Preetam Rai

Ningxia is a tiny little province in northern China. I was at a museum (in the capital city Yinchuan) doing some research on the ancient XiXia people. The Xi Xia people, also known as the Western Xia people were a Tibetan tribe that ruled these parts around the 1100 AD. The museum has four sections displaying four different themes. One of the halls had exhibits on the Hui - the Chinese Muslims. There sat in one corner the guide for that section - a very pretty girl with prettier eyes. As an excuse to talk to her, I bought some postcards. She asked me where I was from. When I mentioned my home, she said the girls in my country were very beautiful. I replied "Standing here in front of you, I am forgetting the girls from my country ". She laughed. I fell in love. I wanted to take her picture, but I figured my P800 phone camera would not do justice to her. Some memories are better left transient. I left a "Korean fish" with her.

The Drum tower in the old town, Yinchuan , Ningxia , China

Bei Ta (North Pagoda) just outside Yinchuan . Originally built in the 5th century, rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1771.

View from the top. I met a cute Mongolian girl here; she was there with her boyfriend. I asked them about the locks on the window. It seems lovers put these locks, supposed to keep them together for a long time. The girl gave me a green apple. Lovely girl.

The monastery below the pagoda

A temple on the pagoda grounds

Yinchuan was preparing for a "nationalities" event. The "nationalities" the the minority people in China - from tibetans to the hill tribes to the korean who live in the east - China has many of these nationalities). Lovely girls were practicing for the event.

The Ningxia provincial Museum grounds. People enjoying a cards session.

An exhibition on the history of People's Army

The Xi Ta (west pagoda) inside the Museum compound

From the top of the Xi Ta, the market below.

Yinchuan City