History

For centuries Qinghai was part of the Tibetan world. With the exception of the eastern area around the provincial capital Xining, Qinghai was not incorporated into the Chinese Empire until the early 18th century. Since1949 the province has served as a sort of Chinese Siberia where common criminals, as well as political prisoners, have been incarcerated. These prisoners have included former Kuomintang army and police officers, "rightist" arrested during the late 1950s harvesting of the Hundred Flowers, victims of the Cultural Revolution, former Red Guards arrested for their activities during the Cultural Revolution, and supporters of the present regime.

Editor: Carolyn