Seda

Background

Seda (Sêrtar) means "golden horse" in Tibetan. It lies in Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan, on the southeastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and the county town and the Larung Valley are at about 4,000 metres. The Larung Gar Five Sciences Buddhist Academy lies in the Larung Valley of Seda County. It was founded in 1980 by the Nyingma master Jigme Phuntsok, and many monks, nuns and lay practitioners study here. Red dwellings cover the hillsides on both sides of the valley, a sight best seen from the hilltop. This is first and foremost a place where monks and nuns study and live, so please follow the monastery's rules when you visit.

Local customs

• Look down from the hilltop viewpoint over the valley filled with red dwellings
• in the evening, climb to the hilltop platform near the Larong Hotel to watch the valley lights come on
• listen to the chanting from a respectful distance
• take in the highland meadows and distant mountains along the way
• drink a bowl of butter tea and try Tibetan food in Seda town.

Travel tips

• The altitude here is about 4,000 metres, so if you are new to the plateau, slow down, rest often, and bring drinking water and sun protection
• temperatures vary greatly between morning and evening, so bring a warm jacket. According to the Wikivoyage travel guide, the Seda area was closed to foreign travellers from June 2016, and non-Chinese nationals may need a permit to enter the academy
• whether you can enter and which areas are open depend on what local authorities announce at the time, so be sure to check before you go.
• Go to Chengdu first, then take a long-distance bus or shared car to Seda town — a very long journey
• you can also change at Maerkang and split it over two days. From the town, take a car to the Larung Valley, following local arrangements. In summer the grasslands are green and the climate is relatively mild
• autumn brings high skies and light clouds
• winter is cold and road conditions change often
• the rainy season is foggy, so views depend on the weather.