Tongren (pop 257,000)
Qinghai Province
China
September 9, 2016
The Longwu Tibetan Temple and Monastery is the main site in Tongren. I saw very little of it. In fact, I almost missed it.
I stroll from my hotel towards the Temple along the main street but as usual, I am seduced by shops and shopkeepers and the local population at work or at leisure.
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.
Paris
France
February 8, 2017
My friend Gary in Bangkok described his strategy when he visits a museum: “When I go to an exhibit,” he told me, “I choose one special painting and then stare at that work of art for at least thirty minutes.”
The Icons of Modern Art, the Shchukin Collection at the Fondation Louis Vuitton has on display more than one hundred and twenty paintings. I have planned three visits. But with hundreds of visitors streaming through the galleries at any one time, how shall I follow Gary’s advice?
Well, I did my best.
78°55’30”N 11°55’20”E
Svalbard
The Arctic
So, can you name the northernmost civilian settlement in the world?
Here’s a hint:
A research town in Oscar II Land on the island of Spitsbergen in Svalbard, Norway. It is situated on the Brøgger peninsula (Brøggerhalvøya) and on the shore of the bay of Kongsfjorden.
