Xining, the provincial capital of Qinghai, a western province of China and a major caravan route to Tibet in the ancient Silk Road.
Xining food market; stunning scenery of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Qinghai is source of the Yellow, Mekong, and Yangtse Rivers, and has an average altitude of 3000m and is also known as the birthplace of rivers. Most are Han Chinese, and Qinghai has about 20% ethnic Tibetans.