China . Meetings in the Middle of China by Mikael Good Qinghai is located in the north eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The Yellow River (Huang He) orginates in the southern part of the province, while the Yangtze and Mekong have their sources in the south western part. The majority of the people living in the countryside in Qinghai are Tibetan and are farmers. Swedish photojournalist and writer, Mikael Good, was the first white man to visit these villages.  He was followed everywhere by a curious crowd. School children in the special-school in Hualong County. 75 children attend the special-school. They are cared for by twelve teachers, two cooks and a housekeeper. When I met, her the living conditions for this little girl were bad.  After my visit, the local commune decided to rebuild  the school and drill for a water supply.  The school also received funding from Swedish NGO, Star of Hope, which was used to buy school books and sports equipment. 120 children attend the school in Damu.  They are divided into six grades.  The new school was under construction with the aid of NGO Star of Hope. Dong Sheng Lu and his youngest daughter Dong Zhanlian who has Down’s Syndrome.  Sheng Lu is a loving and caring father. He and his wife have three children. (Minorities in China are allowed to have more than one child.) In Qinghai, everybody wants to be the best pupil in the class.  This girl is the best pupil in the class and she is very proud to wear the Student Representative emblem. School children in Waxi.  These children are wearing new clothing received from the NGO China Charity Foundation. Note the Beijing 2008 Olympic logos. I was the first white man who visited the villages in Qinghai province. A crowd followed me wherever I went. It was hard for me to blend in. People in Damu village. Little boy in Damu. The children of Waxi having a class in their school yard. They write directly into the sand as they can’t afford school books. The parents of these girls couldn’t afford to send them to school in De Yaqu. The school fees are only 220 yang (33$) per term, but to a family with no income, this is unthinkable. Thanks to the Swedish NGO Star of Hope, these children now attend school. A little boy in the village of Damu. He is wearing a traditional Tibetan hat. It is quite an experience to travel to Damu by local bus. The narrow road meanders over high mountains and is surrounded by steep cliffs. Girl in the school yard in Waxi. English class in Hualong County.  Children study English from the third grade. Happy girls in Shang Ya Men.  Red scarves are given to highly motivated pupils with good grades.  Almost every pupil wears a red scarf. They know that a good grade means a scholarship to High School. School room in De Yaqu. A girl in Damu. The Ming family, Damu. While the mother and father are farmers, they also receive social grants in the form of rice, clothing and firewood from the local commune. Chinese class in De Yaqu. The girl in the picture is the only girl in class. She’s a Tibetan Buddhist, while the boys are all muslims. Lessons in the school yard on a cold day. The school building was condemned and dilapidated. My visit resulted in a new school building being erected. Chinese class in Damu. The children study Chinese, Tibetan and English.  In order to learn Chinese and Tibetan letters, they first learn the Latin alphabet.  Although there is a stove in the room, it is cold. School children in De Yaqu.