A glimpse of the Tibetan people in Gannan

Updated: 2016-09-19
By Li Xiaoxu ( chinadaily.com.cn )

The Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Gansu province is one of the ten Tibetan autonomous prefectures in China. It's located on the northeast edge of the Qing-Tibetan Plateau, 1,100 to 4,900 meters above sea level.

In 2011, the Gannan Tibetan autonomous prefecture had a total population of 730,700 and 24 ethnic groups, according to official statistics, and the population of the Tibetan ethnic group was 395,900, accounting for 54.2 percent of the total.

Tibetan lifestyle

The Tibetan people boast a rich culture and lifestyle and they inject great vigor to Gannan. For example, the Tibetan people have the tradition of raising yak for farming and transportation, and in recent years, other uses of yak farming have also been explored.

Yak milk is believed to be more nutritional than cow milk, due to its rich content of unsaturated fats and proteins, according to Liu Chengguo, an official of the State Council Leading Group Office of Poverty Alleviation and Development, who was speaking at the 2016 Chinese Yak Dairy Industry Development Forum which was held in Gannan on July 23.

Tibetan people live colorful lives, ranging from their style of architecture to traditional rituals and festivals.

Tibetan architecture

Labrang Monastery is in Gansu province. [Photo/IC]

Tibetan architecture such as the Labrang Monastery stands out against the seemingly endless prairie. The Labrang Monastery is located at the foot of Phoenix Mountain, northwest of Xiahe county in Gannan. It has a place in the hearts of all Tibetans.

The monastery's architectural layout is in traditional Tibetan style.The grand sutra and Buddha halls are in the northwestern section, centered around the Grand Sutra Hall. Other halls are spread out in a shape similar to a crescent moon.