Qinghai is a province in southwest China that once belonged to Tibet, during its time as the dominant regional power. The region was once called Amdo, and is still home to a large ethnic Tibetan community.

Not far from the capital, Xining, it is possible to visit one the most important temples in Tibetan culture, the Taer. This stunning monastery was built in the 16th century by Tsong Khapa, founder of the Buddhist sect of Ge Lug Pa and philosophical master for the first Dalai Lama, Gendun Drub.

Daniele was invited to exhibit at the Sanjiangyuan International Photography Festival, and to travel around the region to discover and capture the remnants of ancient Tibetan culture.

The borders were redrawn after China annexed Tibet in 1950. The Chinese presence is more noticeable in the north of the region, and partly in the more remote south where Wushu is the biggest city. The provincial name, Qinghai, has also lent itself to the largest salt lake in the world, which is famous for its bird migrations. Indeed, water plays a significant part in the region's ecology – being the source of two of Asia's arterial waterways: the Yangtze and Yellow rivers.