While we typically leave the boundaries of the city to see wildlife, there are plenty of animals right in the city. Many Tibetans own livestock such as sheep, goats and yak. In more rural and remote areas, a single family can have hundreds of livestock! In the city, most families only keep a couple. It's isn't too uncommon to see them wandering around.
Most of the people living in Yushu are Tibetan, and they speak Tibetan. Some people speak Mandarin Chinese in addition to Tibetan.
All of China uses the RMB, so the currency here is the same as in Beijing.
A bottle of water is about 2RMB. However, the natural water is so fresh and clean here that families often boil and drink the water nearby.
I love yak butter tea. It is a standard drink in Yushu served with most meals. It's served warm and has a creamy taste. It's made with tea leaves, yak butter, and a little bit of salt. I also love baozi (包子) for breakfast. My favorite kind of 包子 has egg and carrots in it. I like to dip it in hot chili oil.
There are many Buddhist monasteries and places for prayer in Yushu. Bells of all shapes and sizes are a regular feature of these places, and they are rung as a call to prayer. These bells echo for long distances at low frequencies, so they can be heard from very far away. Many of them together sound like a song as it echos throughout the city.
