The Tibetan areas of Western China are packed with markets selling all manner of kitsch. But the souvenirs they're hawking — shiny scarves, cowboy hats, plastic combs — have little to do with the lives of the people who live there. You can find the same sort of Guangdong-made merchandise for sale in Beijing or Bangkok. This makes the Tibetan market in Xining, in northwestern Qinghai province, a rare and welcome treat.
Once a Silk Road way station, Xining still serves both the far reaches of the Tibetan plateau to the west and China's heartland to the east. The market abuts the train station, where the Qinghai-Tibet railway chugs westward, Lhasa-bound tourists in tow. Outside the market, camera-wielding travelers slurp noodles next to migrant laborers and locals. Hui men sell longjohns and shine shoes.
In the market's central hall, the air smells of incense, leather and yak. Khampa herders browse stalls piled high with saddles, looking for fur to line their winter shirts. Women shop for prayer flags, kids beg for plastic cars and the air buzzes with Mandarin pop. It's certainly not the place to find that fake pashmina — but there'll be plenty of chances for those somewhere back down the rail line.
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