The "New Longmen Inn" on the Western Sichuan Plateau: Manigango

Manigango, a place whose name alone piques one's curiosity. Manigango, a mysterious town in the West. Situated at an altitude of 4180 meters, Manigango lies between the Azhu Grassland and the Shaluli Mountain Range. With its desolate, vast, and brilliant natural scenery, coupled with the cultural charm of Western cowboys, it has become a must-visit destination in the hearts of travelers. Manigango town is a very important traffic bottleneck in northwestern Sichuan, located at the intersection of the G317 national highway of the Sichuan-Tibet Northern Route and the S217 provincial road of the Sichuan-Qinghai Line. From here, heading west along the G317, one can cross the Que'er Mountain to reach Dege and Jomda in Tibet; heading east leads to Garze and the inland areas; while traveling northwest along the S217 leads to Shiqu and Yushu in Qinghai. The Tibetan name Manigango means 'the place of turning the prayer wheel.' Here, one can see Tibetans everywhere turning prayer wheels and spinning golden stupas. Manigango, with no towns or villages within nearly a hundred miles, this western wilderness post town is the trading center for nomads from all directions, as well as a supply and rest stop for vehicles and guests traveling from north to south. Nomadic herding dominates Manigango, where the rugged Khampa herders, weathered and robust, ride horses (now often motorcycles) and appear like a gust of wind, disappearing just as suddenly. It truly is a cowboy town of Western China. Manigango possesses a roughness unsuitable for human habitation; just a 5-minute walk from the town center brings one to the pure wilderness, with 360° of vast and magnificent plateau scenery. Yulong Lhakhang Monastery on the hillside of Manigango is nestled among pine and cypress forests and rolling mountains, a fairyland-like setting that is beautiful even from a distance. Yulong Lhakhang Monastery belongs to the Sakya sect and is said to have been founded in 1767 AD. Rebuilt after being destroyed during the Cultural Revolution, the main hall is resplendent with gold, relatively new, and houses a gilded bronze statue of Guru Rinpoche. The prayer flag towers on the hillside outside the monastery are spectacular. In the evening, one can walk up the mountain to overlook Manigango, a truly beautiful time. From afar, one can see the Yari Monastery on the back hillside, where the nuns practice in seclusion, surrounded by blooming mountain flowers, warm and mysterious. Yari Monastery and Lhakhang Monastery face each other from east to west. Sitting on the grass, watching a truck pass by, kicking up billowing dust, that solitary willfulness under the highland sun, witnessing the purest Buddhist paradise, between the mountains, under the blue sky, the golden dusk, the maroon robes, the glittering stupas. Watching Manigango, the desolation of the setting sun, the silence of the night, the revival of dawn, the dust under the scorching sun, the rugged and bold Khampa men, the steeds, the vibrant colors of the Manigango women, the sturdy plateau yaks, the Tibetan-style buildings and temples, and the roads leading to the wilderness and snowfields... This May Day, come to Manigango, a bit like the New Longmen Inn on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, filled with the chaos of the market, the unruliness and the vastness, to experience the ruggedness of the park. Tip: Self-driving is recommended.