QINGHAI, CHINA - Dornier


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TITLE PHOTO CREDIT = Wikipedia

Qinghai, China's "Green Island" province is the home of nomadic peoples, perhaps fortunate that industrialization is slow in coming to their vast grasslands.

Qinghai, a western province of China, is a remote area that has escaped some of the economic boom of the East Coast though industrialization is inevitable as is shown by the skyline of Xining, the capital of the province. With 2,209,000 inhabitants, the capital is small by Chinese standards, but it is the largest city on the Tibetan Plateau and the main entry by air to a region whose name in Chinese can be translated as The Green Island.

Xining City PHOTO CREDIT: Wikipedia=ASDFGHJ

Quite apart from modernization that is taking place in the capital city, the Qinghai region, a part of the first Himalayan plateau, is a vast and stunning landscape of majestic mountains, seemingly endless grassland and impossibly blue skies.

Because of its strategic location as a major pathway for the famous Silk Route, it has been a melting pot of Tibetan, Han Chinese, Mongol and Turkic peoples for more than 2,000 years. These days the grasslands are sparsely populated by nomadic Tibetan farmers tending herds of sheep; and it remains a place for memorable encounters with Tibetan and Buddhist culture.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / Tibetan Hunter

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / Tibetan Girl

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / TibetanBiker

Tibetan people and folklore are still omnipresent in every city and village, and monasteries are everywhere. It is a good place to experience Tibetan culture without facing arduous entry regulations required to enter Tibet proper.

One of three autonomous Tibetan regions, Qinghai was called Amdo before incorporation into the Chinese province of Sichuan and is particularly noted as the birthplace of Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th and current Dalai Lama and winner of the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / Coming home from the fields.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / Tibetan prayer beads.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / Old worker with his prayer beads.

Despite Han pressures, the Tibetan people are still strongly religious; all day long you will see sprigs of rosemary and other cleansing herbs carried about while people perform their prayers. The people make every effort to preserve their heritage and are very generous with donations to religious centers, even though most incomes as farmers or shopkeepers are extremely modest. Usually each family sends at least one child to study in a monastery.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / The teapot is ready to offer visitors and friends for a bit of warming.

© Melanie Dornier 2011 / The teahouse offers a warm and colorful ambiance where people can rest and socialize.

Winters are severe, and even though individuals may be seen wearing Western clothing, traditional outfits remain the most effective way to fight against the minus temperatures. What is more, Tibetans are very hospitable, and a Tibetan's house is frequently available to a winter visitor with an invitation to warm up next to the fireplace.

CREDITS: Wikipedia (Left) Steven Marshall / (Center) Chriistopher M. Cline / PHOTO CREDIT (Right) : © Melanie Dornier 2011

A few kilometers from Qinghai Province, there is the Labrang Monastery situated in the southern part of Gansu and part of the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. It is one of biggest monasteries outside actual Tibet Province, and its membership is based on the Geluk Sect, best known for the dramatic yellow hats that give monks the appearance of wearing a horse's mane or an ancient Greek helmet.

Monks of the Geluk Sect / CREDIT BOTH PHOTOS: © Melanie Dornier 2011 /

Monks prepare layouts to create a fragile sand Mandala. When completed, it will be destroyed.

Sadly, this monastery has come to international attention for the self-immolations of some of its monks in horrifyingly "peaceful protest" against perceived Han oppression.. Regardless, the number of monks living there is still increasing; and it is a huge hub of Buddhism. Life inside a monastery is strict, and the rhythm is established by the ritual performance of traditional religious ceremonies.

Rebkong, a small monastic town in another section of Qinghai Province is best known for Thangka painting. These extraordinary religious depictions, often of the Buddha, have traditionally been made on silk scrolls that were easily rolled up for easy transport by traveling monks. Another popular theme of the Thangkas is the Wheel of Life.

Getting there:

Once westerners have entered China, they do not need specific authorization to visit Qinghai province. At times, depending of political events, some locations are closed to foreigners. This is especially the case of Labrang Monastery. It is a matter of the good will of the Chinese government. Local travel agency are well informed about these situations. Travel there is not easy as public services are not efficient, and a private rental car is often the best option.

PHOTO CREDITS: Melanie Dornier and others as noted.

Melanie Dornier is a French photographer working mainly in documentary art and travel photography. Currently she has been living in China for more than two years. Her work has been wildly published in the international press, and she has been recognized as one of France's emerging photographers of note.

Street, travel and documentary photography, China, Asia

China website access:
http://melaniedornier.photoshelter.com/