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Qinghai

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At Ta’er Monastery, butter becomes a temporary sculpture. In the Hehuang valleys, painted clay, embroidery and temple murals hold other kinds of time. Northward, Qinghai Lake is crossed by fish and birds; westward, salt works and telescopes bring two different kinds of work to the Qaidam Basin. Farther south, painters, carvers, herders and river patrols bring the headwaters into view through particular places and tasks. Follow the material, the water or the work: each route opens another Qinghai.

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Xining Haidong Haibei Huangnan Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Golog Yushu Haixi

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From the journal

Building a Mongolian Ger in Henan County

A national heritage record breaks ger construction into wooden frame, felt covering and fastening bands, and names inheritors across several townships of Henan Mongolian Autonomous County.

2 min readHuangnan
Original editorial diagram, not a photograph or measured plan: Ger assembly joins a wooden lattice frame, ribbed roof, felt covering and fastening bands in sequence.
Original editorial diagram, not a photograph or measured plan: Ger assembly joins a wooden lattice frame, ribbed roof, felt covering and fastening bands in sequence.

Frame, felt and fastening bands

The national heritage record for Mongolian ger construction in Henan Mongolian Autonomous County divides the work into three linked parts: the wooden frame, felt covering and fastening bands. First comes the frame. Lattice sections form a circular wall, joined to a ribbed roof; the pieces connect so the structure can stand as one shelter. Felt then covers the sides and roof, while bands hold the covering in place.

The sequence brings different skills into one structure: woodworking, wool processing, weaving, sewing and assembly. A collapsible lattice wall and umbrella-like roof create an interior space, while felt and ties make the enclosure.

A county-level craft with named local centers

The heritage record names inheritors in Saierlong, Kesheng, Duosong and Tuoyema townships and Youganing Town. A 2024 provincial legislative field visit separately records observing ger construction and wool weaving in the county. Together, those sources connect the design description to a living local craft system without suggesting that the listed traditions define all Mongolian yurts.

At Naadam gatherings and other cultural events, the record says, ger-raising competitions are sometimes held. The assembly sequence becomes visible in public: frame, covering, ties. In Henan County, the listed inheritors and the 2024 field visit connect this portable architecture to local traditions of wool work and herding life.

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  1. Original editorial diagram, not a photograph or measured plan: Ger assembly joins a wooden lattice frame, ribbed roof, felt covering and fastening bands in sequence.© 2026 IFreeing · Rights information Photo source ↗ Proportionally resized and converted to WebP without cropping. No objects were added, removed or reconstructed.