Qinghai Lake

As the largest saline lake and inland lake in China, Qinghai Lake, historically known as Koko Nor or Kuku Nor, is situated in the Gangcha County, Xining City, Qinghai Province. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean "Blue/Teal Sea" in Standard Mandarin and Mongolian. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of them are seasonal. Five permanent streams provide 80% of total influx.

 

Basic Information of Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake is 105 kilometers long, 63 kilometers wide and 3196 meters above sea level. The lakeshore line is 360 kilometers long and covers an area of 4583 square kilometers. It is the largest inland lake and saltwater lake in China. The lake is surrounded by four high mountains: Datong Mountain to the north, Riyue Mountain to the east, Qinghai Nanshan Mountain to the south, and Rubber Mountain to the west. The four mountains are at an altitude of 3,600 to 5,000 meters above sea level. The average temperature in the summer season is only 15 °C, making it a natural summer resort.

People considered Qinghai Lake as "green lake" or "fairyland" because of the marvelous and natural beautiful reflected on it. Qinghai Lake is an important place in history which has been the traditional meeting place between Mongolian and Tibetan societies. Despite its salinity, Qinghai Lake has an abundance of fish. Sadly the lake is shrinking at a rate of 10 cm a year. Most of the rivers and lakes that used to feed into the lake are drying up due to a combination of over grazing, farming downstream and damming.

 

Highlights of Qinghai Lake

 

The lake has a number of attractions that draw travellers in this region in. Ornithologists, campers, hikers, botanists, swimmers, sailors, fishermen, loners and nomads all find areas of interest around the lake. The beauty here lies in its salty vastness and the remote peace that it instills. The colours that can be found around the lake are of purity and contrasts, from the deep yellows of oil seed rape against the cold blues of the lake to the dark greens of distant mountains against the fluffy white of bilious clouds.

 

Main Attractions in Qinghai Lake

Erlangjian Scenic Area(二郎剑景区)

Erlangjian Scenic Area is located on the south bank of Qinghai Lake, previously known as the 151 base. It is the first torpedo launch test base in China, the tourist reception base and ethnic customs experience base around Qinghai Lake. Erlangjian is a jewel in the tourist area of Qinghai Lake with its special geographical location and ecological natural resources based on grasslands, beaches and animals. The water entertainment area is characterized by cruises, jet skis, water bikes and self-driving yachts.
 

Bird Island(鸟岛)

Bird Island Scenic Area, also known as Xiaoxi Mountain or Egg Island, is located on the west bank of Qinghai Lake, with a total length of 1,500 meters. Bird Island is named after hundreds of thousands of migratory birds on the island. It is a place with aura and vitality on the shores of Qinghai Lake. Between April and June each year, nearly 100,000 migratory birds migrated here and thrived here, which is a wonder of Qinghai Lake.
 

Sand Island(沙岛)

The Sand island Scenic Area is located on the northeastern shore of Qinghai Lake.In the scenic area, Jinsha Bay and Yinsha Bay are accompanied by each other. Sun Lake, Crescent Lake and Lusong Lake are dotted among them. The sands and silver sands are in harmony with each other. Water yachts, sand boarding, beach bikes, beach cross-country, horseback riding and camel riding are the special tourist experiences of Sand Island.


Fairy Bay(仙女湾)
Located on the north bank of Qinghai Lake, Fairy Bay Scenic Spot is an important wetland of Qinghai Lake and a traditional sanctuary for the Tibetan people. There are many varieties of animals and plants here, and the wetland landscape is unique, especially the land of dozens of birds that love to migrate. It is the home of the swan.

 

Best Time to Visit the Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake is always beautiful in different seasons. The best time to visit the Qinghai Lake will depend on the scenery you prefer. In spring, the weather get warm and the grasslands start to get green. Tens of thousands of migratory birds fly back to the Bird Island of Qinghai Lake. April to May is the golden season to watch birds at the Bird Island of Qinghai Lake. Summer is the peak season of the Qinghai Lake. During this time, the rape flowers around the Qinghai Lake will bloom in summer. The bright yellow rape flowers, lush grassland, blue water of the lake compose of beautiful picture. Please get prepared of the crowds of Qinghai Lake in summer.

In autumn, the grassland start to turn golden, and the weather is cool with less crowds in Qinghai Lake. In winter, the Qinghai Lake may be frozen. If you prefer snow scenery with tranquil atmosphere, you can visit the Qinghai Lake in winter.
 

How to Get to Qinghai Lake

You can take the train or high-speed train to Haiyan Station(海晏站), then take the taxi to the Qinghai Lake Scenic Area, which is about 88 kilometers from Haiyan Station.