Qinghai

Author: Ma Fujiang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Qinghai is located in the northwest region of China, bordered by Xinjiang to the northwest, Gansu to the north and east, and Sichuan to the southeast. It adjoins Tibet to the south and southwest. Qinghai has 37 ethnic minorities, with the Tibetan being the most numerous. Situated in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, it is deeply located in the inland hinterland. The terrain is complex with significant elevation differences. It is the source of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers. The region has numerous lakes and marshes, with alpine lakes possessing their own unique charm, serving as habitats for wildlife such as gazelles, wild horses, brown-headed gulls, bar-headed geese, and swans, with Qinghai Lake's bird island being particularly notable. The snow-capped mountains and glaciers present magnificent scenery, while the alpine pastures are lush with green grass and dotted with herds of cattle and sheep.
Lamaism is prevalent in Qinghai. Tongzhong is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Yellow Hat sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and as a result, the region is dotted with numerous temples, many of which are grand in scale and splendid in architecture, forming a unique religious art form.