Punch: From third-rate anchor to top chef

Chapter 1733

At a chance gathering, the three of them sat around a steaming hot pot, chatting about everything under the sun, and the topic of travel was ignited. Qinghai, this mysterious and vast plateau, became their common travel destination. After consulting a lot of guides online and carefully planning the itinerary, they embarked on a trip to Qinghai with great anticipation.

The plane slowly landed at Xining Caojiabao International Airport. Li Xiao was the first to walk out of the cabin and took a deep breath. The cool air with the unique smell of the plateau instantly penetrated his nose, which refreshed him. He said excitedly: "We are finally in Xining. The air here feels different and so fresh!" Zhang Yuedong followed behind with his suitcase, looking around curiously and responded with a smile:

"Yes, this is the first stop of our trip to Qinghai. There must be many surprises waiting for us!" Lin Yifei walked slowly, his eyes revealing his desire to explore the city. "Xining has a long history and unique culture. We must experience it well."

After leaving the airport, they took a taxi to the city. Along the way, the urban landscape of Xining gradually appeared before their eyes. There were tall buildings on both sides of the road, and modern buildings and buildings full of ethnic characteristics were intertwined, which had a unique flavor. The lush trees on the street added a bit of vitality and vigor to this plateau city. Outside the car window, the blue sky like a gem was particularly eye-catching, and large white clouds seemed to be within reach. Li Xiao quickly took out his camera and "clicked"

With a sound, he captured the beautiful sky and city street scene in his camera and said excitedly: "This sky is so beautiful, it's a paradise for photography!" Zhang Yuedong also came over and looked at the photos in the camera, exclaiming: "It's so beautiful, it feels like any photo will be a blockbuster. When we get to the hotel later, I'm going to take a few good photos to post on WeChat Moments."

After arriving at the hotel and taking a short rest, they couldn't wait to go out and feel the city atmosphere of Xining. Walking on the streets of Xining, the breeze gently brushed across their cheeks, bringing a hint of coolness, making people feel very comfortable. The climate here is completely different from their hometown. Xining in summer is cool and pleasant, without the slightest feeling of stuffiness, and it deserves the reputation of "China's Summer Capital".

Lin Yifei said with emotion: "I only knew about Xining's climate from books before, but now I feel it myself. It is so comfortable. No wonder so many people come here to escape the heat in summer." Zhang Yuedong said with a smile: "This is just the beginning. There are more fun places waiting for us. I can't wait to try the food here."

They walked along the street and came to the Dongguan Grand Mosque in Xining. This magnificent building stood before their eyes, and its unique Islamic style was eye-catching. The white walls and green dome looked particularly solemn and majestic under the sunshine. In front of the mosque, people came in and out, some prayed devoutly, and some were communicating with each other.

Li Xiao raised his camera and photographed the mosque from different angles, trying to record its beauty in all aspects. Zhang Yuedong looked around curiously and asked a passing local about the history and culture of the mosque. Lin Yifei stood quietly by, feeling the strong religious atmosphere here, as if he could hear the echo of history.

After leaving Dongguan Mosque, the sky gradually darkened, the lights of the city gradually lit up, and Xining showed another charming scene. Their stomachs began to growl, so they decided to look for local delicacies.

Following the bustling crowd, they came to Mojia Street. It was very lively here, with a variety of snack stalls, and the aroma instantly aroused their appetite. Zhang Yuedong excitedly shuttled between the stalls, his eyes shining, "Wow, there are so many delicious foods here, I feel like trying every one of them."

Li Xiao and Lin Yifei were also infected by the lively atmosphere and followed behind with a smile. They tasted the hand-pulled mutton, which was tender and melt-in-the-mouth without any smell of mutton. With the unique seasoning, it tasted delicious. They also ate the smooth and chewy stuffed skin, which was poured with spicy chili oil and vinegar. It was sour and spicy and delicious, leaving people with an endless aftertaste.

On the first day in Xining, they felt the unique charm of this city. Whether it was the beautiful natural scenery, the profound history and culture, or the mouth-watering food, they all made them look forward to their upcoming trip to Qinghai.

The next morning, the sun shone through the gaps in the curtains into the hotel room. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei got up early and prepared to go to Ta'er Monastery, a sacred place of Tibetan Buddhism, which was the most anticipated stop on their trip to Qinghai.

The three of them took a taxi and headed towards Huangzhong along the winding road. Outside the car window, the scenery was picturesque. The continuous mountains looked particularly spectacular under the sunshine. The lush vegetation on the mountains set off the blue sky and white clouds, like a beautiful painting. Lin Yifei looked out the window and said with emotion:

"The scenery along the way is so beautiful. I didn't expect Qinghai to have not only vast grasslands and blue lakes, but also such majestic mountains." Li Xiao took a camera and kept taking pictures of the beautiful scenery outside the window. "Such a beautiful scenery, I must take a few more pictures and organize them well when I go back." Zhang Yuedong was also attracted by the beautiful scenery and said excitedly: "I feel that this trip is really the right one. Every place is full of surprises."

As the taxi slowly stopped, the magnificent architecture of Ta'er Monastery appeared before their eyes. The monastery was built on the mountain, with a well-arranged layout. The golden roof shone brightly under the sunlight, as if telling its history and glory. Li Xiao pointed at Ta'er Monastery excitedly and said to his companions: "Look, that's Ta'er Monastery, it's more spectacular than I imagined!" The three of them walked into Ta'er Monastery with reverence.

In Ta'er Monastery, the three artistic wonders that fascinated them the most were butter sculptures, murals and pile embroidery. They came to the Butter Sculpture Museum, where a variety of butter sculptures were displayed. These works were carefully made of butter, with lifelike shapes and bright colors, making it hard to imagine that they were made of butter. There were exquisite Buddha statues with serene expressions, as if overlooking all living things;

There are vivid figures holding instruments or dancing, and beautiful flowers with delicate petals and colorful colors, which seem to emit bursts of floral fragrance. Li Xiao was deeply attracted by these butter sculptures. He kept taking pictures, wanting to record these exquisite works of art.

Zhang Yuedong showed great interest in the craftsmanship of making butter sculptures. He asked the staff in the museum about the process of making butter sculptures. The staff patiently explained to him that making butter sculptures requires the monks to use their hands to mold the butter into various shapes little by little at extremely low temperatures, and they also have to constantly soak their hands in ice water during the production process to prevent the butter from melting. This requires the monks to have extremely high skills and patience.

After listening to the performance, Zhang Yuedong could not help but admire the monks' exquisite skills and professionalism. Lin Yifei stood in front of the butter sculptures, quietly admiring them and feeling the religious culture and artistic charm contained in them. Then, they admired the murals and pile embroidery. The murals are distributed in various halls and walls of the Ta'er Monastery. These murals not only have extremely high artistic value, but also contain rich Buddhist cultural connotations.

The contents of the murals are mostly Buddhist stories, sutras and deeds of great monks, which vividly show the breadth and depth of Buddhism through delicate brushstrokes and bright colors. The pile embroidery is made by cutting various colored silks into different patterns, then pasting and embroidering them, which has the characteristics of strong three-dimensional sense and bright colors.

The themes of pile embroidery are wide-ranging, including Buddha statues, Bodhisattva statues, Buddhist stories, auspicious patterns, etc. Each pile embroidery work can be called an artistic treasure. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei expressed their admiration from time to time while appreciating the murals and pile embroidery. They were impressed by the unique charm displayed by these works of art.

During the visit, they also met an enthusiastic monk. Seeing that they were so interested in the culture of Ta'er Monastery, the monk took the initiative to explain it to them. The monk told them that Ta'er Monastery is not only a religious holy place, but also a cultural treasure house, where many Buddhist scriptures and academic monographs on history, literature, philosophy, medicine, legislation, etc. are treasured. Every year, Ta'er Monastery holds grand Buddhist activities.

For example, the "Four Major Dharma Assemblies" attract many believers and tourists to participate. In the communication with the monks, they have a deeper understanding of the culture and teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, and also feel the monks' compassion and wisdom. Li Xiao curiously asked the monk: "Master, how long have you been practicing here?" The monk smiled and replied: "I have been practicing here for more than 20 years. This is my home." Zhang Yuedong then asked: "What do you think practice means to you?"

The monk pondered for a moment and said, "Practice is a kind of spiritual practice, which allows me to better understand Buddhism, purify my own mind, and help more people." After hearing this, Lin Yifei said with emotion, "Master, your words have given me a new understanding of practice. Thank you very much."

Before they knew it, the sun was setting and their visit to the Ta'er Monastery was drawing to a close. Before leaving the temple, they looked back again, looking at the magnificent building and the smoke rising from the sky, feeling reluctant to leave.

This trip to Ta'er Monastery not only allowed them to appreciate the charm of Tibetan Buddhism, but also to feel a spiritual baptism. Li Xiao said: "This visit to Ta'er Monastery is really fruitful. I will organize these photos so that more people can understand the beauty of Ta'er Monastery." Zhang Yuedong nodded in agreement:

"Yes, everything here is so unforgettable. I must share the food and culture here with my fans when I go back." Lin Yifei said with emotion: "The history and cultural heritage of Ta'er Monastery is so profound. This visit has given me a deeper understanding of Tibetan Buddhism, which will be of great help to my future teaching." With full harvest and beautiful memories of Ta'er Monastery, they set out on the journey back to the city, ready to embrace the next wonderful journey.

After returning to Xining from Ta'er Temple, night had already fallen quietly, and the lights were on, making the whole city particularly beautiful. Li Xiao, Zhang Yuedong and Lin Yifei's stomachs had already been growling, so they decided to explore Xining's delicious food and treat themselves.

The three of them came to Mojia Street, a famous food street in Xining. It was very lively here, with bustling crowds shuttling between the stalls, and the aroma of various delicacies filled the air, making people salivate.

Zhang Yuedong walked in front excitedly, his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding stalls, muttering: "Wow, there are so many delicious foods here, I want to try every one of them." Li Xiao and Lin Yifei followed behind, their faces also filled with expectant smiles.

They were first attracted by a stall selling stuffed noodles.

There were large basins filled with golden and translucent stuffed skins, and various condiments beside them, including red chili oil, dark brown vinegar, emerald green chives, and white garlic paste. Just looking at them made people hungry. Zhang Yuedong walked up to the boss impatiently and said, "Boss, give me three servings of stuffed skins, with more chili and vinegar."

The boss responded enthusiastically: "Okay, please wait a moment." After a while, three servings of Nangpi were served. Li Xiao looked at the Nangpi in front of him and praised it highly: "This Nangpi looks very appetizing, and the color combination is so beautiful."

As he spoke, he picked up the chopsticks, picked up a piece of stuffed dough, and put it in his mouth. The stuffed dough was smooth and chewy, and melted in his mouth. The sour and spicy taste spread in his mouth instantly, stimulating the taste buds, making people unable to help but take one bite after another. Zhang Yuedong gave a thumbs up while eating, and said vaguely:
"It's so delicious. The taste of this stuffed noodle is so great, sour and spicy, it's really a delicacy." Lin Yifei also ate it with relish. He smiled and said, "This stuffed noodle is really good. It tastes different from the cold noodle in our hometown. It's chewier and the seasoning is more fragrant."

After eating the fermented rice noodle, they continued walking and came to a small shop selling sweet fermented rice, which is a traditional sweet food in Qinghai. It is made from fermented highland barley or oats and has a cool and sweet taste with a light aroma of wine.

There were several large jars at the entrance of the shop, filled with sweet fermented rice, with a layer of white foam floating on top, which looked very tempting. Li Xiao walked over curiously and asked the boss: "Boss, how do you sell this sweet fermented rice?"

The boss replied, "5 yuan a bowl, eat as much as you want." Li Xiao nodded and said to his companions, "Let's try this sweet mash, it looks pretty good." So the three of them each ordered a bowl of sweet mash. Zhang Yuedong picked up the bowl and took a sip, with a surprised expression on his face: "Wow, this sweet mash tastes so special, sweet, with a light aroma of wine, and tastes very refreshing." Li Xiao also took a sip and said in agreement:

"Indeed, the taste of this sweet mash is very unique and leaves a lasting aftertaste. In such a hot summer, eating a bowl of sweet mash makes me feel much cooler."