BEIJING, March 31 -- Lighting up a ghee lamp devoutly, turning a prayer wheel slowly and spending a day walking around colored Mani stone mounds -- traveling hundreds of miles from a pasture more than 4,300 m above sea level to the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village in Qinghai has become a routine journey for Daluo in spring.

    Daluo, 62 years old, is a herdsman in Maduo Township, Qumalai County, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northwest China's Qinghai Province. Before the pastures turn green, he and his neighbors once again traveled to Jieshi County that is more than 400 km away from his hometown.

A senior takes ritual walks around the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009.(Xinhua/Yang Shoude)

    Jieshi County is the capital city of the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and also the economic and cultural center of the region. Apart from seeing doctors, shopping and visiting relatives and friends, the main purpose of Daluo's trip is to visit the Mani stone mounds.

    Located in the Xinzhai Village, the Mani stone mounds are 3,600 m above sea level and were started by a prominent monk of Tibetan Buddhism Jiana in year 1700.

    Mani Stone mounds, or holy stone mounds, are made up of holy stones and accumulated by Lamaism believers as a way to show their belief. The stones are carved with the Lamaist six-syllable mantra prayer or other propitious symbols in Sanskrit or Tibetan, showing Tibetan' goodwill and longing for a happy life.

A woman of Tibetan ethnic group passes by the Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009.(Xinhua/Yang Shoude)

    The Jiana Mani Stone Mound is piled by over 2.5 billion Mani stones in more than 300 years and formed a "stone scripture castle" with a length of 283 meters, a width of 74 meters, a height of 2.5 meters, making it the largest Mani mound in the world.

    The Mani mound, along the No. 214 State Express Way and on border of Qinghai, Tibet and Sichua, has become a holy religious spot attracting believers and tourists all year round.

    Daluo and his companions have been here for seven day and planned to stay longer.

    Every morning, after breakfast, he walked around the Mani stone mound with a prayer wheel in hand. Each day, he walked around the mound, 700 meters in girth, for at least 30 circles.

    He said the ritual walk did not only purify his mind, but also made him feel less painful about his arthritis and stomached.

    All afternoon, the mound see a continuing flowing of people. Among them are aged people as well as fashionable youngsters, all wearing a serious look.

    Gengge Zhuomo, 23, works at a supermarket nearby. In the afternoon, the trendy young girl, wearing a colorful scarf, sunglasses and jeans, also appeared in the crowd walking around the Mani mound.

    "When I don't work, I come here very often," said the girl, who has her own understanding of taking a ritual walk. "You will feel fresh after spending one hour walking around the mound. One can also feel relaxed even if he is loaded with worries. It is really good for the body. "

    The scale of the Jina Mani Stone Mound is contributed to the efforts of the pious believers. In accordance with Buddhism, both carving Mani stones and placing stones you buy are ways of accumulating goodwill and doing good deeds.

People of Tibetan ethnic group pile Mani stones onto the Jiana Mani Stone Mound in Xinzhai Village, Yushu County, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yushu, northwest China's Qinghai Province, on March 24, 2009. (Xinhua/Yang Shoude)

    Many villagers in Xinzhai make a living by carving Mani stones with the Lamaist six-syllable mantra prayer.

    Zhasuo has been in the business since 16. Various stones become lively with the delicate craving of the craftsman, who is already in his late 70s.

    Lying in the center of the three Tibetan areas, i.e., Weizang, Kangba and Anduo, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture is the source of carving Mani stones. Lebagou, 20 km south of Jieshi County, is a rare place for craved stones. It embraces Buddhist rock paintings of the glorious Tang Dynasty as well as Mani stones of nowadays, demonstrating the craving history of the religion.

Buddhism followers of the Tibetan ethnic group spin their prayer wheels to spread spiritual blessings to all sentient beings and invoke good karma in their next life when walking on a street in Lhasa, capital of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, in November 2007.(Xinhua/Soinam Norbu)

    With the continuing opening up of Tibetan-inhabited areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to the outside world, more tourists, from home and abroad, begin making frequent visits to the mystery site with carved sutras on stones. Although the area sees continuing inflowing of visitors, it still keeps its serenity, primitive simplicity and original beauty.

    "Visitors are just like the locals. They also help protect the plants,stones and sculptures here," said Caidaiji, a tour guide in Yushu, who guides about 30 groups to Lebagou each year.

    Lebagou is a holy place for religious culture and also pure land for propagating civilization and the concept of harmonious life, added the tour guide.

    "There are about 200 well-preserved monasteries and venues for religious events, which can satisfy the needs of monks and believers," chief of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Bureau of Yushu pointed out.

    "Reality has shown that traditional religious culture, while developing, can exist along with the modern society harmoniously."