China: Silk Road

Qinghai Lake

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: Grand Buddha and Flaming Cliffs

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).

Rainbow Mountains

Rainbow Mountains

Zhangye

Gansu Province

China

September 14, 2016

 

The Rainbow Mountains is one of the most dramatic geologic formations in China.

For good reason, they are also known as the Painted Mountains.

If you travel to central or western China, be sure to visit this site.

It’s easy to reach here by bus or tour group from Zhangye City in Gansu Province.  

Dunhuang: National Geopark

Dunhuang

Gansu Province

China

September 19, 2016

 

Here’s a good story:

In Dunhuang city, my guide and I met two young Chinese women who agreed to share the cost of a private van to travel to our agreed destination, the Dunhuang Yardang National Park.

After thirty minutes on the road, the van driver informed us that our group is too small.   We need to join a large Chinese group traveling by bus. 

I got suspicious.   I have been in this situation before. 

Hami: Palace and Market

Hami

Xinjiang Province

China

September 23, 2016

 

In 1888, a traveler recorded this description of Hami:

"The kingdom of Ha-mi contains a great number of villages and hamlets; but it has, properly, only one city, which is its capital, and has the same name. It is surrounded by lofty walls which are half a league in circumference (2.7k or 1.6 mi) and has two gates, one of which fronts the east, and the other the west. These gates are exceedingly beautiful and make a fine appearance at a distance.

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