Qinghai is a large, sparsely populated Chinese province spread across the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. It's a place of strong Tibetan and Mongol cultural traditions. Amne Machin, a 6,282m-high peak that's part of the Kunlun Mountains, is a holy site for Buddhist pilgrims. Qinghai's important Buddhist monasteries include Wutong, whose monks are renowned producers of thangka, religious paintings on cotton or silk.

Tibet-Qinghai Railway 15