Muslim Qinghai

18 years ago I came to Qinghai during the Corban Festival (Er’de Corban, Sacrifice Festival).  I heard that Muslims believed that Allah (God?) asked Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ishmail to test his faith.  Ibrahim passed the test and a goat (sheep? lamb?) was subsequently sacrificed in place of Ishmail.  Thereafter Muslims celebrate the event by slaughtering goats, and praying at the mosque.  

I was hugely impressed by the thousands upon thousands of people kneeling and praying on the street outside the mosque in sub-zero temperature, for hours.

Then we watched several goats being slaughtered, with their blood drained, then skinned, and eaten.   With the richer sharing their abundance with their neighbours.  I remember distinctly the goats’ intestines being cleared, leaving the intestines almost translucent, and then offered to the mosque, together with the rest of the internal organs.  The meat, having the blood drained, but not yet washed, being so white, and looking so clean.  

This year, I return.  Where the white, big Dongguan mosque stood, I found a dark, Chinese architecture style mosque.  At first, I thought the Chinese style mosque was built in front of the old white mosque.  When I looked closer, and compared with my old photos taken in 2008, I realised that the old white mosque was no longer.  It seemed to have been replaced with the dark, Chinese style mosque.  Is this a sign of the localization of Islam?  

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n 2008, we climbed to the roof of the building across the street from the mosque, and watched.  I was surprised to find the building still standing.  I was tempted to climb to the roof again.  But there wasn’t enough time.  

The area around the mosque is vibrant, with food stalls, restaurants, shops, schools, and lots and lots of people. We are considering bringing a team here to work at one of the schools.  We might also bring a team here to do eye inspections.  Perhaps in the big square in front of the mosque?

When I eat stuffed goat intestines, I was reminded of the intestines of the sacrificed goat offered to the mosque.  Is this where they ended up?  

My favourite dish remans the boiled lamb, eaten with spices.  

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verything seems to be linked, in some way. Qinghai is a fascinating place.  I would love to return, to explore some more. 

Tibetan Qinghai

Qinghai has a wide distribution of ethnic groups: Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Mongol, Salar, …  Of which, the Tibetan is one of the most distinctive.  It is said that 21% of the 6 million people in Qinghai are ethnic Tibetan.  Part of the great community of Tibetans in Tibet, Sichuan, and beyond. 

In Xining, there is a big, modern museum of Tibetan culture.  Tibetan culture and history is dominated by its distinctive form of Buddhism.   It is related to the Chinese variety but with many rather different practices.  Such as the primacy of the Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama, the architecture, the clothing, the paintings, the learning system, … 

The museum houses a great collection of Thangkas (sacred paintings on cloth).  Very elaborate, colourful depictions of the Buddha, the Buddhist world view, various spirits, kings and famous teachers, stories that teach, …  One of my favourites is the concept of the six paths of reincarnation: gods, human beings, fierce demigods, animals, hungry ghosts, and hell.  I would have loved to stay and watch more.  But we didn’t have time. I remain hugely impressed by the resources invested in preserving the Tibetan culture in a certain way.  

The Taer Temple (塔爾寺, Kumbum Monastery) is fascinating, in so many ways.  It is one of the most revered sites in Tibetan Buddhism.  It is said hundreds of monks are living and studying there.  Some of them can be seen milling around. Many more seem to be visitors.  

It has a mixture of Tibetan and Chinese (Han) architecture.  The white pagoda is very Tibetan,  So are the trapezoid windows, very colourful walls, flags, …  Inside the monastery, one can feel being in Tibet.  In fact, the Panchen Lama was born not too far from here.  

The believers are amazingly devoted.  Kneeling, prostrating, repeat.  Or, walk, kneel, prostrate, repeat ad infinitum.  Around the temple, around a sacred mountain, to the monastery, from hundreds of kilometres away all the way to Lhasa. Rolling the inscribed wheels. Chanting.  What kind of belief motivate them?

How do they retain these very traditional believes and practices in this rapidly modernising world?  When they are challenged from so many fronts: politics, language, science, culture, technology, entertainment, wealth and poverty, …? It is nothing short of miraculous. It is a great testimony to the power of faith, 

All things goat

In Qinghai succulent goat can be eaten in so many ways. 

Grabbed by hand - my favourite.

Covered by spices. 

Boiled heart.

Boiled head. 

Intestines stuffed with flour, meat, …

Meat on the face. 

With noddles. 

Tender, full of flavour, succulent.  Qinghai is goat lovers’ heaven. 

Qinghai

18 years ago, I was here to visit friends, and watch Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha. 

This time, I am here in Xining in Qinghai to explore opportunities for new projects for service-learning with a small team. Xining is at the north east edge of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. Near the center of this 3D topographical map. 

The elevation is slightly more than 2,000 meters. Enough to induce high attitude reaction for some people. There are lots of minorities people here: Hui Muslims, 

Salar Muslims,

Tibetan Buddhists, … 

The geography, people, religion, culture, food, … are all very distinctive. Many other factors, such as a strong partner who share our interests in service-learning, have to work together to make it a good site.  We are here to find out. 

Amah Rock Hike on Lunar New Year

On the First Day of the Lunar New Year, we went to pay our respects to my aunts and their families.  As per Chinese custom.  On the second day, we went hiking with friends. 

Starting in Tai Wai, we hiked up Amah Rock (望夫石).  The hike was not particularly hazardous. But the ascent is fairly steep, and some steps are high.  With my poor balance, it was a challenge, particularly coming down. Decades ago, when I was much younger, the Rock was considered quite an attraction, a popular destination for hiking.  Nowadays it seems less so.  Many young people might not even know what and where it is. 

At the rock, one gets a panoramic view of the western part of Shatin.  In the distance, once can see Taipo Road snaking down from the gap between mountains, to come to Tai Wai / Shatin.  Before the opening of Taipo Road, people who wanted to travel between Shatin and Kowloon have to come through the area around Amah Rock.  

The weather was great for hiking.  Sunny but cool.  We got to see a bit of nature.  Such as the eggs of a moth forming a neat lattice on a green leaf.  And early flowers such as polyspora axillaris (大頭茶).  It kind of resembles a fried egg, sunny side up, with its yellow centre surrounded by white petals.  

Coming down, we decided to check out the crowd worshipping at Che Kung Temple (車公廟).  The third day of the Lunar New Year is the most popular day for coming to the temple.  But on the second day, it was crowded enough.  

The incense was so thick that the attendants at the temple had to wear gas masks. We were choked pretty badly.  At one point, a man poked his incense sticks into the back of my left hand.  It burned off a piece of skin and left a small wound.  I yelled but was too stunned to say anything to the man, beyond “Wah!”.  An older man scolded the younger culprit.  It couldn’t undo the burn in my hand.  But I did feel better that he spoke up for me.  

Then we strolled over to Tsang Walled Village (曾大屋).  It is perhaps one of best preserved Hakka  walled villages in Hong Kong.  It has not changed much since my last visit about 20 years ago.  A lot of distinctive features: the layout of the walls, the style of the rooftops, the colouring scheme, the tiles, the gateways, the ancestor hall, the wells inside, …  It is a whole story by itself.  Many of the residents these days, however, are renters from the outside. 

We ended up watching the fireworks at home,.

Over good food, with a couple of very good friends.  A very enjoyable day to begin the New Year.