Capital Museum of China

Known as the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole of the Earth," the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is China's largest and the world's highest plateau, stretching all the way from the Himalayas north to the Kunlun Mountains, Altun Mountains and Qilian Mountains. The Pamir mountains and the Karakoram Range lie to its west, while to the east and northeast lie the Tsinling Mountains and the Loess Plateau. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is the world's youngest as well and has seen the rise of Chinese and Indian culture. It may be geographically isolated by its high altitude and steep mountain roads, but here one can witness the mysteries and diversity of Tibetan culture.

In the Qin and Han dynasties, the Qiang people, Bronze Age rulers of Qinghai, were involved in the war between the dynasty ruling the central plain and the Huns. As a result, central plain dynasty forces first entered the Hehuang region. In the subsequent turbulent times involving the Wei and Jin dynasties, the war raging in central China spread west to Qinghai. The Tuyuhun clan of the Xianbei people from Liaodong finally established their kingdom in the former homeland of the Qiang people. However, after ruling for over three hundred years, this kingdom stretching thousands of miles was gradually crushed by invading troops of the Sui and Tang dynasties from one direction and the Tibetan Empire from the other. Eventually, Qinghai became the frontier of the war between the Tang Dynasty and the Tibetan Empire. After the Anshi Rebellion, Qinghai was occupied by the latter for hundreds of years. In the early 11th century, the remnants of the old Tibetan Empire founded the Qingtang Regime, which was then overturned by the Northern Song Dynasty. Subsequently, the regimes of the Jin and Western Xia and the unified dynasties of the Yuan, Ming and Qing steadily strengthened their governance and rule in Qinghai.

These political and military conflicts and confrontations covering thousands of years on the one hand show Qinghai as a military base of unparalled significance due to its favorable geographical position. Though situated far away on the remote western frontier, Qinghai was always closely related to the changes in the situation of the hinterland. On the other hand, through the ages, multiple ethnic groups migrated there and merged with each other, while traffic routes connecting the surrounding areas and to places beyond the western border of China were continually established, forming an important part of the Silk Road network, the Tang-Tibet Ancient Road and the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

The nomadic Khitan people in the northern realms of ancient China were gifted in riding and dancing. Their horses galloped freely in the wild; music and dance filled the yurts in which they lived. They were keen on hunting and camping according to seasons. In Spring, they hunted along the rivers; in Autumn, they hunted in the mountains. Nature blessed them with abundant resources.

In addition to the impressive landscape and their unique native customs, the Khitan people left a remarkable mark on Chinese history. They ruled north China for over 300 years. The story began in 907, when Yelü Abaoji, posthumously knows as Emperor Taizu of Liao, founded the Liao Dynasty. In 1125, Yelü Yanxi, known as Emperor Tianzuo of Liao, was taken prisoner by the Jurchen people of the Jin Dynasty. After that, Yelü Dashi led the remnants of the Khitan people to establish the Western Liao Dynasty. In 1218, the Mongol Empire put an end to its rule. In its heyday, Liao dominated the Later Jin Dynasty, controlled the Sixteen Prefectures and successively defeated the armies of the Song Dynasty. All the surrounding countries were subservient to Liao. The five capitals that were established over history were a witness to its glory in succession.