by Andre Manuel

The ancient city of Xining, located in the watershed of Qinghai-Xizang plateau Land and Loess Plateau, stands as the hinge of Qinghai and Xizang road. The fact that no burning sun appears in the summer makes the city worth of entitling the summer resort. The rich remnant of the history in the ancient fortress city is the best living testimony to its radical changes in the past. What’s more, fabulous food with plateau flavor will satisfy you not only physically but also mentally. Just come over here, the cool world is not that far away from you! It lies in the Huangshui River Valley with a lot of mountains and ravines. It is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer.

Industries in the city include machinery, chemical, power, metal making, and food processing. Xining is a major producer for making heavy machine tools, electrolytic aluminium, and alloy steel. The chief farm products of Xining are corn, rape, wheat, fruit, vegetables, milk and livestock.

The city is the supply depot for visitors who are headed to the other destinations of Qinghai Province and Tibet, making it a great place to shop. Water Well Alley Market is for dining with over 3,000 stalls. The Riverside Market for shopping. Stalls here sell a variety of goods, from fish to squawking parakeets and birdcages.

Xining has a vivid nightlife and streets are filled with small vendors selling both food and clothing. The older people will be seen at the coffee houses and tea houses.

Xining provides a variety of delicious food and snacks. The biggest street for vendors selling is on Daxin Jie, where touts sell every thing from barbecued fish to fried dumplings. One of Qinghai’s special exports is caterpillar fungus, called dongchongxiacao, which can be soaked in vodka like a worm in tequila or brewed with soup.

The Dongguan Mosque is one of the largest mosques in north west China. It was built in 1379, the mosque has a long history of more than 600 years. Architecture of the mosque combines traditional Chinese style and the local features, with grand appearance and delicate, dazzlingly inside ornaments. The mosque has a prayer hall which can hold up to 3,000 people. The mosque now serves as an educational centre and institution of higher learning for Islamism, and also is the leading mosque in Qinghai.

The sacred Kumbum Monastery is one of the six most important monasteries. The ancient monastery, built during the 39th year in 560 AD of the reign of emperor Jiajing. The Great Hall of the Golden Roof and the Great Hall of Meditation are the main parts. There are a total of around 20,000 religious paintings and embroideries within, as well as numerous yak butter sculptures and idols of Buddhas past, present and future. A pure gold tower stands in the hall that contains the ashes of Tsong Khapa. Photography is prohibited within the monastery.

The Xining region is also replete with natural scenic attractions. One is the Sun and Moon Mountain which divides Qinghai Province into two parts - the stock-raising area and the farming area. Another not-to-be-missed destination is the Qinghai Lake and Bird Island. This alluring body of water is home to hundreds of thousands of birds. About 35 kilometers west of Xining City in Datong County, you can experience the magical power of Laoye Mountain. Every year on the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, the traditional singing festival attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors.