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Big, bold and beautifully barren, Qinghai (青海, Qīnghǎi), larger than any country in the EU, occupies a vast swath of the northeastern chunk of the Tibetan Plateau. As far as Tibetans are concerned, this is Amdo, one of old Tibet’s three traditional provinces. Much of what you’ll experience here will feel more Tibetan than Chinese; there are monasteries galore, yaks scattered across the hills by the thousands and nomads camped out across high-altitude grasslands.
Rough-and-ready Qinghai, which means 'Blue Sea' in Chinese, is classic off-the-beaten-track territory, often with a last frontier feel to it. Traveling here can be a little inconvenient, but that is part of what makes the province so very special: seclusion is everywhere. Indeed, Qinghai delivers all the adventure you may need, with heavy doses of solitude among middle-of-nowhere high-plateau vistas, Martian-like red mountains, mouthwatering cuisine and encounters with remote communities of China’s ethnic minorities.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Qinghai.
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In the stunning multicoloured clay scenery of Danxia Canyon (丹霞峡谷, Dānxiá Xiágǔ), this geopark offers walking trails in among red and orange hills that have eroded into otherworldly shapes. Set against the contrasting blue Qinghai skies and teal waters of the Yellow River, this is a lovely spot to spend an afternoon wandering and taking photos, or exploring the peculiar geology of this part of the Tibetan Plateau.
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The desert scenery outside of Tongren comes to a pinnacle in this national park where flaming-red mountains meet the turquoise waters of a reservoir created by the damming of the Yellow River. A nervous-sweat-inducing road snakes up through the park’s peaks, past sleepy Tibetan villages and colourful prayer flags waving high on the wind.
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Located 25km west of Qinghai Lake past Heimahe, this salt lake is a popular side trip for a stunning optical illusion that occurs between noon and 4pm daily where, on a clear day, you can capture amazing photographs of skies and people mirrored onto the lake's surface. In order to get the best portraits on the lake, wear something bright (yellow, blue and red are great). Black and grey are hipster cool but they don't show up very well in images.
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Exhibitions in the north hall focus on Tibetan medicine, astronomy and science. Many visitors come for the 618m-long thangka scroll in the south hall – the world’s longest – which charts most of Tibetan history. Completed in 1997, it’s not very old but it is unbelievably long and took 400 artists four years to complete. There's a decent amount of signage in English. A guided tour in English of the north hall is ¥200 and for the south hall it's ¥360.
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The closest Qinghai Lake tourist spot to Xining, this site 150km west of town consists of a Chinese-style sightseeing village backing on to the shores of the lake. A long pier allows you to walk out over the calm waters, and on a clear day there are glorious views of the surrounding mountains and the huge sand dunes of Sand Island (沙岛, Shādǎo) on the far shore.
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Dedicated to the Tang dynasty Chinese Princess Wencheng, who was instrumental in converting her husband and Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, to Buddhism in the 7th century, this small, sacred and age-seasoned temple marks the spot where the princess (and possibly the king) paused for a month en route from Xi'an to Lhasa. It's said to be Qinghai's oldest Buddhist temple; the inner chapel contains a rock carving (supposedly self-arising) of Vairocana (Nampa Namse in Tibetan), the Buddha of primordial wisdom, which allegedly dates from the 8th century.
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Well known throughout the Tibetan world, this 17th-century hillside monastery in the Huzhu Tuzu (互助土族, Hùzhù Tǔzú) Autonomous County is considered one of the greats of the Gelugpa order. The monastery lies at the edge of a forested valley, and many chapels perch wondrously on the sides of a cliff face. Give yourself a couple of hours to explore the entire picturesque area.
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One of the great monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Kumbum Monastery was built in 1577 on hallowed ground – the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the sect. It’s of enormous historical significance, and hundreds of monks still live here, but the atmosphere can feel a bit overrun, perhaps because it’s such a big tourist draw. The artwork and architecture, however, remain impressive.
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Closed to sightseeing at the time of research, these lakes are the widely accepted source of the Yellow River, and most Chinese tourists drive or hire a vehicle to take them to níutóubēi (牛头碑), an engraved stone tablet that marks the 'source'. There’s nowhere to stay or eat, so most people visit as a day trip from Maduo. SUVs or minivans will take you to the lake and back for ¥800 to ¥1000 per vehicle (four to five hours return).