'''Yushu''' (__?; ''Yushu'' - also known as ''Gyegu'') is a town in Qinghai province.

Understand

Yushu is in the traditional province of Amdo. It is an multi-ethnic town. The inhabitants are mostly Tibetan while most merchants are Han Chinese. The area has a population of over 250,000.

Yushu is in fact in Kham, not Amdo. Although it is outside the Tibet Autonomous region, it is clearly Tibetan, albeit increasingly flooded with Chinese incomers.

Get in

A few buses depart daily from Xining in Qinghai, Ganzi in Sichuan province to Yushu.

Get around

Walking is the easiest way around town, you can walk up the hill to the Jeigu Si (Monastery). A taxi to the Mani Stones should cost around 50RMB, as should a taxi to the Temple of Princess Wencheng. Try to negotiate with a driver to see both sites as they are both outside of town in different directions.

See

  • '''Jorang Monastery'''
  • '''Qiulindo Monastery'''
  • '''Zomda Monastery'''
  • The '''Temple of Princess Wencheng''' and the '''Mani Shi Cheng''' are both located just outside the town and worth a visit - around 100RMB by taxi.
  • new contributer: If visiting in July go to the famous horse fair, where local townspeople and nomads from far and wide come; exciting displays of horsemanship, and traditional Tibetan singing and dancing. 40-50RMB in tax

    Do

    Meet the beautiful friendly people!

    Buy

    Don't bother to have a sheepskin jacket made up unless you're prepared to leave it behind;it will start to stink once you bring it back to low altitude.

    new contributer: I can confirm this, I have a beautiful lamb skin lined black jacket with brocade trim which was unwearably smelly in my spare room. However, leather cowboy hat is fine, also fox fur brocade hat. Apart from malas (tibetan rosary beads), prayer flags and other religious acoutrements, there's not a lot to buy although there are some beautiful rugs to be found on the market. However, it is almost impossible to persuade the merchant to part with one, as for reasons I never fathomed, they are sold in pairs. I did manage to get one, but had to pay excess baggage on internal flight as a result. You can also buy Caterpillar fungus in Yak Square during the summer, a famous traditional medicine.

    Eat

    Yushu is filled with restaurants and places to stay.
  • '''Ya Fanguan'''. Turn right at the top of the T-Junction and the restaurant is on the left hand side. A yellow sign with two yak is above the restaurant, but can be hard to see at night. Traditional Muslim noodle cuisine. The ganban, similar to spaghetti and just as delicious, is especially recommended.
  • Decent food can be got at a large number of places on all of the town's 3 main streets, and also at dthe market square at night. I can recommend sheeps head for the not too squeamish.

    new contributer: During 6 months living in Yushu in 2005, during which I ate out several times a week, the only time I got food poisening was when I ate at 'Ya Fanguan', so I can't recommend it. Walk from there back to the T junction, turn left and walk past the Yak statue to find the Yak restaurant on the left; this is the best restaurant in town (and also the most expensive). I can also recommend the yak milk yoghurt sold by the nomad women on the corner of Yak Square; very strong but very creamy. Steer clear of yak butter; it always tastes rancid even when fresh.

    Drink

    You can buy very fizzy lager (3RMB a bottle in 2005)in many shops around town, and also in many restaurants. Also, some kind of clear spirit whose name I forget, but which I clearly recall had the most foul taste I have ever experienced. There are a few drinking establishments (to call them pubs would be a misnomer) and I wouldn't recommend them. Certainly don't expect a pub atmosphere. There are also a couple of night clubs, which are worth going to just to experience young people in a disco all lining up and doing traditional dances which they all seem to know. There is also often traditional Tibetan folk singing in these clubs which is also worth seeing.

    Sleep

    Budget

    Mid range

    Yushu Binguan is the by far the nicest hotel in town, and after spending time in the rest of Western Sichuan and Qinghai, this place seems like heaven (especially with the flushing toilets and 24 hour hot showers!). The old Yushu Binguan sits in front of this brand new hotel, and there are no longer dorm rooms available. Accommodation here can be quite expensive, in the off-season (Winter) expect to pay 180RMB per night for a room with a (soft!) queen-size bed. The staff are helpful, although only a few speak some English - a friendly female manager has the best fluency. By Chinese government standards the hotel is 3 star, but by Western standards it could possibly be 4 star. Avoid the complimentary breakfast.

    There is a YHA in a pink cube-shaped building on the outskirts of town as you head in from Ganzi.

    Get out

    There are two daily buses to Xining - a seated bus leaves at 8am whilst a sleeper bus leaves at 1pm. The trip can take anywhere from 14 to 20 hours, so it is recommended to take the sleeper bus as the trip is overnight. New addition from different writer:There is also a bus a few times a week to Chengdu; takes 32 - 36 hours, sleeper bus.

    new contributer: On the route to Xining there are fantastic views of plains so vast they disappear into the horizon. On the route to Chengdu the scenery is fantastically dramatic with vast mountains and river gorges. Be prepared for delays due to small avalanches temporarily blocking the roads on the way to Chengdu.

    New contributer: They have 4 buses a day now, 2 seated and 2 sleepers. The sleepers are bad due to the puke on the coverings they give you. They take 4 hours longer than the seated buses. The seated bus was heated the sleeper bus we were on was not heated. We prefer the seated bus. As the other person wrote, great views and vast valleys. Advantage in the sleeper bus, it is eaiser to play cards, the locals love to play cards. If language is an issue teach them to play crazy 8's.