Xining

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Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square. This guy has so many helium filled giant balloons I worried he might be swept aloft by the breeze.

Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square.

Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square. Here is one performer entertaining a huge crowd.

Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square. When the attentive grandmother saw me paying attention to her little darling she immediately rushed over to make sure I got a good picture.

Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square.

Xining: There is always a lot of activity in the central city square. This group of kids with their skate boards caught my attention.

Xining: Porters with bulky loads like this guy is carrying are a common sight along the downtown streets of the city.

Xining: Porter stops to catch his breath and to give me time for a really good picture.

Xining: View of the building in which my first hotel with the freezing room is located as seen from the central city square.

Xining: View from my twenty-first floor room in the four star (ha) $42 QinghaiJian Hotel where I nearly froze to death. I stayed there the first four days in Xining.

Xining: View from my twenty-first floor room in the four star (ha) $42 QinghaiJian Hotel. I stayed there the first four days in Xining. The windows in my room fit the sash poorly and let in torrents of cold air. After no response to my complaints I bought a roll of tape and fixed the immediate problem. However, unavailable Internet access finally prompted me to change hotels.

Xining: Monument in front of the main Railroad Station. The poor lighting with an overcast sky made photography difficult.

Xining: After three nights in the chilly Qinghaijian Hotel I found this delightful place and moved over to it the next day.

Xining: Entry carpet in the lobby of the four star $62 Enraton International Hotel where I stayed.

Xining: Decoration in the lobby of the four star $62 Enraton International Hotel where I stayed.

Xining: View from my thirteenth floor room in the $62 four star Enraton International Hotel where I moved on my fifth night in the city.

Xining: Monument in front of the main Railroad Station. I walked through a light drizzle this day.
Xining: Monument in front of the main Railroad Station.

Xining: View of the main Railroad Station.

Xining: People on one of the covered shopping streets near the main Railroad Station.

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims of some non-Han ethnicity, but not Tibetan.

Xining: Some of the people I watched along the streets near my first hotel.

Xining: People on the streets near the main Railroad Station.

Xining: People on the streets near the main Railroad Station. I saw many Tibetan people and Buddhist monks like this one.

Xining: Elder gentleman on the street near the main Railroad Station.

Xining: Today is Saturday and several teams of guys like these are collecting money in the stretched "towel" between them. Many old ladies like those in the background are begging on the sidewalks: this is Ramadan the time for special Muslim giving to the poor.

Xining: Many old ladies like these can be seen begging on the sidewalks: This is Ramadan, the Muslim time for special giving to the poor.

Xining: Shopping in a "drug" store I spotted this pharmacist and the prescription she was filling: "boil in a pot for ten minutes; let cool and drink one glass a day until the symptoms subside."

Xining: Shopping in a "drug" store I spotted this prescription being filled. Forget the tiny, hard to handle Western medicine pills.

Xining: This little kid sat munching on his corn-on-the-cob, minding his own business until a white haired stranger paused to watch.

Xining: Continuing to eat his corn, eventually he took notice of the foreigner with the funny camera and slowed his chewing.

Xining: A moment after this photo the kid lost it and burst into tears. Several people watching the process hurried to let me know the frightened little boy meant no disrespect!

Xining: In the rural outskirts of the city I discovered this machine being employed to winnow grain. Notice the large fan mounted on the nose of the engine.

Xining: Sculpture in one of the small parks near the central plaza.

Xining: Wide river walk across from the central city square.

Xining: People on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. These guys are getting their prayer rugs positioned ready for the very long service that included a sermon complete with chant like music.

Xining: Hui Muslim men wear one of these caps. The vendor indicated I, too should consider covering my head with a beanie.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. With their prayer rugs positioned ready for the service, now they sit and socialize.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Tens of thousands of the men crowd the streets around the Grand Mosque.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Tens of thousands of the men crowd the streets around the Grand Mosque. I am walking the ten blocks back to the hotel snapping pictures as I go.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. These guys are are waiting for the service to start and are surprised to see me with a camera. Moments later all were smiling.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Tens of thousands of the men and boys crowd the streets around the Grand Mosque. My efforts to remain unobtrusive failed and curious stares eventually melted into good natured smiles and gestures.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan in addition to a smattering of other ethnicities like these guys wearing turbans.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The sermon begins and all attention is focused on the message... delivered in a non-Han Chinese language! For a brief period distractions like foreign photographers were more or less ignored.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The sermon begins and all attention is focused on the message... delivered in a non-Chinese language! For a brief period distractions like foreign photographers were more or less ignored... but not completely.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Every time I stopped to study the throng, they stopped to study me... and indicate by smiles and friendly gestures they were happy to be the subjects of my photographs. Don't let the scowl here fool you. It is pure curiosity.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Most of the women are in hiding, but this grandmother yields to the kid's entreaties: "I want daddy." Kids will be kids, even during a solemn event like this.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This is one of the six minarets surrounding the Grand Mosque of Xining (pronounced "sinning"). It looks newly constructed, but the original mosque is over a thousand years old, dating to the inauguration of the Silk Road.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The sermon begins and all attention is focused on the message... but it is a LONG sermon and the native get restless... until it is their turn to join in the ritual.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan on their rugs: no shoes allowed. This is one collection of footwear is repeated a thousand times throughout the throngs.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Every time I stopped to study the throng, they stopped to study me... and indicate by smiles and friendly gestures they were happy to be the subjects of my photographs... and for a welcome diversion from the l o n g boring sermon!

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. I study the throng; they study me for a welcome diversion from the long, undoubtedly boring sermon!

Xining: Young boys fidgeted, but stayed put through the whole service.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Beggars like this guy work the crowd with great success; this is the season for giving.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Spectators are kept away from the authorized boundry of the Muslim activities by a small force of police.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Smiles everywhere for my photographs.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Some non-Muslim oldsters (and youngsters) enjoying the festivities on the side line.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Dozens of older people took advantage of the season to do a little religion sanctioned begging like this colorful old guy. Needing bus change, I showed him my five Yuan bill and four fingers; he understood immediately and made the change, keeping the one Yuan as my "donation."

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Some of the teenagers I found hanging out on one of the side streets.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This little kid found me amusing and his mother encouraged him to put on a show for my camera.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Gaily dressed children gladly posed to be photographed by foreign and local visitors alike.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan, but not all residents are happy. This group of non-Muslim store keepers grumble as the Muslim festivities all but closed their stores for several hours.

27 September 2008

Hello from Xining China,

Throughout my travels in China (maps) I am often the beneficiary of a charming Chinese custom: younger people yielding their seats on buses to the elderly! Most buses have several seats specifically designated by their color for the infirm, old, or pregnant riders. For some time I have been looking for an opportunity to offer my seat to anyone more needy. Day before yesterday a very off balance pregnant lady staggered down the crowded isle and clung to a strap next to my seat. Without a second thought I jumped up and indicated she should take my seat... to the horror of several other seated passengers. As the bulging lady started to sit in my now vacant seat a noisy commotion broke out as others hurried to jostle the lady into their quickly vacated seats, nudging me back into mine. For the rest of the ride I studied the expressions of the other passengers who had witnessed the drama. Some looked amused, some embarrassed!

A couple days ago what must have been the entire Xining Scout Troupe worked the main boulevard next to my hotel doing their "good deeds" for the day. Two girls about ten years old wearing distinctive red arm bands identifying them as "good deed doers" stood on either side of the cross walk at a busy intersection looking for little old ladies to help across the street. Finally a perfect specimen showed up, so old and decrepit she clearly needed assistance. With a beaming Girl Scout on each arm she shuffled slowly to my side of the street, stopping traffic with the green light in the process. Then a long period elapsed with no customers. Finally, an older well dressed gentleman stood at the crosswalk indicating he needed no help getting across. The insistent girls pleaded, wheedled and finally persuaded the totally reluctant guy to allow them to accompany him across the boulevard, the poor guy grimacing all the way. Seeing this, I decided to allow myself to be the willing ancient one for the girls on my side of the street, but nothing I could do would persuade them to take my arm! I did get a photo of one old guy being "helped," though.

Walking on I soon noticed more Girl Scouts working in teams to rid the sidewalks of litter: cigarette butts, candy wrappers, scraps of paper, etc. Passing one group I pointed to an item they had missed and quickly endeared myself to several teams who followed me down the sidewalk jumping to pick up the objects I spotted along the way. I felt like the Pied Piper of Hamlin with my entourage of a dozen noisy kids following in my wake. After two blocks one of the city maintenance people paid to do what the Scouts were doing free, chided my group for moving into her territory and they reluctantly retreated back down the block into their own designated area letting me go on alone. Further down the street, teams of Boy Scouts were busy pulling weeds from the flower beds along the walkway, though most were just sitting next to their hoes and chatting.

Xining, which means Western Peace is an unsophisticated town. Truly cultured behavior is well hidden. In any dining venue an empty chair at any table, occupied or not is yours for the taking... no questions asked... no polite niceties or greetings for those already occupying the table. With the giant round tables seating ten in hotel dining rooms, I suppose it makes sense in an expedient sort of way, but in small cafes like KFC with tables seating two the customary Chinese behavior feels offensively rude to this finicky foreigner. Spitting is rampant. While some try to unload what they noisily hack up in trash cans or flower beds, others just relieve themselves with impunity wherever they happen to be, including on the marble floors of hotels and department stores! Ugh...

The Tibetans I see on the street appear self conscious and intimidated. Even the decidedly non-spiritual looking monks in their maroon robes seem apprehensive as they wander the city. The central government's crackdown on the separatist movements might have something to do with that. Most ordinary Tibetans do not wear the outlandishly colorful native habits when in the big city but are easily recognizable by their distinctive sun burned cheeks and ethnic facial features. Almost no one wears sun glasses... except foreigners and teens trying to look "cool."

My hotel is in a predominantly Hui Muslim neighborhood (city map). Several mosques including the Grand Mosque are nearby, but all remain silent on ordinary days by government edict. My travels over the years have taken me to many Muslim countries where the five times daily call to prayers is a distinguishing characteristic of Islam. Yesterday was the last day of the Muslim month of Ramadan marking the beginning of Eid ul-Fitr, a three day celebration observed throughout the Muslim world. The entire Muslim male population in this provincial capital city of Xining (pronounced "sinning!") congregate around mosques to hear a long sermon. Preceding the sermon coral and solo vocal music filled the air from loud speakers mounted on the minarets around the Grand Mosque. To my ear it sounded like a mix of Buddhist sutra chanting and a Roman Catholic high Mass. For a good history of Islam in China see this.

I have never seen so many guys in white beanies performing ritual oblations on individual prayer rugs completely covering the boulevard pavement for a dozen blocks around the mosque. There must have been tens of thousands of them. My photos show a sea of white caps disappearing off into the far distance. Very few Muslim women showed up anywhere near the mosques (possibly a result of government restrictions prescribing acceptable Ramadan behavior). The atmosphere throughout the all male throngs is festive. The end of the lunar month of resisting food, drink, smoking, sex and god knows what else from sunrise to sunset no doubt explains the jubilant mood. It turned out to be a great time for taking pictures; no one seemed to mind being the subject of my photos. In fact, many encouraged me to take their pictures, especially people with gaily dressed children. Beggars worked the crowd with great success as this is the season for giving and good Muslims are supposed to distribute ten percent of their wealth to the poor annually.

Remember Hop Sing, the irascible Chinese cook in the old Bonanza series? Funny clothes, fractured English and a long pigtail made him unforgettable. While exaggerated, the stereotype used to create that fictional Chinese character mirrored my impressions of the middle kingdom and it's people far into my "educated" years. How inaccurate, how simple minded were my cultural perceptions. China historically, in its own way is as much a "melting pot" as the United States! There are dozens of minority ethnicities scattered all over the Asian land mass the World knows as China. While the ethnic minorities constitute less than ten percent of the country's total 1.3 billion population, most have long proud histories and revere their unique traditions and religious practices, a fact which is an ongoing source of separatist agitations for the central government.

My last postcard from Kangding included observations made at the extreme eastern edge of the Tibetan plateau. Xining is at the extreme northern edge. I am visiting these places to learn more about the diverse cultures considered Tibetan. Today, after six extended explorations of the country over the past three decades I know China is better characterized as a conglomeration of ethnicities and cultures strikingly similar to the United States. True, the Han are the dominant group and the 55 other minority groups play subordinate roles in the life of the country. Here in the Quinghai Provence where Xining (map) is the capital that reality is vividly apparent: nearly half of the population is made up of ethnic minorities: Hui and Tibetan! This situation is not unlike that in southern California where half of the population is now composed of Asian and Latin American ethnicities.

There must be at least one bright orange vested street sweeper per block in the downtown area. Judging by their appearance alone, I would guess most of the trash picker-uppers are people unsuited for other jobs and this is a requirement for receiving government assistance... not a bad idea, if true. Green and clean are two very important words in China. Bushy green trees shade the walks and decorative ground plantings brighten the neighborhoods. Large plaza areas often have massive arrangements of colorful potted plants to break up the otherwise empty concrete expanses. Grocery stores charge five cents for a plastic bag, so most Chinese shoppers bring their own colorful canvas bags... provided free by various organizations wanting the advertising printed on the bags. Without my own personal shopping bag, everything always cost me the extra nickel for a bag.

Encountering other really old people I sometimes play a game of "who is the older?" It all starts with my giving them the Chinese solidarity salute and a grinning "nee how" greeting. Faces brighten and my meaning is grasped immediately. The Chinese use a unique system of finger displays to represent numbers so there is always a period of confusion until they figure out my simple seven followed by four finger effort. Then, everyone has a good laugh as they consider the older player's age... I am often the older!

My flight from Chungdu got me into Xining at dusk and the airport bus arrived at one of the city centers after dark, not my favorite time to start the exploration of a new city. There is no single city center as such, but several business clusters which include "department stores," covered shopping malls full of independent stalls selling groceries and an endless selection of specialty shops along the boulevard. The department stores contain hundreds of independent sellers collected together by type of products offered. Prices in these collectives are good by American standards and selections of offerings range from really cheap junk to luxury goods. Escalators speed shoppers up and down the four to eight floors in the buildings. One of these unique institutions specializes is serving the Hui Muslim community; nearly every shopper wore the distinctive head gear identifying them as members of the Hui ethnic minority. Some stall proprietors let me know in subtle ways I might be in the wrong place, but quickly lightened up when I flashed one of my winning smiles and mangled a "nee how" greeting. I saw very few Han Chinese in this Hui enterprise... and no Tibetans at all. The largest denomination of Chinese currency is the 100 Yuan bill; worth about fifteen U.S. dollars. No one accepts these bills for payment without careful inspection to make sure they are not counterfeit.

CHENGDU AGAIN: Between Kangding and Xining I returned to Chengdu waiting for the Chinese bureaucracy to grind out a one month visa extension. Serendipity enriched my stay and provided time to enjoy several more of the charming parks in the city. During a walk through Culture Park one is immediately overcome by a bouquet of fragrances. Meandering along pleasant paths I discovered separate gardens landscaped with plants selected for their smells. A walled garden contained carefully crafted Bonsai plant displays. Throughout the park numerous little shady luncheon gardens served as popular social gathering places for friendly games of Mahjong.

The government outlawed public gambling some time ago I am told, but people still like to spice up their games with a little wager now and then. Fifteen years ago the games were played with deliberate snapping sounds as participants bumped the tiles noisily together. One could detect the characteristic sounds of a game in progress a block away. The hundreds of games I watched this time made no tile clicking sounds at all. One of my bi-lingual informants suggested players didn't want to attract attention to games where money lay on the table. I don't know the truth of it, but I did see quite a few small bills tucked under tea cups here and there.

Another day I took a more leisurely stroll through the centrally located People's Park. In the numerous tea houses located throughout the park people sip their Lipton's while playing cards as well as Mahjong. In one shady pavilion I found accomplished musicians playing the Erhu, a two string violin-like instruments with the bow threaded between the two strings. A larger group of musicians in another clearing provided the accompaniment for hilarious amateur Karaoke performances. One party made a determined effort to induce the foreigner to participate: "You sing anything... for fun only... 'Mary had a little lamb' O.K. or anything!". Near another musical crowd people were dancing and I joined in for a few minutes much to the embarrassment of a solo lady who didn't appreciate the added attention created by an uninvited impromptu foreign partner. In a large central plaza serious kite fliers demonstrated their elaborate equipment while other full grown men whipped their singing tops to perform for admiring onlookers. Boys maneuvered their skateboards among the strollers showing their considerable skill in controlling the two wheel contrivances.

POLITICS: With the presidential election looming and looking back on the previous contests, I am utterly dismayed by the short sightedness of my fellow citizens. Selecting someone to lead our nation principally on the basis of a shared religious or political ideology is tunnel vision, but that is exactly what happened when our collective lust for certainty drove the majority to choose George W Bush to be our president! ... The catastrophic results are now clear for all to see. Mystified by the effects uncertainty has on the political choices people make, I welcomed an article sent by a friend Las Vegas: "What makes people vote Republican?" Hopefully, the segment of our electorate discussed in the article has learned its lesson and will consider the full spectrum of capabilities necessary to guide our ship of state into the perilous times ahead. A clear view of the challenges and opportunities requires both Liberal and Conservative wisdom. Liberals must be careful not to throw out the baby with the bath water and Conservatives must acknowledge not all traditions are worth saving. Clear headed policy debates must avoid intractable positions, unyielding partisan demands. Intelligent compromises, consensus where possible and concern for the human rights of minorities are necessary if we are to avoid a worsening of the most severe national political crisis to occur in my lifetime. Searching for credible assessments of the two presidential candidates I found these for John McCain, the Maverick and these for the Barack Obama, the Change Maker. With the economy the single most critical issue for the immediate future I checked Nobel laureate Paul Krugman's take on the two candidates. In agreement with his informed opinion, Barack Obama, while not perfect looks like the safer bet to me.

Forget the God of Abraham or Mohamed or any of the thousand manifestations of Hindu deity. The real god of America is M-O-N-E-Y and the religion is greed. Like all religions it is a fiction created to achieve highly craved ends unavailable in the bright light of reality, if only temporarily. A friend in Thailand directed my attention to an entertaining and enlightening article that exploits the analogy to understand the current global financial crisis: unsettling, thought provoking. Greed is one of the most powerful causes of human suffering addressed by Buddhist traditions. We greedy Americans are in critical need of its lessons.

In that last postcard from Kangding I mentioned my dismay with the stock market meltdown. My alert friend in Las Vegas directed my attention to an article examining the seven deadly sins of unregulated markets, putting the blame squarely on the shoulders of Free-market extremists. Embarrassingly ignorant about such matters I found the analysis understandable and informative. The author offers suggestions for three needed basic reforms of financial markets. I just hope it is not too late for our generation!

Peace

Fred L Bellomy

PS: CITS, the Chinese government's travel information service for foreigners has an office in all cities of any size. For the past month I've been checking with them periodically to see if they can help me change my 3 October return flight reservations on Cathay Pacific Airlines. So far, no luck. I may need to dash down to Hong Kong in a few days, if I can't find a way to contact the airline. However, assuming the flight can be rescheduled, I'll head over to the tiny, formerly isolated town of Golmud. It is a popular jumping off place in the Quinghai Provence for tours into the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Transport there is possible by train and a regional airline, as well as buses. The next postcard may come from someplace you can't find on a good map of China... or not. Stay tuned. F

Xining: Copper mural in the lobby of the four star $62 Enraton International Hotel where I stayed.

Xining: My first morning in the city I came upon this sports extravaganza. These kids were part of a massive "half time" entertainment program and were very anxious to have their picture taken by the foreigner who looks like "Father Christmas."

Xining: My first morning in the city I came upon this sports extravaganza. It looked like every school child in the city had joined in the Olympics-like color formation displays.

Xining: One street lined with vegetable stands like this offered fresh ripe dates. When first picked the fruit tastes like little apples. Like most Americans I have always eaten the moist dried dates and never considered the possibility they might be good to eat before drying.

Xining: Chinese checkers being played by two Chinese women in China. I stopped to watch these department store clerks playing and they invited me to play. I declined indicating I had not played since childhood.

Xining: More people on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: My previous trip to China in 2004 included an obsession with the endless variety of guardian lions. This mythical creature is different from all the others I remember seeing: horns of elk, ears of pig, legs of horse and head of lion.

Xining: In the rural outskirts of the city I saw many people at play or just resting. This particular game is popular throughout China.

Xining: Today is Saturday and both Boy and Girl Scouts are out doing their good deeds for the day. Here one is "helping" an old man cross the street... after much insistent pleading by the girl Scout.

Xining: Today is Saturday and both Boy and Girl Scouts are out doing their good deeds for the day. Here a team of trash collectors is at "work." One group of about six got interested in me and followed me as I pointed out scraps of paper and cigarette butts missed in their sweep. A good time was had by all... as well as the other pedestrians who witnessed the Pied Piper event.

Xining: Several charity teams like these are collecting money in the stretched "towel" between them. This is Ramadan the time for special Muslim giving to the poor.

Xining: Some of the people I watched along the streets near my first hotel. This old guy is making good use of a warm coat that appears to be leftover from his military days.

Xining: While nibbling on a chicken leg in a KFC close to the hotel the Tibetan lady on the left in the photo strolled by with her entire family. Soon, the rest of them had her sit down while they rambled off somewhere giving me a long time to study her clothes and mannerisms; she also kept a close eye on me.

Xining: A Tibetan woman in full ethnic dress with head obscured by anxious photographer's finger soon returns from her shopping spree to join her mother who I've been watching.

Xining: Block warden enforcing rules on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This little kid found me amusing and his mother encouraged him to put on a show for my camera. She took off her mask for the next pictures.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This little kid found me amusing and his mother encouraged him to put on a show for my camera. The mother took off her surgical mask for this photo. Boys wear the colorful caps until they become teenagers.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. With very little prompting this little kid performs for my camera, much to his mother's delight.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Soon, more mothers demonstrated their determination that their little darlings should be considered photogenic, too.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This charming little girl and her grandmother posed for my camera.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This is the entry courtyard to the Grand Mosque of Xining (pronounced "sinning"). I suppose the lucky guys who found a place for their rugs must be part of the elected... or maybe they just got there at the crack of dawn.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This is the entry courtyard to the Grand Mosque of Xining. Only a tiny fraction of all worshipers made it into the courtyard.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The men and boys in this crowd eventually sent good natured smiles and gestures my way.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Curious stares eventually melted into good natured smiles and gestures... like these.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This crowd is trying to enter one of the smaller mosques before the main events started all over town..

Xining: While thousands of their neighbors are celebrating one of the most important Muslim holidays at the mosques, these non-Muslim day laborers still congregate here waiting for offers of work. The white baseball caps might be disguises designed to make the guys blend in with the Hui Muslims.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The men crowd the streets around the mosques enduring long sermons in the hot sun while the ladies sneak away for a little shopping or impromptu gab fests like this one.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A view of the crowd from a vantage point closer to the central plaza.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Spectators are kept away from the authorized boundary of the Muslim activities by a small contingent of police.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A dozen enterprising beggars wait for the onrush of generous givers after the street services have ended... and here they come by the thousands!

Xining: And, they keep coming for a couple hours.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A view from the fifteenth floor restaurant in my hotel as the thousands flee toward the central plaza after services around the Grand Mosque have ended.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The after service mob rushes on. Fifteen minutes later the crowds start to thin out.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Excluded from the sea of prayer rugs around the mosques, these ladies and their children wait for the men to return.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Excluded from the sea of prayer rugs around the mosques, these ladies and their children wait for the men to return. One lady covered her face with flowers when the foreigner's camera appeared.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A dozen enterprising beggars wait for the onrush of generous givers after the street services have ended... and here they come by the thousands!

END

Xining: Many Tibetan Buddhist monks like these can be seen among the people on the streets near the main Railroad Station.

Xining: Another loving grandmother and playful grandchild.

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims of some non-Han ethnicity, but not Tibetan.

Xining: This is Friday and the Mosque area is crowded with Muslims. Notice the little kid in the yellow outfit with the open slit down the back for quick business.

Xining: Look closely and you can see the slit down the back for "potty training" absolutely anywhere... and I mean anywhere. Remember the incident in the XinXiang hotel dining-room?

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims of some non-Han ethnicity, but not Tibetan.

Xining: More Muslims near the Mosque.

Xining: Muslim mother and child near the Mosque watch the white haired foreigner.

Xining: More Muslims stroll near the Mosque during their Friday day off.

Xining: Muslim kid in traditional attire near the Mosque during Friday vacation from school.

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims of some non-Han ethnicity, but not Tibetan.

Xining: Friday non-Han Muslim Chinese stroll the streets near the main Mosque is crowded with Muslims.

Xining: Off to the side discretely snapping pictures still attracts attention of alert pedestrians.

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims of some non-Han ethnicity, but not Tibetan.

Xining: This is Friday and the main street past the Mosque is crowded with Muslims. It is also Ramadan, a time for good Muslims to be generous and this beggar is taking advantage of the generosity of the faithful. Most people who passed him gave a few cents worth of Yuan. Here is is counting his take so far.

Xining: Bird owners bring their pets to sing to one another; a regular bird party.

Xining: My first morning in the city I came upon this sports extravaganza. It looked like every school child in the city had joined in the Olympics-like color formation displays.

Xining: Another of the Olympics-like color formation displays.

Xining: The mass of spectators in the stands on the other side prepare to do their card tricks.

Xining:Olympics-like color formation displays. The mass of spectators in the stands on the other side prepare to do another of their card displays.

Xining: It looked like every school child in the city has joined in the Olympics-like color formation displays.

Xining: Another group just below my viewing point prepares another of the Olympics-like color formation displays.

Xining: Another spectacular Olympics-like color formation display.

Xining: The Olympics-like color formation extravaganza continued for more than an hour.

Xining: My first morning in the city I came upon a sports extravaganza, here being enjoyed by a couple of oldsters from their elevated vantage point.

Xining: After they had done their color-formation thing the kids left carrying their equipment.

Xining: A Buddhist monk pauses to inspect a Tibetan mandala for sale in a store window.

Xining: People on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: Grandfather on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: Thinking philosopher on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: A family pauses on the street in the Hui section of town.

Xining: Walking through one of the "retirement" neighborhoods I came upon this game of Mahjong.

Xining: People on the street in the Hui section of town near the retirement neighborhood.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. These guys are on their way to the special prayers being held in the streets to accommodate thousands of celebrants. Notice each carries his own prayer rug.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. One of the smaller beggars tends his box full of small bills.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. This crowd is trying to enter one of the smaller mosques before the main events started all over town..

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Another shot of the crowds. Notice every male carries his prayer rug.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan by giving to the poor generously. This guy counts the take so far today. I learned some of the donation collectors represented institutions like orphanages.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The men litter the streets around the mosques enduring long sermons in the hot sun while the ladies sneak away for a little shopping or impromptu gab fests without the men. These two gaily dressed girls had just posed to let some foreign tourists take their picture, so I grabbed one, too.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The sermon begins and all attention is focused on the message... but it is a LONG sermon and the natives get restless.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The sermon pauses and a sea of white skull caps bob in unison.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The street past the mosque is kept open about a block toward the central plaza. People hang around here watching the sea of bobbing beanies. This girl in blue is another American tourist watching the scene like me.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Ladies are free to roam the area while the men are preoccupied with the big street service.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Excluded from the sea of prayer rugs around the mosques, these ladies and their children wait for the men to return.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Ladies are free to roam the area while the men are preoccupied with the big street service.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. At various places around the periphery of the sea of rugs the ladies and children watch in silence. How these kids contained their natural enthusiasm I can't imagine.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. I study the throng; they study me for a welcome diversion from the l o n g boring sermon!

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Beggars like this guy work the crowd with great success; this is the season for giving.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. Smiles everywhere for my photographs.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The street past the mosque is completely blocked by the throngs so I slipped down this side ally looking for a way around the mosque.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. The street past the mosque is completely blocked by the throngs so I slipped down a side ally looking for a way around the mosque. Here the next street over is under construction and also serves as a spill over place for yet more rugs.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A dozen enterprising beggars position themselves in the middle of the empty boulevard down which thousands of celebrants will rush after the street service is over. They reminded me of the crocodiles that wait in the water for the herds of wildebeest to cross a river in Africa during the annual migration.

Xining: Hui Muslims celebrate the end of Ramadan. A dozen enterprising beggars wait for the onrush of generous givers after the street services have ended... and here they come by the thousands!