For this last post I would like to talk about my trip to the province of Qinghai. This province is located on the Tibetan Plateau, or Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR.) The province has long been a melting pot for a number of ethnic groups including the Han, Tibetans, Mongols, etc. So, yes a lot of new learning of a new culture, a lot of temples (which I love,) too much cold weather, and a lot of different food so came along to my trip and read about it! Lol
After 6 hour flight and maybe 5 hours in a bus, we arrive at Xining which is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer. I think is also the capital of this province, but don’t take me as an expert! In there we visit the Tibetan Cultural/medical Museum with the longest Tangkha history and medical history presented on beautiful Tangkha paintings. It is a comprehensive museum for collecting, protecting, displaying and studying Tibetan arts and medicine culture. Tangkas is a Tibetan Buddhist painting usually depicting a Buddhist deity, scene, or mandala. So here we are in a three floor museum (gigantic) and this Tangka is the largest in the world! It was about 618 meters long, it took four years to made, and more than 400 artists involved! And then is when you release that there is not enough courses in the world that could cover all the Buddhist history and mythology. We also visit a lot of temples, visit a lot of school arts of tangkas, and the discovery (for me) of the century, Yaks. Yak meat, yak yogurts, yak butter, YAK CHEESE! Omg if you take the opportunity to taste once in life DO IT, for you and for me! The overall experience for me was amazing and I think is my favorite part of the whole trip that’s why I decided to talk about it! At it is for me, wish me luck for these finals and make it alive to China!