Where ISLAM meets BUDDHISM I S2, EP108

It's so beautiful. This mosque was built during the Reign dynasty in the 14th century and has a significant traditional Chinese architectural style. It is made of wood and brass. And this is the minuet that turned out to be a traditional Chinese pagoda. Good morning everyone, welcome back to the channel. Yesterday I was in the Tibetan Autonomous County of Toron and today I am leaving for the Autonomous County of Shinwa Sala. Em, it is not far from Tonra and Shinga is quite special because the ethnic group of the Sala people lives here. Em, which is believed to have originated from Central Asia from Samakan, which is today, and those people also share an Islamic phase. Em, this is also the reason why I found Shingai quite fascinating. So there is a mixed population. And it is also the place where Buddhism and Islam merge into local culture. And this morning we were driving along the origin of the Yellow River. Also the landscape of this region is quite stunning. It is an area of ​​transition from the Tibetan plateau of Shingai to the plateau of Loasis. The altitude is still quite high. It is over 2,000 meters and the mountains are colorful. It is very red but very arid. It hosts some of the oldest and most vibrant Muslim communities in China, including the ethnic groups of Ai, Sala, Tuang and Ban, which all share the same Islamic faith. In the morning, we headed north from Angan to Tenya. Ana is still predominantly Tibetan, so the Buddhist influence is strong. White stupas, prayer flags and monasteries at the top of the hills are commonplaces. Hot, hot. Once we entered the Jinga, we began to see imposing structures similar to pagodas in almost every village. These are the traditional Chinese minarets and mosques. This area is also located in the upper course of the Yellow River, the mother river of China. Here the water remains clear, but after crossing the plateau of Lois in Gansu, the river becomes yellow and rather muddy. Tinda is known as the birthplace of archery and is also the seat of a beautiful monastery called Cho Monastery encrusted with colorful mountains and cliffs. Initially it was built during the Yan Dynasty, and it is exactly during the Mongol rule that the GLUC sect of Tibetan Buddhism was protected and promoted. So during that period many new monasteries were built and in reality I have been to many monasteries, but this is quite spectacular because of the dense earth. The shape of the mudstones becomes erosive and the cliff is so steep. You can clearly see the stripes of the mudstones and there are some tiny residential caves or meditation in a rock. Hey, hot. Hey. Leaving Cho Monastery, we went east to east of the autonomous county of Zhenyaong and the autonomous county of Xinhua separated from the Yellow River. Next to them is the autonomous prefecture of Linjia. Those regions have a huge Islamic community and are a center of Islam in China. Sometimes known as the Mecca of China, Islam was introduced into China during the Tong Dynasty by Persian and Arab merchants and prospered in Qinghai mainly during the Yuan Dynasty more than 600 years ago. Most of the people are Muslim and the region also has many Asian mosques. Entering Xinhua, I can immediately perceive the distinct Islamic elements. Many men wear white berets, a common headscarf for Muslim men. And every village has a smaller one. Some hidden in narrow streets. And I entered one by chance. This is another small mosque of the community. So again Upagod which is a minet and this is a prayer room. Don't worry. Sugar. The old mosque that that man was talking about was the Akhata Mosque built about 600 years ago. From the outside, it is difficult to say that it is a mosque because it is in Chinese traditional style. Here it is. Wow, it looks old. Those wooden sculptures are beautiful. It's so beautiful. So, this mosque was built during the Great Dynasty in the 14th century and has a significant Chinese traditional architectural style. It is made of wood and brakes. And this is the minuet which turned out to be a traditional Chinese pagoda. It also uses mortise and tenon joints without nails. Both the Sui and the Sala share the Islamic face but have a different origin. So it is believed that the Sala descend from some people from Central Asia presumably. Um today Samaka but also some have told me that their ancestors came from Turkmenistan and the Ai have a rather mixed origin. It is often believed that they descend from the merchants of Central Asia, that is, Arabs and Persians have historically mixed with the Mongols, with the Chinese, with the Tibetans, and then formed the current Ai community and the difference is that the Sala speak their language, the Sala language, while we speak the 12th mode. So now is a moment of prayer and people come to the mosque. There is a written Koran that was believed to have been brought by the ancestors of the Sala people and that written Koran is now in this building. But he also says that it is one of the only three written Korans in the world, which I think is an exaggeration because there are certainly more than three in the world. However, Xinya is probably the oldest in China and dates back to before the 11th century. It is said that the ancestors of the Sala people who led their tribe Salua migrated here from Central Asia more than 800 years ago along the Silk Road. Legend has it that they brought the Koran transported on a white camel. The number and diversity of Xinya mosques are truly stunning. Each village has at least one mosque. The mosques here do not have the typical dormitories of Islamic architecture. Instead, the main structures are built in traditional Chinese style with frassino wood and cast iron slabs. The minarets are surmounted by Chinese-style pavilions complete with flying grounds. I have visited several. Their design reflects a fascinating mixture of traditional Chinese aesthetics and Islamic characteristics that distinguish them from mosques anywhere else in the world. The wall often features a mixture of Islamic calligraphy and Chinese painting. Each mosque is unique because the builders mix Chinese and Islamic elements with creative freedom. At the entrance, you will see the Chinese paintings of the century. The mosques here are the most unique in their genre, so look at the architectural style. This is a rather large gate with a pagoda. The marina is very different from that of the Middle East. That is in the traditional Chinese style of the pagoda. And in the center it looks like the Temple of Heaven. Now I'm in a hotel and soon I'll go to the airport, and to be honest I feel a little sorry because there are so many places I would like to visit but this time I had to go. So near Xinhua there is the ancient residence of the famous Panchen Lama. There is also the L. There are ruins where you can see the noodles from 4,000 years ago. So it's a place where the noodles were born. And then there is also the Buddhist temple of Bingling Gtos from over 1,600 years ago. And if I go south, I reach an autonomous Mongol county. So this region is really a key point on the Asian Silk Road, where different ethnicities, cultures and religions merge together. So thank you so much for watching and goodbye for now.