Erlangjian Scenic Zone – Image Author Owned
The scenic zone has been developed from a former torpedo test base on Erliangjian Peninsula. It lies south of National Highway 109 and north of Nanshang Mountain by Qinghai Lake, 151 kilometers from the urban area of Xining. One of the major scenic zones around Qinghai Lake, it extends from Erlangjian Peninsula to the Qinghai Lake Fish Farm, covering an area of 15 square kilometers.
Fengma Siyuan
Fengma Siyuan is a large statue of a horse carrying Buddhist scriptures right at the entrance of the Erlangjian Scenic Zone. It symbolizes mutual sport between Buddhists and secular people: Under the universal blessings of the Buddha, the common people can lead a prosperous and harmonious life.
Fengma Siyuan – Image Author Owned
Buddha’s Hand
A rock west of the Tourist Service Cen ter looks like the hand of Padmasambhava Buddha seen from one side. The magic va jra rod in the hand is a symbol of justice and power with which the Buddha subdued an evil spring in the center of a lake that caused devastating floods.
Tibetan Village
Tibetan Village – Image Author Owned
The Tibetan Village is located east of Qinghai Lake in the Erlangjian Scenic Zone. It showcases the customs, diet, life and work of the local Tibetans. The village covers an area of several hectares with houses, tents, corrals, shooting ranges and other facilities. Visitors can see with their own eyes how Tibetans, noblemen and ordinary people, live and work. They can also learn how the Tibetans prepare butter and milk cows, and make Tangka paintings and silverware.
Tibetan Folk Custom Museum
The Tibetan Folk Custom Museum on the western shore of Qinghai Lake consists of three exhibition halls, showing the history of Tibetans, Tibetan folk customs and strange shaped rocks from the Yellow River. The more than 2,000 pieces of relics in the museum tell fairytales about Qinghai Lake and display the folk customs, ethnic history, religious beliefs, costumes and architecture in the region with real objects, pictures and texts.
Qinghai Lake Dock
An F-shaped dock protrudes into Qing hai Lake as a passage for tourists into the lake. There are a number of tourist attrac tions on the dock, including the Yak Stone, the Water Balcony, the Bridge for Watching Fish, the Water Square, the White Pagoda, the prayer streamers, as well as a stone tab let erected by the Ministry of Construction with the words: “Qinghai Lake National Sce nic Zone.” The dock is also the best place for tourists to enjoy the lake view.
Qinghai Lake Dock – Image Author Owned
China Torpedo Test Base
The torpedo test base in the lake in front of the dock is the first torpedo test base in China. It was built in 1965 and handed over to the local government in 1988. Later, it was developed into a tourist destination.
China Torpedo Test Base – Image Author Owned
Erlangjian Peninsula
The Erlangjian Peninsula lies in the far west of the Erlangjian Scenic Zone. In the Tibetan Language, the peninsula is called Langqianwaqie, meaning “a pair of elephant’s tusks”. It is some 50 meters wide and 25 kilometers long, like a long sword protruding into the lake. On the peninsula, one can watch birds on the Bird-watching Terrace, imagine the mysterious ceremony of paying tribute to the lake on the Lake-wor shipping Terrace, and visit the stone tablet at the spot where Zhang Jian who started his lake-crossing swim in August 2003.
Erlangjian Peninsula – Image Author Owned
Bird-watching Terrace
The Bird-watching Terrace is located at the tip of the Erlangjian Peninsula. The two-story building gives visitors a better view of the birds on the lake, where one can see dozens of kinds of migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, ruddy shelducks, brown headed gulls, black-headed gulls, common cranes and black cormorants. All the birds live peacefully on the lake.
Racecourse
Visitors can experience the lakeside Tibetan life and ride a horse at the race course by Qinghai Lake near the Erlangjian Peninsula. In July and August the race course holds races and provides horses for tourists to ride. A horse race generally has four stages-opening ceremony, the race itself, award presentation and song and dance performances. In the process of a race, tough Tibetan riders try to snatch up hadas-Iong pieces of silk used as greeting gifts-from the ground on galloping horses. They also perform equestrian skills and horseback shooting.
Sacred Lake Altar
The Sacred Lake Altar is located at the center of Erlangjian Peninsula, 50 meters in circumference and 16 meters high. Around it there are 108 prayer wheels, each of which contains 300 million Buddhist mantras. There are another eight huge prayer wheels weighing one ton each. The four entrances are decorated with the statues of Mahavai rocana, Guanyin, the Dharma defender and Green Tara. The magnificent nine-meter high Mani Stone mound, consisting of tens of thousands of stones carved with Bud dhist mantras, is the largest one in Tibetan populated areas.
Sacred Lake Altar – Image Author Owned
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