The picture taken on March 24, 2010 shows a white tower inside the Qutan Temple in Ledu County, northwest China's Qinghai Province. Qutan Temple was built in the Ming Dynasty, but mainly in the style of the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). The 600-year-old temple is referred to by experts as "the imperial palace of the northwest" because of the axis running directly through its mid-section, dividing the temple into two symmetrical parts, just like the Forbidden City in Beijing. It has become an important arena for religious activities and tourist destination. [Wu Guangyu/Xinhua]

(Xinhua News Agency March 26, 2010)