Langmusi, known as Taktsang Lhamo in Tibetan, is a cool little town that sits on the Sichuan and Gansu boarder. With horse trekking, hiking, buddhist temples, and other cultural experiences to enjoy, Langmusi is a perfect tourist destination.
We did see other foreigners there, but most of the tourists in Langmusi are Chinese. Many of the hotels in this tourism town don’t actually take foreigners (especially since COVID 19 became a factor). Our hotel wasn’t the best we’ve stayed in, but the owners were nice and it was situated right in the middle of the town, so it as ok. It got better when we switched rooms so that we weren’t over the street, where we heard honking and screaming children as late as 11:30 at night.
If you’re considering going to Langmusi, be sure to set your expectations right. Your hotel room is going to have a hard bed, and there won’t be a proper shower… just a shower head in the middle of the bathroom. There aren’t many western options for food, and most of the restaurants are small and family run. If you go there expecting this, you’ll have a fabulous time. If you go there expecting to get coffee at Starbucks and to have dinner at McDonalds though…you will be disappointed.
Langmusi’s population is only around 4,000 people, and are mostly Tibetan. You’ll find lots of Yak Meat in the town, and restaurants that have recordings listing the various forms of Yak Yogurt they sell. There are also plenty of beautiful souvenirs for sale, including shawls and plenty of options for jewelery. There’s also plenty of hiking gear for sale in town, as I imagine many people don’t expect it to be so cold (they have boots and coats for sale) or for the trails to be so rough. In regular China, climbing a mountain means walking up stairs. In Langmusi, you are actually making your way up slopes and using rocks for grip. It’s great, but I think a lot of people show up here unprepared.
The town of Langmusi was beautiful. It’s surrounded by hills and a beautiful little river runs through. The town is small, really only 2 roads, but you’ll often see horses walking down the street, beside the cars and tour buses. There are plenty of shops that stay up quite late (you can still get water at 11pm, which is unusual for such a small place).
As a border town, 2 full days in Langmusi is appropriate, so that you can spend a day seeing each side. If I were to very simply explain the difference between the two, I’d say that the Sichuan side has more natural beauty, whereas the Gansu side is more strong culturally. Both have plenty to offer tourists though, and I am very happy we had time for both!
The Gansu Side 
The Sichuan Side
When we arrived, I expected to be able to put all of Langmusi in 1 post, but now I’ve decided it should be divided into 3! Stay tuned for my posts about the Sichuan and Gansu portion of the town!