Xining

Qinghai Province

China

September 10, 2016

Xining is a city with a history of more than 2000 years.  It was a vital link to Tibet to the south and to the city of Lanzhou to the east. 

Xining lies in the Hexi Corridor and served as a transportation and trading hub for the ancient Northern Silk Road route.  The city now serves as a hub for the Modern Silk Road providing connections to multiple-lane highways and bullet trains in all directions.

Qinghai Province

China

September 11, 2016

Kumbum Monastery (Ta’er Si) lies just south of the city of Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province.

The Monastery was built in 1577 at the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism.

Further south, on the road to Qinghai Lake, lies a lovely scenic spot  and a Tibetan version of a Petting Zoo.  The official name is Sun and Moon Mountain or Sun and Moon Pass.

Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Province

China

September 12, 2016

Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in the People's Republic of China.

Located in Qinghai Province on an endorheic* basin, Qinghai Lake is classified as a saline and alkaline lake.

Qinghai Lake has a surface area of 4,317 square kilometers (1,667 sq. mi.); an average depth of 21 meters (69 ft.), and a maximum depth of 25.5 m (84 ft.).

The current Chinese name "Qinghai," the older Mongolian name "Kokonor", and the Tibetan name translate to "Green Sea,” "Blue Lake" and "Teal Sea" respectively.

Zhangye

Gansu Province

China

September 14, 2016

Two old sites are prominent in Zhangye.   One site is measured in hundreds of years. The other is measured in tens of thousands

The Dafo Temple, or Great Buddha Temple, is an ancient Buddhist temple in Zhangye, Gansu, China, notable for its gigantic reclining Buddha statue of around 1100, which is thirty-five meters long (115 ft).

Henningsvær

Lofoten Archipelago

Norway

I love taking photos at this fishing village.  (Population 440).

The sun is bright.  The colorful buildings along the inlet seem to be admiring themselves in an aquatic mirror.

Henningsvær is part of the Lofoten Islands chain. A good place to relax and enjoy the surroundings.