Local customs

Later, you can go hiking to the Mengda Tianchi Lake, which is at an altitude of 2,504 meters.

You may have an aching back the next day after spending half an hour riding a mule along the path to the mountain top. But the beautiful scenery - blue skies and heavy clouds mirrored in the lake surrounded by hills - is worth it.

The lake is about 350 meters long and 400 meters wide, with a depth of 25 meters.

You can also visit the former residence of the 10th Panchen Erdeni Chosgyi Gyantsen in Xunhua, which is well-preserved.

In the yard is a poplar more than 500 years old, while in the room where the Panchen Lama was born is a pillar covered by colorful khatag.

It is also a good place to learn about the local customs. For example, the bottom of a brick bed and the kitchen range are connected, so they could be heated at the same time by fire in winter.

In the early 13th century, the Salar people left Turkmenistan, trekking through difficult terrain and settled in Xunhua.

When they came they brought with them an 867-page Quran manuscript, which is one of the oldest copies of the Muslim holy book in the world. It's now preserved in the Jiezi Mosque.

Experts believe that the manuscript is from between the 8th and 13th century.

Legend has it that the people together with a white camel were lost for a while and when they found that the camel had turned into stone next to a spring they decided to stay there. The spring is located next to Jiezi Mosque.