A 3km (2-mile) clockwise perambulation (kora) of the monastery is an excellent way to begin the day. You may find yourself befriended by delightful elderly pilgrims or by young monks keen to practice their English. If your schedule allows, time your visit to coincide with the Monlam Festival, held on the 4th to 16th days of the first lunar month (Feb-Mar). The monastery is open to all during the festival, and on the 13th day you can watch the "sunning of the Buddha." An enormous thangka (silk painting) is spread across a Thangka Wall on the south bank of the Sangchu. When sanctified, it effectively becomes the Buddha in the minds of believers. The following days feature religious dancing and the offering of torma (butter sculptures).
A hike up into the hills gives you a magnificent view of the monastery. Just west of it is a small, friendly nunnery.
Around Xia He -- About 13km (8 miles) up the Da Xia He are the grasslands of Sangke, an ideal place for horse riding (¥20 per hour). The grasslands are most spectacular in July and August, when the canola is flowering. Minivans wait outside the Tara Guesthouse and should charge about ¥30 round-trip; or you can ride out by bike in an hour or so. Some of the recently developed tourist holiday villages in the grasslands are so appalling they are attractions in their own right. More spectacular grasslands are reached by turning left onto a seasonal road 12km (7 1/2 miles) beyond town; continue southeast up the Xia He valley and over a pass toward the monastery town of Amchog (A'muquhu). Vast grasslands populated by marmots, vultures, and real nomads are your reward. You can arrange camping trips out to these grasslands through Tsewong's Cafe and the Overseas Tibetan Hotel for ¥100 to ¥150 per person.
