I. Where the map folds
Langmusi is not a single temple but a single street that happens to be cut in half by a provincial line. Step on the left sidewalk and you are in Gansu; step on the right and you are in Sichuan. A crystal-clear stream called the Bailong Jiang (White Dragon River) is born here, slips between wooden balconies, and vanishes into a gorge so narrow that eagles must fold their wings to pass.
II. Two monasteries, one heartbeat
Kirti Gompa (Sichuan side, belonging to Zoigê County)
Founded in 1413, painted the colour of crushed rubies. Prayer halls hang on the cliff like swallow nests.
Sa-chu Gompa (Gansu side, belonging to Luqu County)
A golden roof that catches the first ray of sunrise and throws it straight across the street onto the mosque’s minaret—an accidental conversation between Buddha and Allah that has lasted three hundred years.
III. The gorge that swallows the river
Walk fifteen minutes upstream from Kirti and the water suddenly dives underground. The riverbed becomes a staircase of dry white stones. Follow it and you emerge into a hidden plateau ringed by silver-blue peaks—an alpine meadow locals call “the Back Garden of Langmusi.” Marmots the size of housecats stand guard, demanding walnuts in exchange for photographs.
IV. A day in miniature
05:30 – The smell of juniper smoke drifts across the street. Monks in crimson robes hurry to morning puja, their breath turning to frost.
08:00 – A baker from Lanzhou pulls open his metal shutters; steam mixes with yak-butter aroma.
12:00 – Chinese backpackers, French cyclists, and Tibetan pilgrims share a table of hand-pulled noodles.
15:00 – The mosque’s green dome flashes under sudden hailstones the size of chickpeas.
19:00 – Bonfire in the guesthouse courtyard. Someone plays guitar, someone teaches the Chinese word for “galaxy,” and above us the Milky Way performs without a ticket.
V. Faith in layers
• Buddhism: golden stupas, spinning wheels, the low growl of long horns.
• Islam: green crescent moon, calligraphy that curves like river water.
• Motorcycles: the newest faith—chrome handlebars reflect both stupas and minarets as they roar up the single main street.
VI. Leaving
At dawn I cross the footbridge one last time. A monk is feeding geese, an imam is washing his face in the same stream, and the border stone is so low that grass has nearly swallowed it. Langmusi doesn’t care which province you claim; it only asks that you keep walking gently—because gods, like rivers, notice every footprint.
Practical notes
• Entry: both monasteries free before 08:00; Kirti Gompa 30 CNY after, Sa-chu Gompa 30 CNY after. Gorge hiking free.
• Transport: daily buses from Xiahe (4 hrs), Zoigê (2 hrs), Songpan (3 hrs). Shared minivans also available.
• Altitude: 3,300 m; mild headache possible—drink water, not just coffee.
• Stay: guesthouses from 80 CNY dorms to 400 CNY boutique rooms; book ahead for July–August.
• Leave no trace: the stream you photograph today is the same water locals brew tea with tomorrow.
