黄南藏族自治州

Why this place

Huangnan is a Tibetan prefecture in eastern Qinghai, and it holds the Rongwo Monastery at Tongren — a large Gelug monastery and the centre of the Regong arts, where thangka painting and sculpture have been practised for centuries.

What to see

• Rongwo Monastery at Tongren and the surrounding thangka workshops
• The Yellow River's upper gorges and the canyons of the prefecture
• The Tibetan villages and the plateau pastures of the high valleys

What to eat

• Tibetan staples plus Hui-influenced cooking in the towns
• The local 'sang' and its butter and cheese

Best time

June–September