Qinghai Lake: Torpedo Testing Site

A little know fact about Qinghai Lake not found on any travel agent sites is that it was the testing site for torpedoes. Hence the several sample on display at the lake.

Sky Burial: བྱ་གཏོར་

Sky burial is a funeral practice in which a human corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose while exposed to the elements or to be eaten by scavenging animals, especially carrion birds. It is a specific type of the general practice of excarnation. It is practiced in the region of Tibet and the Chinese provinces and autonomous regions of Qinghai, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia.

The majority of Tibetan people and many Mongols adhere to Vajrayana Buddhism, which teaches the transmigration of spirits. There is no need to preserve the body, as it is now an empty vessel. In much of Tibet and Qinghai, the ground is too hard and rocky to dig a grave, and due to the scarcity of fuel and timber, sky burials were typically more practical than the traditional Buddhist practice of cremation.

In the past, cremation was limited to high lamas and some other dignitaries, but modern technology and difficulties with sky burial have led to an increased use of cremation by commoners.

The Chipping away of Cultural Identity

With the push towards “Sinicization”, China is slowly chipping away the identity of their ethnic minorities. One such example is this mosque.

As you can see from the newly renovated mosque that the dome and minarets have been completely removed. This is taking place with almost every mosque in the region.

The mosques are systematically being changed from their Arab architecture to a more Chinese one. I was saddened to find this out as I was searching for info about the mosque. It's hard to believe that my photos of this beautiful mosque may be some of the last ones.

Sky Burial: བྱ་གཏོར་

Sky burial is a funeral practice in which a human corpse is placed on a mountaintop to decompose while exposed to the elements or to be eaten by scavenging animals, especially carrion birds. It is a specific type of the general practice of excarnation. It is practiced in the region of Tibet and the Chinese provinces and autonomous regions of Qinghai, Sichuan and Inner Mongolia.

The majority of Tibetan people and many Mongols adhere to Vajrayana Buddhism, which teaches the transmigration of spirits. There is no need to preserve the body, as it is now an empty vessel. In much of Tibet and Qinghai, the ground is too hard and rocky to dig a grave, and due to the scarcity of fuel and timber, sky burials were typically more practical than the traditional Buddhist practice of cremation.

In the past, cremation was limited to high lamas and some other dignitaries, but modern technology and difficulties with sky burial have led to an increased use of cremation by commoners.