Mcburn's Travelogue: LAKE QINGHAI

Tibetan Farmhouse of Tibetan Grassland

Whenever you are in Xining don't ever miss to visit Qinghai Lake and the highland plateau of Tibetian. I promise you will be astonished and in awe to drive through a vast highland plateau with pure green grassland in spring and brownies grassland in summer. Snow-shrouded mountain along the way...and please believe me this are a rare sight in Northwestern China and not many know about this reality not even the Chinese from Beijing or Chengdu.

Qinghai Lake has long been one of the biggest draws in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province which lies on the northeast of Tibetan Plateau. At an altitude of 3200 meters, Qinghai Lake boasts great charms – Blue sky and water, white clouds and green grassland, amazing rape flowers, a wonderful summer resort, and mesmerizing landscape.

Cultivated Highland Tibetan Plateau.

A Tibetan displaying a white Yak...

August ) is the best time to visit Qinghai Lake. September and early October is also good time to have a glimpse of the lake though most of the grasslands have turned brown.

We travel by coach to Qinghai Lake. Basically, you have three ways of transport – taking a public bus, hiring an exclusive car or van, and taking a shared car or van.

The Flowers of Qinghai Lake

Private or shared car or van or coach gives you much freedom in terms of getting off on the way to Qinghai Lake or back to Xining downtown. There are quite a few scenic attractions and historical sites on the way to Qinghai Lake. You can ask your driver to stop for the site you are interested in, making your day trip more interesting and value-added.

Neat in rows - should be Tibetan attitude.

Qinghai Lake is located 151 km west of Xining’s city center. It is the largest inland lake and saline lake as well in China with a circumference of 360 km and average depth of 21 meters. Qinghai Lake is formed byGenerally the 151 km overland ride is a scenic drive, passing by massive valleys, alpine meadows, limpid rivers, historical sites and remote towns. Well, follow me to drive into the wonderland of Qinghai Lake in late September. It is just unbelievable..and this is not in Switzerland or the Alpen nation of Europe. But right here in China.

That's Qinghai Lake.

The 151km ride is mainly composed of three parts: Xining Downtown to Huangyuan County 50km; Huangyuan – Daotanghe Town 50 km and Daotanghe – Qinghai Lake 50 km.

One of the Pavillion at Qinghai Lake

This is Bayi Passenger Transport Station which is located at Kangle on East Avenue, many public bus lines reach the bus station. You should get off at the station of Kangle for Bayi Passenger Bus Station.

It is a comfortable drive from Xining to Huangyuan along an enclosed expressway.

This is the toll gate for the expressway.

Appreciating the scenery and nature.

Duoba Toll Gate and Start your day trip.

Driving along the expressway, accompanied by the mountains and Huangshui River On route and accompanied by the mountains and Huangshui River
We finish the first 50 km drive and get to the downtown of Huangyuan County . Your driver will stop at the entrance to the ancient Dan Gaer Ancient City for a brief visit. Dan Gaer Old Town used to be a commercial center, a hub of the Tangbo Ancient Route ( a minor Silkroad), starting from Tang Dynasty and it reached its prime in Qing Dynasty. Many of the old city’s building are still well kept or have been restored.

The entrance to Dan Gaer Ancient Town

Strong word - I think for those from Beijing and Shanghai Chinese.

Lounge and smoking area--open air lounge

Daotanghe Town

Before we get to the edge of Qinghai Lake, we get

off at

The rape flower fields by the highway. Grape flowers are cash crops fo r the local farmers. The rape flower seeds are essential eating oils. The best time to see the rape flowers falls on July through August. Today we are lucky to catch the last hues of the rape flowers.

Qinghai Lake is a well-developed scenic area rated as an AAAAA attraction, the highest grade by China National Tourism Administration. Several areas by the lake are open to visitors: Erlangjian Area, Sand Island, Bird Island, and Fishing Harbor. We visit the lake at Fishing Harbor (entrance fee: RMB 40) instead of the most commercial and well-developed Erlangjian Area9 ( Entrance fee: RMB 100 + RMB 140 for cruise on the lake).

The lakeside of Qinghai Lake

Caption of one the signage.

After Dan Gaer Old Town, we continue to start our second leg of the trip from

Dan Gaer to Daotanghe Town ( a National Highway). It is an exciting scenic drive! It is a deluxe experience for people living in Beijing pestered by the annoying haze.

We stop by the side of the highway, surrounded by brown meadows, blue sky and white clouds for a while. I ask my driver to take a stereotyped picture by his van.

Snow capped mountains, brown grasslands and glazing sheep We soon reach Daotanghe Town . We pass by the most essential pay attraction in Daotanghe – a wetland with beautiful landscape. Daotanghe Wetland with beautiful landscape.

We drive through Daotanghe Town and start our last leg of our day trip from Daotanghe to Qinghai Lake, the last 50 km drive.

Various signage ,some with confusing meaning and directive.

Qinghai Lake

The Snow capped mountains with reflections on the lake

Our driver gives us a pleasant surprise by driving up to the hilltop south of Qinghai Lake, easy for us to have a panoramic view of the mesmerizing lake.

The hill dotted with glazing sheep with the backdrop of Qinghai Lake

Mock up of non-Muslim Tibetan ritual display.

Near the entrance of Qinghai Lake- Food,souvenirs, rest room and others.

Winding on the south of Tibet plateau, Himalayas consists of many parallel mountains which run from east to west, and its main body are located at the border where China, India and Nepal meet. It has a length of 2400 kilometers, a width of 300 kilometers, and an altitude of more than 6000 meters. With an altitude of 8844.43 meters, Mt. Everest is believed to be the world ’s highest peak, and located at the border between China and Nepal. Within the area of 5000 square kilometers around Mt. Everest, there are 4 peaks with an altitude of more than 8000 meters, and 38 peaks with an altitude of more than 7000 meters.

Halal Food is available near Qinghai Lake.

Introduction of Tibet, Qinghai

As the main part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Tibet Autonomous Region owns an average altitude of more than 4000 meters, and is called as “the roof of the world”. According to its complax terrain, Tibet are divided into three natural areas. Northern Tibet Plateau, which occupies about two thirds of the Region, is located among Kunlun Mountain, Tanggula Mountain, Gangdise Mountain and Nyenchen Tanggula Mountain. Southern Tibet refers to the area between Gangdise Mountain and Himalayas, where Yarlung Tsangbu River and its tributaries flow by. Eastern Tibet is an area covers with series of high mountains and deep valleys firstly run from east to west and then run from south to north, which belongs to Hengduan Mountains. Its landscape is dominated by high mountains, middle mountains, low mountains, hills, plains etc. Tibet is also covered by other landforms such as periglacial landform, karst landform, aeolian sand landform, volcanic landform and so on.

One on the halal restaurant near Qinghai Lake- managed by Tibetan Muslim.

The crystal blue -Lake Qinghai

Qinghai Province, located in the middle of northwest of China, is famous for the Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt lake in China. With an average altitude of more than 3000 meters and an area of 720,000 square kilometers, it lies in the northeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and shares boundary with Tibet, Xingjiang, Gansu and Sichuan Provinces. Many lofty snow-covered mountains and source of major rivers in China can be found here, such as Kunlun Mountain, Qilian Mountain, Tanggula Mountain, Yellow River, Mekong etc. Sapphire-like lakes scatter on the lush ranch land. All of these create a land of marvel, mystery and diversity. The climate of the province is of typical highland and continent. Most of the province is dry and cold with long winters, short summers, frequent winds, long hours of sunshine, and great temperature differences between day and night. Qinghai is populated with multi-ethnic groups, including Hans, Tibetans, Huis, Tus, Salars, and Mongolians.

Tibetan people near lake Qinghai Lake

The largest salt lake in China

Qinghai is well-known for its historic relics and nature landscapes. The traditional customs and folkways of the local ethnic groups have attracted thousands of tourists home and abroad. Famous scenic spots are Qinghai Lake, Taer Monastery, Qutan Temple etc.