Qinghai Province sits on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau — a vast, thin-aired landscape of salt lakes, nomadic grasslands, and mountain passes. It’s one of China’s least-visited provinces for foreign tourists, which makes it exceptional for those who make the journey.
Table of contents
Open Table of contents
Qinghai Lake (青海湖)
China’s largest lake — 4,317 km² of sapphire blue water at 3,196m elevation, ringed by snowcapped mountains and yellow rapeseed fields in summer. Sacred in Tibetan Buddhism; home to vast colonies of breeding birds on Bird Island.
Best time:
- June–July: Rapeseed flowers in brilliant yellow around the lake shore; cycling season begins
- July–August: Blue skies, maximum water level, bird colonies active
- September–October: Clear atmosphere, autumn colours
Cycling Around Qinghai Lake
The Qinghai Lake cycling route (环湖骑行) is one of China’s iconic cycling journeys — 360km circuit at 3,200m altitude. Annual Tour of Qinghai Lake (环湖赛) road cycling race follows this route every July.
Sections are accessible for non-competitive cyclists:
- South shore scenic road — most accessible; shuttle buses available
- Heimahe section (黑马河) — sunrise reflection photography; guesthouses available
Bird Island (鸟岛)
Home to the world’s largest breeding colony of bar-headed geese (斑头雁) — the only birds known to fly directly over the Himalayas at 9,000m altitude. Also supports tens of thousands of cormorants, gulls, and terns. Entry ¥120.
Qilian Mountain (祁连山)
The Qilian Mountain range forms the natural border between Qinghai and Gansu — snow peaks, summer wildflower meadows, and Tibetan and Yugur minority nomads.
Qilian Town (祁连县)
A small town used as a base for exploring the surrounding meadows and mountains. In summer, the alpine meadows are carpeted with wildflowers — extraordinary for hiking and photography. Horse trekking available from local operators.
Zhangye Danxia (nearby Gansu)
Though technically in Gansu Province, the Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye are commonly visited from Qinghai. See the Silk Road itinerary for details.
Xining (西宁) — Qinghai’s Capital
A Muslim-influenced plateau city at 2,275m — Xining is the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and a significant Tibetan Buddhist culture centre.
Kumbum Monastery (塔尔寺)
One of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism — and the birthplace of Je Tsongkhapa, the founding saint of the school. An active monastery of 600+ monks with extraordinary butter sculpture, tanghka paintings, and appliqué artwork. Entry ¥80.
Best time to visit: During the Butter Sculpture Festival (元宵节 after Tibetan New Year, usually March) — monks create extraordinarily elaborate multi-metre sculptures from yak butter, displayed for one night only.
Dongguan Mosque (东关清真大寺)
One of the largest mosques in Northwest China — Xining’s significant Hui Muslim population maintains a mosque culture distinct from the Uyghur Islamic tradition of Xinjiang.
Sanjiangyuan National Park (三江源国家公园)
The “Source of Three Rivers” — the Yellow River, Yangtze River, and Mekong River all originate in this high-altitude wetland wilderness in southern Qinghai. China’s largest national park and one of the world’s most important watershed ecosystems.
Wildlife: Snow leopards, Tibetan antelope (chiru), wild yak, black-necked cranes, and wolf populations all inhabit the area.
Access: Very limited; expedition-level logistics required for deep park access. Yushu Prefecture is the gateway city (flights from Xining).
Practical Info
Getting there: Xining has a large airport and is on the Beijing-Lhasa railway. Flights from Beijing (2 hours), Shanghai (3 hours), Chengdu (1.5 hours).
Altitude: Xining (2,275m) and Qinghai Lake (3,196m) are high enough to cause mild altitude discomfort. Allow 1 day acclimatisation in Xining before visiting Qinghai Lake.
Best season: May–October. Winters are extremely cold (-20°C) and most tourist facilities close.