The Gyanak Mani Stone Complex (Manishicheng) is a few kilometres from Yushu town centre and is without question one of the most extraordinary religious sites on the Tibetan Plateau. It consists of an enormous collection of carved mani stones — flat stones etched with the mantra Om Mani Padme Hum and images of deities — accumulated over centuries by Buddhist devotees and stacked into walls, terraces, and structures covering a substantial area. The stones are engraved individually; some are crude, some are masterworks of careful carving; all are the product of personal devotion.
The complex has a circumambulation route — a clockwise circuit followed throughout the day by monks, nuns, elderly women spinning prayer wheels, and occasional younger people on motorbikes who have not yet found a quieter way to show respect. Walking the circuit takes about 30 to 45 minutes at a respectful pace. Entry costs around 20 yuan; the taxi from town costs a similar amount. Go in the morning or evening when the light is warm and the pilgrims are most numerous.