“For me, I truly sensed serenity, peace and tranquil happiness. Somehow being in the presence of such grand beauty, no anxieties would interrupt my moment with the environment. I felt clearheaded, composed and awaken.”

　　When I first heard of Qinghai, my first reaction was where Qinghai is? Qinghai took me by surprise. Qinghai was the center and the highlight of my summer. We set off with no expectations and came back with a whole new life experience, and an understanding of a part of the world that is often forgotten. It felt like we had discovered something that no one knew, and we are proud to know something others don’t know: Qinghai holds the landscapes and culture which are richer than big cities like Beijing and Tianjin.

　　We were first welcomed to the China Tibetology Research Center for the official Opening Ceremony. Our pictures were on the walls, and our names on the seats, we were shown pictures and videos of Qinghai, which were so professional and high-tech. It suddenly gave me a dream of learning these skills. Being someone who has had a lot of interest in Tibetan culture, early on, I have already chosen and written my high school thesis on the political stand of the Tibetan minority in China.

　　I felt like I already knew quite a bit on Tibet, yet walking through this museum, I was sparked to know more, and realized that I need more than one or two years to truly understand Tibetan culture. This museum, I would say, opened my eyes to a lesser known form of Buddhism: Tibetan Buddhism.

　　We set off on July 31th and arrived in the bustling city of Xining. We were welcomed to this city with an extensively luxurious hotel, which I must say, largely exceeded my expectations of the living conditions. Two large queen sided beds, with a cozy sofa… all for me! I must say, in order for me to find such space in Beijing, it definitely would cost an arm and leg.

　　Walking around the streets of Xining, something that I had never seen before truly surprised me: the Hui minority and their dress. Little black hats lined the busy streets and I think the words “Halal”(清真) was written on every restaurant every ten meters.

　　The following days we visited many museums where we achieved a better understanding of Qinghai and the local minorities on every aspect: art, medicine, literature and religion.

　　One day that truly touched me is a day that I will surely never forget and that I will arrange to experience again in the future: the day in Qinghai Lake. I wasn’t expecting to find a beach in this summer, but this lake was so endlessly large like a sea. The drive was long but all our fatigue seemed to disappear when we saw the stretch of the water for the first time. It is surrounded by slopping mountains, and painted with the shadows of clouds. It seemed that the mountains were dipping their feet into the turquoise sparkling water. Lining the streets were meadows of sunflowers and lime green grasses, with colorful signs and people. It is rare for me to say that, this view is the one that I will always remember as one of the most beautiful landscapes I have ever seen. During this entire day, everyone was so excited, taking pictures for each two steps because no matter how you took the picture, it would be perfect. For me, I truly sensed serenity, peace and tranquil happiness. Somehow being in the presence of such grand beauty, no anxieties would interrupt my moment with the environment. I felt clearheaded, composed and awaken.

　　Another day that really touched me is the day that we walk around the rural village of Tibetans. I absolutely love the people in this small village. The tiny houses lined along the streets are built by themselves, and rich in color and culture. Most of all, the kind and enlightened smiles of the men and women doing their day’s work shine in the warm sun. I felt completely surrounded by this longstanding and peaceful culture, and it was truly a pleasure. At one point, it started to rain and we saw many of the farmers who were trying to dry their harvest in the sun quickly packed it up. Yet, some farmers didn’t have many hands and their harvest was getting wet before they could put it in the bags. In almost tacit understanding, our small group of international students knelt down among them and worked away until all the seeds were properly protected. It was a nice feeling to know that we have helped these people. This is the first time I have ever experienced the daily life of the Tibetan minority.

　　While visiting the small villages scattered around, I came to realize how much efforts the Chinese government has spared to improve the livelihood of almost all the small villages in Qinghai. This project is called: Beautiful Villages Construction Project. As the local people explained, these kinds of infrastructures didn’t exist before in this impoverished area. Yet, through the construction of stylish statues, bridges and walkways, the government has brought a new industry for the source of income: tourism. These people who once highly depended on agriculture now can live in an environment as beautiful as their culture and share it openly with visitors.

　　No matter how incredibly rich the culture is and beautiful Qinghai is, all good things must come to an end, as did our trip. We left Beijing with curiosity, and came back with a whole new incredible life experience.