Day 3 - Qinghai (Sun Moon Mountain/Qinghai Lake/Kumbun Monastery/Train Station)
This is going to be a long blog. This travel blog also happens to be challenging due to many pictures taken and all 4 of us brought cameras. DUH! But since we do not keep photo albums anymore, I have decided to perservere and try and record the happy times =)
This is going to be a long blog. This travel blog also happens to be challenging due to many pictures taken and all 4 of us brought cameras. DUH! But since we do not keep photo albums anymore, I have decided to perservere and try and record the happy times =)
Sun Moon Mountain
I actually like the colourful flags behind. From here onwards, the journey covers the history of Princess Wenchen and how she had to leave China to marry to the Tibetan King. This is where she stood on a higher ground while travelling to Tibet and shedded her tears.
Temperature is so cold that Liying has wear a scarf.
Jeremy and Minghui ran up the bus cos the temperature is too low for them to take the cold. As such, nobody was gamed to go up to the pavillion on top with me. Sob.
The name of the place in drawing.
It is cold and foggy, brrr...
Just like in your dreams ...
And we have to take photo with Princess Wenchen. Cheez..
A close-up of the great princess who introduced Buddhism to Tibet.
Next stop is Qinghai Lake. Before the lake, we visited the Tibetan village, a mock-up.
Sweeties posing!
Let's follow her in ...
Reasons why Tibetans are so popular in photos are because of their colourful costumes and their rosy cheeks.
Even ah boy has rosy cheeks despite the dark complexion. This is due to high altitude and the strong UV rays.
Ah ma and Ah boy. Ah ma is already 80plus years old. I am amazed by the colour of her hair, still dark! Envious ...
The living room of a Tibetan's house.
Liying and the pretty gal.
That's how they chant daily by rolling the prayer wheel.
The disc-like material there is their fuel supply and also detergent to wash plates. They are made of cow dung!
Another ah boy...ahhh. The rich colours on their body forms such a nice contrast with their skin colour and their rosy cheeks. Picture perfect.
As the name says, it is for us to learn the Tibetan language.
Visiting the temple
The big drum for good luck and fortune, I guess 
Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake in China with an area of more than 4,500 square kilometers. Vast and green, Qinghai Lake embeds itself amid high mountains and plains like a huge emerald, making up of a spectacular and fascinating scene.
It is so huge that I would have mistaken it for the sea!
And how can you blame me since it also has a sandy beach!
Don't you love the blue sky, emerald water and the mountains behind?
The flags that we keep seeing are actually scriptures and they form a nice backdrop too.
Liying and I spend some money to take a motor boat to see this "er lang jian". To tell the truth, I also don't know what is so special about that rock!
On the way to our motor boat.
Life-jacket is important. I don't have to explain.
Kena cheated. Did not see the rock because he stopped from afar and tried to point to us!
Even the tents are colourful.
As mentioned, they are actually prayer flags and they are written with scriptures. The Tibetans who are mostly illiterate believes that when the wind comes and the flags fly, their prayers will be heard by the god and goddess and good fortune will come to them. Clever idea since they can't read the scriptures.
A nice backdrop as we leave the lake.
Sheeps are not just found in NZ!
Ta'Er Shi (Kumbun Monastery) is our next venture. This is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. In the Tibetan language, Ta'er Monastery is called 'gongben', which means '10,000 figures of Buddha'.
The eight pagodas of Buddha Sakyamuni (Lotus, Bodhi, Turning Dharma Wheel, Conquering Heresies, Rebirth, Peace, Victory and Nirvana) were built in 1776 to commemorate the events in the life of Sakyamuni.
We are obsessed with the idea of including monks in photos.
A close-up
The Ta'er Monastery is a group of fine buildings in a combination of both the Han and Tibetan styles of architecture on the mountain slopes. It has lofty temples and halls rising one upon another.
The jutting pipes above helps to keep the interior cool during summer and warm during winter. It's about selecting the right materials to make the place livable.
The golden-roofed temple behind is the holiest place.
In this temple, there is an amazing tree. This tree became known as the "Tree of Great Merit." The leaves and the bark of this tree were reputed to bear impressions of the Buddha's face and various mystic syllables and its blossoms were said to give off a peculiarly pleasing scent. Unfortunately, there is a thick fence surrounding the tree and we do not get to see the leaves.
One highlight of Tibetan temples are the prayer wheels and they pepper the holy ground. bucket size prayer wheels, which rest on wooden rack in rows on circumambulation paths around monasteries and other sacred sites, to be rotated by pilgrims, can commonly be seen. Water, fire and wind prayer wheels, usually larger, are built so that the flowing water, the flaming light and the blowing wind, which drive the prayer wheels and are empowered by touching the wheels, can pass the positive karma to every being they touch later.
This is also how the illiterate Tibetans chant and pray as they turn the wheel. Normally the wheels have the words "Om Mani Padme Hung" which is the most common chant used by Buddhist worldwide.
Good fortune will come to Liying!
Told you we are obsessed with monks!
The UV rays are so strong that Mdm Lim's specs darken.
The street life outside the temple.
Time to board the train and we have just arrived at the train station. We are still excited cos the train ride is the highlight! But in the end ...sigh...it became a learning experience.
Check out the Gucci bag carried by Lao Gong! $4000plus hor .... with a dollop of my sunscreen on the suede. He's still cursing me now!
The ones who cannot resist the flowers
And this is where we board the train from, the beginning of our misery ...
Time is 5.30 p.m. but because of screw-up, we only boarded the train at 10plus p.m.!
Luckily we had a VIP room. If not, it would be frustrating.
Arm-chairs were comfy and mood was still high. But it will soon change.
The wide platform.
Lucky I had the chance to pose with the train when it is still bright. But we miss this train cos the local guide did not manage to get the tickets for this train. Damn.
So we ended up carrying all our bags back to the waiting room, waiting for our fate, waiting for an unknown. I really hate train rides. So far, I don't remember a good experience even when I was in London!
My Lao Gong was so bored that he decided to fill his time, watching videos from his Creative player. Beoing models on America's Next Top Models again!
And this is finally our train. It is really dark by then. We were appalled to find out that the four of us cannot share a cabin and we had to be split. And we only had 3 beds! Jeremy ended up sharing a cabin with 3 Hong Kong tourists while the 3 gals gotta share 2 beds and share a cabin with 2 Guangdong male strangers! Urgh million times. Super screw-up! If not for the screw-up, we would have enjoyed the trip and laugh and laugh in our cabin. Duh
I actually like the colourful flags behind. From here onwards, the journey covers the history of Princess Wenchen and how she had to leave China to marry to the Tibetan King. This is where she stood on a higher ground while travelling to Tibet and shedded her tears.
Temperature is so cold that Liying has wear a scarf.
Jeremy and Minghui ran up the bus cos the temperature is too low for them to take the cold. As such, nobody was gamed to go up to the pavillion on top with me. Sob.
The name of the place in drawing.
It is cold and foggy, brrr...
Just like in your dreams ...
And we have to take photo with Princess Wenchen. Cheez..
A close-up of the great princess who introduced Buddhism to Tibet.
Next stop is Qinghai Lake. Before the lake, we visited the Tibetan village, a mock-up.
Sweeties posing!
Let's follow her in ...
Reasons why Tibetans are so popular in photos are because of their colourful costumes and their rosy cheeks.
Even ah boy has rosy cheeks despite the dark complexion. This is due to high altitude and the strong UV rays.
Ah ma and Ah boy. Ah ma is already 80plus years old. I am amazed by the colour of her hair, still dark! Envious ...
The living room of a Tibetan's house.
Liying and the pretty gal.
That's how they chant daily by rolling the prayer wheel.
The disc-like material there is their fuel supply and also detergent to wash plates. They are made of cow dung!
Another ah boy...ahhh. The rich colours on their body forms such a nice contrast with their skin colour and their rosy cheeks. Picture perfect.
As the name says, it is for us to learn the Tibetan language.
Visiting the temple
The big drum for good luck and fortune, I guess 
Qinghai Lake is the largest saltwater lake in China with an area of more than 4,500 square kilometers. Vast and green, Qinghai Lake embeds itself amid high mountains and plains like a huge emerald, making up of a spectacular and fascinating scene.
It is so huge that I would have mistaken it for the sea!
And how can you blame me since it also has a sandy beach!
Don't you love the blue sky, emerald water and the mountains behind?
The flags that we keep seeing are actually scriptures and they form a nice backdrop too.
Liying and I spend some money to take a motor boat to see this "er lang jian". To tell the truth, I also don't know what is so special about that rock!
On the way to our motor boat.
Life-jacket is important. I don't have to explain.
Kena cheated. Did not see the rock because he stopped from afar and tried to point to us!
Even the tents are colourful.
As mentioned, they are actually prayer flags and they are written with scriptures. The Tibetans who are mostly illiterate believes that when the wind comes and the flags fly, their prayers will be heard by the god and goddess and good fortune will come to them. Clever idea since they can't read the scriptures.
A nice backdrop as we leave the lake.
Sheeps are not just found in NZ!
Ta'Er Shi (Kumbun Monastery) is our next venture. This is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Yellow Hat Sect. In the Tibetan language, Ta'er Monastery is called 'gongben', which means '10,000 figures of Buddha'.
The eight pagodas of Buddha Sakyamuni (Lotus, Bodhi, Turning Dharma Wheel, Conquering Heresies, Rebirth, Peace, Victory and Nirvana) were built in 1776 to commemorate the events in the life of Sakyamuni.
We are obsessed with the idea of including monks in photos.
A close-up
The Ta'er Monastery is a group of fine buildings in a combination of both the Han and Tibetan styles of architecture on the mountain slopes. It has lofty temples and halls rising one upon another.
The jutting pipes above helps to keep the interior cool during summer and warm during winter. It's about selecting the right materials to make the place livable.
The golden-roofed temple behind is the holiest place.
In this temple, there is an amazing tree. This tree became known as the "Tree of Great Merit." The leaves and the bark of this tree were reputed to bear impressions of the Buddha's face and various mystic syllables and its blossoms were said to give off a peculiarly pleasing scent. Unfortunately, there is a thick fence surrounding the tree and we do not get to see the leaves.
One highlight of Tibetan temples are the prayer wheels and they pepper the holy ground. bucket size prayer wheels, which rest on wooden rack in rows on circumambulation paths around monasteries and other sacred sites, to be rotated by pilgrims, can commonly be seen. Water, fire and wind prayer wheels, usually larger, are built so that the flowing water, the flaming light and the blowing wind, which drive the prayer wheels and are empowered by touching the wheels, can pass the positive karma to every being they touch later.
This is also how the illiterate Tibetans chant and pray as they turn the wheel. Normally the wheels have the words "Om Mani Padme Hung" which is the most common chant used by Buddhist worldwide.
Good fortune will come to Liying!
Told you we are obsessed with monks!
The UV rays are so strong that Mdm Lim's specs darken.
The street life outside the temple.
Time to board the train and we have just arrived at the train station. We are still excited cos the train ride is the highlight! But in the end ...sigh...it became a learning experience.
Check out the Gucci bag carried by Lao Gong! $4000plus hor .... with a dollop of my sunscreen on the suede. He's still cursing me now!
The ones who cannot resist the flowers
And this is where we board the train from, the beginning of our misery ...
Time is 5.30 p.m. but because of screw-up, we only boarded the train at 10plus p.m.!
Luckily we had a VIP room. If not, it would be frustrating.
Arm-chairs were comfy and mood was still high. But it will soon change.
The wide platform.
Lucky I had the chance to pose with the train when it is still bright. But we miss this train cos the local guide did not manage to get the tickets for this train. Damn.
So we ended up carrying all our bags back to the waiting room, waiting for our fate, waiting for an unknown. I really hate train rides. So far, I don't remember a good experience even when I was in London!
My Lao Gong was so bored that he decided to fill his time, watching videos from his Creative player. Beoing models on America's Next Top Models again!
And this is finally our train. It is really dark by then. We were appalled to find out that the four of us cannot share a cabin and we had to be split. And we only had 3 beds! Jeremy ended up sharing a cabin with 3 Hong Kong tourists while the 3 gals gotta share 2 beds and share a cabin with 2 Guangdong male strangers! Urgh million times. Super screw-up! If not for the screw-up, we would have enjoyed the trip and laugh and laugh in our cabin. Duhposted by 25/95 travel blog at
12:47 PM
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