LUMINOUS CUP（夜光杯）

Our meals served were more on meat and buns as we traveled further in.  We had noodles besides rice as their staple food is noodles.

Bun to go with fried minced mutton with green peppers, chillie and onions.  An interesting dish

Spicy and sweet sour fish

Wild flower buds stir fry, not used to the taste

Body warming mutton soup with red dates and lotus seeds

Common dish - potatoe salad with szechuan peppers

La Mien in spicy broth

Vegetable beancurd soup

After lunch we visited the Luminous Cup Factory.  “Alcohol Spring” in Chinese history, the Suzhou region in Gansu province is a famous historically and culturally important city along the Silk Road.

The Jiuquan Luminous Cup is a renowned and costly alcohol-drinking vessel made of jade, so named because it sparkles when filled with alcohol and placed under the moonlight.

Since ancient times, the Qilian Mountains of Gansu have produced a beautiful jade of brilliant white, green, black and yellow colors.  Local artisans grind and polish it into wine cups either of a pure color or of mixed colours. They come in various shapes, including wine cups with stems, flat-bottomed cups, and cups with cut designs, all marked by their simple and elegant style.  They are all the more cherished because they stand in sudden contact with extreme heat or cold.

Folk art are on display and we can see their fine workmanship curved from stone and jade