Overview

As the capital city of Qinghai Province, Xining is the provincial center of politics, economy, culture, education, technology, transportation and commerce. Xining lies in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and the upper reaches of Shuang Shui River. The average altitude of the urban area is 2275 meters. It is not very cold in winter and not very hot in summer, belonging to the typical continental climate with highland features. The average annual temperature is 7.7 degree Celsius, and the annual rainfall is 425 millimeter.

Xining has a history of over 2100 years. It is composed of four districts (East, West, South & North), three counties (Da Tong, Huang Zhong, Huang Yuan), one Economic &Tech Development Zone which is under construction, and one Cheng Nan New District. With a total area of 7,665 square kilometers, it has a total population of 2.1 million and an urban coverage of 350 square kilometers and 1.03 million urban populations. Xining is a multinational and multi-religion city, consisting of 36 nationalities such as Han, Hui, Tu, Tibetan, Mongolian, Manchu and Salar etc, which constitute 25% of the total population.

The City of Xining acts as one of the major gateways to the Tibetan Plateau. It is an ancient highland city on the Yellow River which offers many scenic spots and historical sites. Although the city itself has a strong Islamic flavor, as it is home to many Hui people, you will start getting a more Tibetan feel as you move away from the city.

Xining is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer. There are some nice places to explore in the summer/autumn season. 150 km from Xining, Qinghai Lake provides an escape from fervent cities and allows you to experience beautiful natural sceneries. The Birds Island at Qinghai Lake can offer you a perfect chance to see flocks of different birds. To the southwest of Xining, is Ta’er Monastery – the birthplace of Tsongkhapa (the founder of Gelugpa Sect). To the north of Xining is the Beichan Temple. Tourists will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city from the mountaintop. Another site at city downtown not to be missed is the Dongguan Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in northern China.

Attractions

Dongguan Mosque

First built in 1379, the Dongguan Mosque is located at Dongguan Street, and it was rebuilt in 1946. Since the founding of new China in 1949, the mosque has been revamped several times. Encompassing 11,940 square meters with the worshipping hall being 1,102 square meters, the mosque is the largest one in Qinghai Province. In 1988, it was approved as the mosque with the most prayers in the whole country by The Islamic Association of China.

The mosque serves as an educational center and institution of higher learning for Islamism, and also is the leading mosque in Qinghai. All the worshipping ceremonies for Moslems in Northwest China are held here.

Qinghai Lake and Bird Islands

Located 150 km west of Xining, Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China. It is a salt lake at 3,205 m (10,515 feet) above sea level in a depression of the Tibetan Plateau. Nearly 30 rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake. The lake encompasses 4,340 square kilometers with a storage of over 77.8 billion cubic meters of water. The perimeter of the lake totals more than 360 kilometers. The lake often remains frozen for three months continuously in winter.

Qinghai Lake is sandwiched between Hainan and Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in northeastern Qinghai. The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. Many species use Qinghai as an intermediate stop during migration. At its northeast end are the 'Bird Islands' (Cormorant Island and Egg Island), which have been bird sanctuaries of the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone since 1997. Every March and April, when ice starts to melt, over 20 kinds of migrating birds fly to the Bird Islands to breed. During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and bird eggs can be found everywhere. The visitors can hear the warbles of birds from miles away.

Ta’er monastery

Located 28km southwest of Xining city, Ta'er Monastery is one the six great lamaseries of the Yellow Hat Sect (Gelugpa) of Tibetan Buddhism. Also called Kumbum in Tibetan language, this monastery originated in 1379 from a pagoda, which marked the birthplace of Tsongkhapa (1357-1419), the founder of the Gelugpa Sect (Yellow Hat) in Tibetan Buddhism. The lamasery stands a special position in the hearts of the Tibetan people, because Tsongkhapa was the teacher of the first Dalai Lama and Panchen Lama. Built in 1560, it is one of the most important lamaseries for Buddhists.

Today thousands of disciples follow their Tibetan Buddhist leaders in devotion surrounded by the splendid culture and art of the lamasery. The most famous items are the 'Three Treasures'. The first one is the yak butter sculptures. Made from Yak butter, the sculptures bring to life Buddhas, animals and flowers, varying from a few meters tall to less than a centimeter. To prepare for the grand butter sculpture show on the night of January 15 on the lunar calendar, the lamas must start working at least three months ahead. To prevent the butter from melting, the lamas must work in sub-zero temperature and the sculptures are kept in giant glass boxes with air-conditioning after the show.

Another treasure is the appliquéd embroidery displayed in the Great Hall of Sutra. The pictureare pieced together with silk and the Buddha in the pictures all have eyes made from rare stones. Murals form the last treasure of the lamasery. They were painted with pigments made from minerals and plants, so the colors stay fresh and bright for centuries.

But the most interesting scene is perhaps the debate of the lamas. Standing in front of his teacher who is seated, the student must think of some difficult questions from Buddhist sutras, then clap his hands as loudly as possible and extend his right arm to his teach while raising the question. Generally the teacher will answer succinctly with one or two words. Occasionally he will speak longer and the students' smile clearly shows his gratitude for the advice. Tourists are now allowed to watch the debate, and if your show enough respect to the lamas, you might be able to have an interesting talk with them.

Dining

Strongly influenced by the Islamic culture and other ethic groups, Xining has a unique culinary style which is very different from those in East China. Wheat is still the staple food for the local people. They love noodles, mutton and beef. The best place to try the local food is at Mojiajie Street, where hundreds of food stands serve all kinds for tasty local flavors and snacks. Don't forget to try the Muslim yogurt, it is very delicious and healthy food.

A unique feature of snacks in Xining is that they are given names after the surname of their initiator. In Xining, some fancier restaurants serve varieties of 'plateau flavor', such as Feng'er Liji (a round lamb tenderloin), Danbai Chongcao Ji (a medicine cuisine made of chicken, Chinese caterpillar fungus and eggs), Jinyu Facai (pork wrapped in flabelliform nostoc and shaped as a goldfish) among others.