Xiahe is known as “little Lhasa” and since we were unable to visit Tibet, this city was the next best thing. Xiahe is an ethnically Tibetan town famous for its Labrang Monastery, which is one of the most important centers…

Xiahe is known as “little Lhasa” and since we were unable to visit Tibet, this city was the next best thing. Xiahe is an ethnically Tibetan town famous for its Labrang Monastery, which is one of the most important centers…
From Turpan, we drove to the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Cave complex (5th to 14th century), nestled in a gorge of the Flaming Mountains. The cave grottoes’ best murals were hacked away by German explorer Albert von Le Coq who sent…