Business

Some examples of the Daoist fortune tellers operating in front of the lower monastic complex at Nan Shan. Here, a man offers to read one's signs in both hands and face. The hand diagram on the right looks remarkably similar to the way hands are portrayed in Tibetan iconography.

The entrance to the Jiunmei Tibetan Medicine for the Well-being of Body and Soul ('Jig med bod sman lus srog bde ster), a Tibetan medicine factory in the same complex as the Tibetan Medical Museum. Judging by 'DSCN1002.jpg' it appears as though the factory is a supplier of 'Qinghai Fearless Hospital' (mTsho ngon 'jigs med sman khang). I was not surprised to find an English translation in the name of the factory; amongst the many industries of Xining, Tibetan medicine has taken to the use of English with perhaps the greatest consistency.

Muslim restaurants opposite of Qinghai Nationalities University (East Campus).

A type of milk sold at convenience stores throughout Xining (photo taken across the street from Qinghai Nationalities University - East Campus). Manufactured by Qinghai [Company] (mTshon sngon po). In the average Qinghai supermarket, diary products are most likely to feature bilingual labels. I suspect this has less to do with cultural eqaulity and more to do with the 'authenticity' a Tibetan-labelled diary product carries.

Exterior and stairwell of the Gangs can pa, a Tibetan beerhouse several blocks away from Qinghai Nationalities University - East Campus, and quite popular with students. At night the Gangs can pa features Tibetan dancing, Tibetan songs sung karaoke-style and a mostly Tibetan clientale and staff. On one of my visits I witnessed a heated confrontation, with many bottles smashed in the scuffle; I have since heard that this is not out of the ordinary.