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07 Jun 2009
Today we will be spending the entire day in and around Xining, spanning the local museum to the fabled Qinghai Lake. First up early in the morning was a visit to the museum located at the city square.
A component of breakfast in the morning, porridge of a yellow grain.
The Xining Museum. We arrived so early, it wasn't opened yet.
Xining dwellers doing their morning exercise.
Morning calligraphy practice with a big brush and a pail of water.
A Tangka - The Tibetan method of painting (powdered gem and gold mixed with bile) is applied onto a fabric.
Tangka is a Nepalese art said to be introduced by Princess Bhrikuti who married into Tibet.
The Tangka usually features some deity or buddha and is used for prayers at home. It is preferred as it can be rolled up and kept if unable to be displayed appropriately.
After the museum we were headed out of Xining to the Sun and Moon mountain (日月山). It is said that the Tang Princess, Wencheng, passed here on her journey to Lhasa to marry the Tibetan Emperor, Songtsän Gampo in 640 CE.
Approaching the mountain, a statue of Wencheng stands in white, small pavilions are on each peak.
Entering a pavilion
Inside, a pictures of Wencheng's journey adorn the walls and a tablet with script about the journey.
The ornate roof
The pavilion on the other peak
A white yak lazing around. It can be ridden for a fee
"Sun" "Moon" "Mountain"
Continuing our ride to Qinghai lake, but first we are stopping at 151 quay (I think it's because it's 151km from Xining) for lunch. This road is known as the highway to heaven. Out on the large plateau here the visible end of the highway is the sky.
Our lunch place. It is said there's a yellow fish that grows extremely slowly -- 450g in 10 years. It is illegal to fish it but the locals find their way around it and restaurants secretly serve it to familiar customers.
Lunch!
After lunch, we continued to Qinghai Lake, also known in Chinese mythology as the Western Sea, it is the highest altitude salt water lake in the world. Due to sand storms and drought, the lake has shrunk considerably over the years.
Arriving at the bus park, we had to take one of these to bring us next to the lake.
Along the way, we pass tents of some Mongolian communities.
Finally we arrived, looks like a seaside beach
This little spot next to Qinghai Lake with horse and dune buggy rides is said to be set up by a Taiwanese business
Riding around on a buggy
Yak milk by the beach, it was very fragrant and smooth
Someone riding a horse around the lake
Panorama of the Qinghai Lake
The lake from the top.
You get to ride on a horse for a fee too
Blocked by sheep on our way from Qinghai Lake to our next location. The next stop is the "gold silver beach (金沙滩)", nearby is the atomic city. The place that we visited is basically a nice patch of grass on this plateau, but it's a privately owned patch of land.
The sign says Atomic City. Behind was where the Chinese developed the nuclear bomb indigenously.
The so called Gold Silver Beach, a privately owned nice patch of grass for photo opportunities.
More horses
What looks like a sky burial site.
The local yoghurt here was delicious
