Qinghai Province

Best of Qinghai Province

Qinghai Province Essentials

Qinghai Province features high-altitude landscapes including the Bayan Har Mountains and the headwaters of the Yellow River at Zaling and Ngoring Lakes. The region is home to significant religious sites like the 14th-century Dongguan Mosque and Gelug monasteries such as Wendo Gompa. Notable for its unique geology, the Qaidam Basin contains mineral-rich salt lakes including Da Qaidam and Mangyaiyan. Cultural institutions in Xining, like the Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum, house extensive collections of Thangka and traditional medical scrolls.

Qinghai Province Essentials — Map

A

China Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum

This museum houses the Great Thangka of Tibetan Art and Culture, a 618-meter scroll detailing Tibetan history and religion. Exhibits also cover traditional pharmacology and astronomical calendars.

B

Da Qaidam Lake

A mineral-rich salt lake in the Qaidam Basin, often called Emerald Lake due to its vibrant green hues. It covers approximately 42 square kilometers at a high altitude.

Tai Zhang / CC-BY-SA

C

Gasikule Lake

A high-altitude, endorheic mineral lake located in western Qinghai within the Qaidam Basin, known for its high salt concentration.

MartinaR79 / CC-BY-SA

D

Dongguan Monestary

Built in 1380 during the Ming Dynasty, this is one of the largest mosques in Northwest China. Its architecture combines traditional Chinese palace styles with Islamic elements.

E

Zaling Lake

Gyaring Lake or Zhaling Lake is a large freshwater lake in the Yellow River catchment in China, it is in the southeast of Qinghai Province,…

F

Ngoring Lake

Ngoring Lake or Ngoreng Lake or Eling Lake is a large freshwater lake in the Yellow River catchment, it is in the southeast of Qinghai…

anonymous / Public domain

G

Surmang Namgyel Tse Monastery

Surmang refers to a vast alpine nomadic and farming region, historically a duchy under the King of Nangchen, with vast land holdings…

H

Bayan Har Mountains

The Bayan Har Mountains, formerly known as the Bayen-káras or Bayan-Kara-Ula, are a mountain range in Qinghai Province, northwest China.

I

Mangyaiyan Lake

A salt lake located in the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, part of the inland drainage system of the Qaidam Basin.

J

Nanshan mountain

A prominent peak on the southern edge of Xining featuring the Phoenix Pavilion and offering panoramic views of the provincial capital.

K

Wendo Gompa

A Gelug school monastery in the Amdo region, historically significant as the birthplace of the 10th Panchen Lama.

L

Kangtsha Monastery

Established in 1915, this Gelugpa monastery is a key religious site in northern Amdo near the shores of Qinghai Lake.

M

Qing hai mei shu guan

The provincial art museum in Xining, dedicated to exhibiting contemporary and traditional artworks from across the Qinghai region.