21 natural and artificial comprehensive scenic spots, is a collection of food, housing, viewing, entertainment as one of the natural forest park
Project Implementation Site and Related Introduction
The forest park is located 27 kilometers north of the estuary, 450 kilometers from the capital Kunming, Kun River second class highway, is a typical tropical rain forest. There are many species in the territory, complex flora, preservation of more rare plants. The river flows from the foot of the mountain into the Nanxi River. The original forest is distributed on both sides of the river. In the more exotic forest area, there is a cave called the Flower Fish Cave, which forms a spectacular waterfall and has high scientific research and tourist value.
Status of Resources
The planning range of Huayudong Forest Park in Estuary is 47145 mu, including the whole county belongs to the range of the Race Farm Rainforest Nature Reserve, and the area around the Cave of Huayu Cave is about 15000 mu as the core area of nature protection. Estuarine Huadong Forest Park Planning area close to the Dawei Mountain Nature Reserve. Many parts of the rainforest in the Flower Cave remain pristine. Dense and tall trees, such as borneol, olive tree and other precious trees up to more than 40 meters, has a high value of development. The forest is full of lush betel nut, near the edge of the foot of the mountain growing a lot of primeval ferns, this is a special protection of the country’s ancient rare plants. Many vines, such as vines, tin vines and so on, sometimes climb the crown in the forest, sometimes hang in the air, wear around, tightly twine several big trees, and the shape is fickle. The orchids in the forest grow with each other on the big trunk, with fragrant fragrance and elegant flowers, which form the “sky garden”. The trees, pineapples, wood and milk fruits are suspended from the trunk. The old stems and flowers form a unique landscape, and the forest region is rich in plant populations. Known as the natural botanical garden.
The original forest area of Huayu Cave has a typical tropical rain forest landscape. In the boundless forest sea, there are many layers of different age trees mixed, the canopy is mixed, the forest is rich and colorful. Nanxi River as the main stream of many small streams, spring year after year, sometimes clear spring gurgling, sometimes winding serpentine, natural ecological landscape magic gorgeous.
Huayu Cave has a great tourism value. The waterfall in front of the cave is triple-folded and falls between the Cangshuixiu wood and the strange rocks and reefs, forming the beautiful waterfall landscape of the water curtain cave, in which there are holes. The cave landscape, water landscape, vegetation landscape and plant ecological environment of Huayu Cave are of great value for development.
How to Get there?
By Long-distance Bus
The passenger cars arriving at the direction of the Red River are mainly located at the Yunnan tourist bus Station (No. 663 Guanghuan Civil Aviation Road). In addition, there are also buses available at the Kunming Motor passenger Transportation Center Station and the Huangtupo passenger Station. Honghe prefectures and counties generally have large and small passenger cars, to Hekou County can be taken to the county seat of dedicated passenger cars.
Self-driving
Drive 27 km along the Kun River Road from the Estuary County, then you can reach the National Forest Park Flower Cave. The Flower Fish Cave is located on the banks of Xiaonan River, where the forests are thick and the peaks are rolling. Flower Fish Cave running all year round, according to legend, there are sometimes fish out of the cave, hence the name “Flower Fish Cave.”
Recommended Tour Routes
Touring with us will make your time well-spent well spent and your trip in Huayudong Forest Park a unique experience.
Travel Tips
1. Food: Many villages and towns with skinned mutton in Huashan belong to the mountainous half-mountain areas. Goat breeding in the development of animal husbandry accounts for a large proportion. In addition, there are many ethnic minorities, such as Yi and Miao, who live together in the local area. Eating mutton is very common. Even in some places meat is based on mutton.
2. Shopping: Hekou’s specialty: turtle and yellow fish Gejiu special products produced by Gejiu tin paintings, tin wine and other tin crafts beautiful and elegant, is a rare tourist souvenirs. Rice noodle, tofu, Mengzi cake is a famous flavor snack. Jianshui specialties in the grass bud, acid pomegranate, lily, bird’s nest crisp, bird’s nest porridge is more famous
Qicai waterfall or Coloful Waterfall, with a height of 30 meters and a length of 330 meters, blossoms out in the sun. The sceneries here are no less beautiful than that of Jiuzhaigou Valley scenic spot in Sichuan Province. It is also viewed as a holy waterfall by local Tibetan.
A 30-meter high and 330-meter long rockface of 180 degree is formed by the giant fountain gushing from the caves of Niru River bank. Springs from the ground stacked layer upon layer, forming about 40 waterfalls of wide and narrow. Under the sun, a rainbow surrounds the waterfall in a spectacular landscape. The water flows down from the high, but at the bottom, no waves, no fish, no sound.
About Thangka
Thangka is a complicated, composite three-dimensional object consisting of: a picture panel which is painted or embroidered, a textile mounting; and one or more of the following: a silk cover, leather corners, wooden dowels at the top and bottom and metal or wooden decorative knobs on the bottom dowel. It serve as important teaching tools depicting the life of the Buddha, various influential lamas and other deities and bodhisattvas.
About the Center
Thangka Center is opened by the Gyalthang Association of Culture Preservation to learn about the ancient Tibetan art of Thangka painting, contribute in preserving the local Tibetan culture. Established in 2006, the non-governmental and non-profit association is dedicated to protecting and inheriting the ethnic Tibetan culture.
The center, which started with three students at the very beginning, currently has about 20 students aged 10-25, all of whom are Tibetans from Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas in other parts of China. They not only study Thangka painting skills, but also learn Tibetan, Han and English languages, and most importantly, the Tibetan culture. The center provides totally free education during the four-year study for the students.
About the Founder
Dakpa Kelden is a principal founder of the Thangka Center and the Shangri-la Association of Cultural Preservation in Shangri-la county, Deqen Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in southwest China’s Yunnan province. Dakpa Kelden used to be a monk when young and once studied tourism management in Austria. Together with a group of volunteers, he founded the Gyalthang Association of Culture Preservation (known as Thangka Centre) with the aim of giving young people the opportunity to study Tibetan arts. He can speak fluent Tibetan, Han, English and Hindu languages.
Apart from government’s support, the founder also called for attention of the international community in carrying forward the Tibetan culture, an integral part of the splendid Chinese culture.
Cultural Meaning
Thangka has been increasingly becoming a handicraft, thus losing its cultural connotation. It is expensive only for its valued pigments and workmanship, not for its cultural meaning. Nowadays, lots of young people consider culture as a certain object, for example, a piece of Thangka. While an object is only the carrier of the culture, not the culture itself. Therefore, Tibetan culture is more important than the Thangka painting skills.
Learning Programs
Luckily the tourists can also join the center to learn the Thangka painting, chanting, Tibetan language, calligraphy, etc. Besides, you can also experience the homestays in Trinyi village nearby.
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