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Xining, despite the few attractions within the city itself, has a charm that is
refreshing in this rugged western province. Most travellers here are either on their way
to other destinations in Qinghai, most obviously the Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake, or planning
to travel on to Tibet. Of most
interest to visitors in the town is a visit to one of the markets, either for food or
exotica. Just near the West Gate are the two best markets: Water Well Alley Market
(see Dining) and the Riverside
Market (see Shopping). The city is literally translated Western Peace, a projection of wish
fulfillment by imperial order. It has long been on the fringes of the western Chinese
empire, probably established around the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and it remained an
important trading post in the area, mainly for goods to and from Tibet and China. It was
by the sixteenth century that the city was set up as both a military garrison and a major
trading post upon the Southern Silk Route. It was not until 1928 that the city, with the formal establishment of Qinghai as a
province, was to become the official capital. It has now emerged as the political and
economic center of the province. The city lies on the Qinghai/Tibetan Plateau
at an elevation of around 2,200 meters above sea level, and is around 225km from Lanzhou. With mountains
lying sharply to the north of the city, and desolate plains stretching before it, Xining
is a welcoming staging point for trekkers to areas beyond. Most of the city lies to the
south of the Huangshui River (Huangshui he), and it is more or
less bisected by the South River (Nan chuan). The city has its
center between two set of crossroads, at Ximen (West Gate) and Dashizi
(Big Crossroads). The population within is roughly 60% Han Chinese, but
it is the ethnic minorities that give the town its true flavour. Of these it is the
Tibetan and Muslim Hui that make up the biggest proportion, accounting for around a
quarter of the total population. |
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