Archive for the ‘Xining Travel’ Category

Sunrise Over Qinghai Lake

Friday, July 10th, 2015
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When you are planning your Qinghai Tour either for sightseeing or on business, Qinghai Lake will definitely linger in your mind, a gem 151 km west of Xining City – the capital city of Qinghai Province. Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saline lake in China with a perimeter of 360 km and an average depth of 21 meters.

Every year Qinghai Lake entices a consistent flow of tourists home and abroad, attracted by its azure sky, limpid water, white clouds, green grassland and yellow sea of rape flower. For how to visit Qinghai Lake, you check out the link – How to Visit Qinghai Lake from Xining.

If you are a sunrise photography enthusiast, Qinghai Lake will offer you a delightful photography experience. The best place to see the sunrise over Qinghai Lake is Hei Ma He Township (黑马河乡) , 220 km to the west of Xining City. Hei Ma He Township is on the west edge of Qinghai Lake, a perfect place to view the sunrise over the lake.

You’d better off first visiting Qinghai Lake during the daytime. Before you go to Hei Ma He Township for taking pictures of sunrise over Qinghai Lake, you should check out the weather condition and the sunrise time. Then drive to Hei Ma He Town for overnight stay . There are some family inns, hostels in the township.

It is not a bad idea to put up in a tent or an inn near the west bank of Qinghai Lake in Hei Ma He Township.

Get up early to catch the rising sun. Wear warmly for it still feels chilly in an early morning even you may come here in summer. Get your camera and tripod, trying to locating a place to clearly see the sunrise. It is not surprising that you will see a”human wall” on the west lake shore for many people like you flock here shooting pictures of sunrise over the lake.

The Sun is appearing above the lake.

The Sun is appearing above the lake.

The Sun is appearing above the lake.

The rising Sun is up under clouds.

The rising Sun is up under clouds.

The rising Sun is up under clouds.

 

The sky and the lake are all blanketed by the new and fresh “Red Sun”.

The sky and the lake are all blanketed by the new and fresh "Red Sun".

The sky and the lake are all blanketed by the new and fresh “Red Sun”.

Add on
How to visit Qinghai Lake from Xining.

Any questions,  just drop line.

How to Visit Qinghai Lake from Xining

Wednesday, September 24th, 2014
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No matter you are in Xining for sightseeing or on business,  having a day trip to Qinghai Lake is a delightful must if you come to Xining for the first time on your Qinghai Tour.

Qinghai Lake is located 151 km west of Xining’s city center. It is the largest inland lake and saline lake as well in China with a circumference of 360 km and average depth of 21 meters. Qinghai Lake is formed by Datong Mountain and Riyue Mountain of Qilian Mountain Ranges, and South Mountain in Qinghai and fed by over dozens of rivers and streams.

Qinghai Lake has long been one of the biggest draws in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province which lies on the northeast of Tibetan Plateau. At the altitude of 3200 meters, Qinghai Lake boasts great charms – Blue sky and water, white clouds and green grassland, and amazing rape flowers, a wonderful summer resort and mesmerizing landscape.

Summer ( July-August ) is the best time to visit Qinghai Lake. September and early October is also a good time to have a glimpse of the lake though most of the grasslands have turned brown.

Then how to go to Qinghai Lake from Xining’s city center? Basically you have three ways of transport – taking a public bus, hiring an exclusive car or van, and take a shared car or van.

Bayi Passenger Transport Station ( 八一客运站) has regular buses going to Qinghai Lake – first bus leaves at 6:00am and the last bus  back at 3:30pm. You can easily reach Bayi Bus Station by taking the public buses no.2, 22 and 25.  The bus fare for the single ride from downtown costs RMB 35 and RMB 45 for the return bus ride.

You can hire a taxi or private car at the price of RMB 600. Or you may look for a shared car or van at Bayi Bus Station. Usually you pay RMB 100 for a shared van or RMB 150 for a shared car for a return trip to Qinghai Lake from Xining’s city center.

Private or shared car or van gives you much freedom in terms of getting off on the way to Qinghai Lake or back to Xining downtown. There are quite a  few scenic attractions and historical sites on route. You can ask your driver to stop for the site you are interested in, making your day trip more interesting and value-added.

Generally the 151 km overland ride is a scenic drive, passing by massive valleys, alpine meadows, limpid rivers, historical sites and remote towns. Well, follow me to drive into the wonderland of Qinghai Lake in late September.

The 151km ride is mainly composed of three parts: Xining Downtown to Huangyuan County (湟源) 50km; Huangyuan – Daotanghe Town (倒淌河) 50 km and Daotanghe – Qinghai Lake 50 km.

This is Bayi Passenger Transport Station which is located at Kangle (康乐) on East Avenue (东大街), many public bus lines reach the bus station. You should get off at the station of Kangle (康乐) for Bayi Passenger Bus Station.

Bayi Passenger Transport Staton

Bayi Passenger Transport Staton

It is a comfortable drive from Xining to Huangyuan (湟源), along an enclosed expressway. This the toll gate for the expressway.

Duoba Toll Gate and Start your day trip.

Duba Toll Gate

 

Driving along the expressway, accompanied by the mountains and Huangshui River.On route and accompanied by the mountains and Huangshui River

On route and accompanied by the mountains and Huangshui River

We finish the first 50 km drive and get to the downtown of Huangyuan County (湟源县). Your driver will stop at the entrance to the ancient Dan Gaer Ancient City (丹噶尔古城) for a brief visit.

Dan Gaer Old Town used to be a commercial center, a hub of the Tangbo Ancient Route ( a minor Silkroad), starting from Tang Dynasty and it reached its prime in Qing Dynasty. Many of the old city’s building are still well kept or have been restored.

The entrance to Dan Gaer Ancient Town.  The former Confucian Temple and Primary School in the ancient town. Free  entrance for the old town itself, but there are a few inside pay attractions.

The former Confucian Temple and Primary School

The former Confucian Temple and Primary School

After Dan Gaer Old Town, we continue to start our second leg of the trip from Dan Gaer to Daotanghe Town ( 倒淌河) ( a National Highway). It is an exciting scenic drive! It is a deluxe experience for people living in Beijing pestered by the annoying haze.

We stop by the side of the highway, surrounded by brown meadows, blue sky and white clouds for a while. I ask my driver to take a stereotyped picture by his van.

Take a stereotyped picture on route

Take a stereotyped picture on route

Snow capped mountains, brown grasslands and glazing sheep

Snow shrouded mountains, brown grasslands and glazing sheep

Snow shrouded mountains, brown grasslands and glazing sheep

We soon reach Daotanghe Town (倒淌河). We pass by the most essential pay attraction in Daotanghe – a wetland with beautiful landscape.

Daotanghe Wetland with beautiful landscape.

Daotanghe Wetland with beautiful landscape.

We drive through Daotanghe Town and start our last leg of our day trip from Daotanghe to Qinghai Lake, the last 50 km drive.

Daotanghe Town

Daotanghe Town

Before we get to the edge of Qinghai Lake, we get off at the rape flower fields by the highway. Grape flowers are cash crops for the local farmers. The rape flower seeds are essential eating oils. The best time to see the rape flowers falls on July through August. Today we are lucky to catch the last hues of the rape flowers.

Qinghai Lake is a well developed scenic area rated as AAAAA attraction, the highest grade by China National Tourism Administration. Several areas by the lake are open to visitors: Erlangjian Area, Sand Island, Bird Island and Fishing Harbor. We visit the lake at  Fishing Harbor (entrance fee: RMB 40) instead of the most commercial and well developed Erlangjian Area9 ( Entrance fee: RMB 100 + RMB 140 for cruise on the lake).

 

The Snow capped mountains with reflections on the lake

Snow capped mountains with reflections on the lake

Our driver gives us a pleasant surprise by driving up to the hilltop south of Qinghai Lake, easy for us to have a panoramic view of the mesmerizing lake.

The hill dotted with glazing sheep with the backdrop of Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake 2

Qinghai Lake 2

A bird-eye’s view of the commercial area – Erlangjian (二郎剑) with numerous restaurants and hotels and the distant view of Qignhai Lake.

Qinghai lake 3

Qinghai lake 3

After two-hour sightseeing around the lake,  we are on our way back satisfied and changed.

Qinghai Lake 4

Qinghai Lake 4

Further Readings


Top 10 Things to Do in Xining
Kumbum Monastery, Xining
Best Place to See Autumn Leaves in Qinghai

Any questions, just drop a line.

Top 10 Xining Attractions, Top 10 Things to Do in Xining

Sunday, January 16th, 2011
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Plan your Qinghai Tour? Definitely, its capital city of Xining is your springboard to explore the mesmerizing province in the western region in China.  The city of Xining itself is worth your visit for a 2-3 day trip. Below is the top 10 list of the highlights in Xining for you to prepare your short trip to Xining.

No. 01: Ta’er Monastery (塔尔寺)
The Ta’er Monastery, or Kumbum Monastery, is located in Huangzhong County, 
Qinghai Province, 25 kilometers (about 16 miles) away from Xining. Now the Ta’er Monastery is considered a sacred place in China. 

The monastery mingles perfectly with the contours of a mountain slope, and its greater and lesser Golden-tiled Halls and Grand Summons Hall form a sumptuous architecture complex on a well-conceived plan. Butter sculptures, frescoes and padded embroidery are the three treasures of the monastery.

Entrance Fee: CNY 80
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
How to get there: take a bus to Zhifang Lane, then transfer to the minibus from Xining to Huangzhong

Ta'er Monastery

Ta’er Monastery

No. 02: Qinghai Lake
Qihai Lake, historically known as Koko Nor or Kuku Nor, is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lake in China. The names Qinghai and Kokonor both mean “Blue/Teal Sea” in Standard Mandarin and Mongolian.

It is located about 100 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205 m (10,515 feet) above sea level in a depression of the Tibetan Plateau in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of them seasonal. Five permanent streams provide 80% of total influx.

Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: 08:30-17:30
How to get there: There are minibuses from Xining Long-distance Bus Station every morning, you can take the minibus to Qinghai Lake.

Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake

No. 03: Bird Island
Bird Island, which lies northwest of 
Qinghai Lake, one of the most beautiful lakes in China, is connected to the bank on one side whilst the others are surrounded by water.

It encompasses two islands, one is Haixi Pi in the east, and in the west is the Haixi Shan, which is four times smaller than the former island but is where most of the birds of the lake congregate. With the enticing natural scenery and so many beautiful wildfowl, Bird Island has been a must for many tourists traveling in Qinghai.
Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: the whole day
How to get there: There are minibuses from Xining Long-distance Bus Station every morning, you can take the minibus to the Bird Iskand.

 Bird Island

Bird Island


No. 04: Dongguan Mosque
The Dongguan Mosque, which is located in eastern Xining
 City, is the largest mosque in Qinghai Province and one of the four greatest mosques in Northwest China.Dongguan Mosque was established during the Ming Dynasty.There is a complex of traditional Chinese palace-style buildings in the mosque. The gate of the mosque is actually a decorated archway with the name of the mosque on it. Dongguan Mosque is the most well preserved ancient building, as well as the center and the highest-level institution of Islamic learning in Northwest China.

Entrance Fee: CNY 10
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 1, 2 or 23 to get there

Dongguan Mosque

Dongguan Mosque

No. 05: Qinghai Museum
Qinghai Provincial Museum, located at Xining City, is a provincial-level comprehensive museum of China. The Museum building used to be residence of Ma Bufang, a local warlord of Qinghai. 

At present the Museum, covering an area of 30,000 square meters with a floor space of 6,000 square meters, is one of the historical sites under the protection of the province. At 4 Weimin Alleyway, Xining, with 10,000 exhibits, Qinghai  Museum is a nice place for those curious about Qinghai’s history and ethnic relationships.

Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: 09:00-17:00
How to get there: take Buses No. 9, 22, 25, 2 or 40 to Qinghai Museum

Qinghai Museum

Qinghai Museum

No. 06: Sun and Moon Mountain & Daotang River
Located in Huangyuan Prefecture in the east of Qinghai Province to the northeast of Qinghai
 Lake, Sun and Moon Mountain lies on the boundary of the central agricultural area of Qinghai and the Qinghai-Tibet pastoral area.The beautiful Daotang River springs from the west of Sun and Moon Mountain and flows west to Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt lake in China.

The Sun Pavilion and the Moon Pavilion were built on each side of the mountain pass to remember Princess Wencheng.Of the twin pavilions, the Moon Pavilion in particular depicts the great cultural communication Princess Wencheng brought to Tibet, including crop seeds, technology, medicine and Buddhism. It is said that she helped bring civilization to Tibet.

Entrance Fee: CNY 40
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
How to get there: There is no direct bus to this area. You’d better join in the One-day Qinghai Tour organized by the local travel agency.

 Sun and Moon Mountain & Daotang River

Sun and Moon Mountain & Daotang River

No. 07: Northern Buddhist Temple

Northern Buddhist Temple covers an area of 28,000 square meters and it leans against Northern Mountain in a northern suburb of Xining, hence the name Northern Mountain Temple. 

Northern Buddhist Temple was constructed in Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534) and it is the earliest example of religious architecture in Qinghai Province. It was built based on a natural faultage on the mountainside according to Danxia landscape featuring stone alternating between softness and hardness. It is the second largest Xuankong Temple in China.

Entrance Fee: free
Opening Hours: 08:30-18:00
How to get there: The Northern Buddhist Temple is about 4 kilometers away from the downtown area, you can take a taxi to get there

Northern Buddhist Temple

Northern Buddhist Temple

No. 08: Kanbula Forest Park
Located in northwestern of Jianzha County  尖扎县), 131 kms from Xining, Kanbula forest park covers an area of 4,776 hectares. The park is formed by the magnificent Danxia landscape, amazing forest, the Yellow River grand valley, Sacred Buddhist Nanzonggou ravine and the highland pearl the Lijiaxia reservoir.In 2003, it is named as state geographic park.Nanzonggou ravine is 5000 meters long, it is narrow and deep with startling beautiful sceneries. It is famous in the world as one of the Tibetan Buddhism late expansion place and also the only place where Red, Yellow, Xian, Mi, monks and nuns of Tibetan Buddhism live together.

Entrance Fee: CNY 40
Opening Hours: 08:00-17:00
How to get there: take the long-distance bus from Xining
Train Station to Li Jia Xia, then rent a car to Kanbula Forest Park

 Kanbula Forest Park

Kanbula Forest Park

No. 09: Laoye Mountain
Laoye Mountain is located at Qiaotou town of the Datong County, 35 kilometers south of Qinghai Xining city. The mountains are all high and steep and the scenery is beautiful.

Laoye Mountain acquires its fame because the Duke Guan temple was constructed on the mountain and there is the Duke Guan sculpture in the temple. The Limestone forms high peak grotto and canyon, the hills are steep and the cliff are precipitous.

It has different scenery during the four seasons, and the vegetation growth are luxuriant; mainly consists of the spruce, willow tree, Chinese white poplar, Chinese tamarisk and many other types of bushes.

Entrance Fee: CNY 15
Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00
How to get there: take the minibus from Zhifang Street to Datong County

 Laoye Mountain

Laoye Mountain

No. 10: Niangniang Mountain
Niangniang Mountain, also called Jin E Mountain, is located at the Datong County of Xining. It starts from Heilin and ends at Jinyangchuan. The Niangniang Mountain covers an area of 100 square kilometers. It is the branch of Qianlian Mountains.

There is a lake on the peak of the mountain which is one of the eight ancient views of Xining. Niangniang Mountain doesn’t only have beautiful scenery, but also a mountain with treasures, including coal and quartz stone.

Entrance Fee: CNY10
Opening Hours: the whole day
How to get there: There are Tourist Buses in the city to get to the Niangniang Mountain

Niangniang Mountain

Niangniang Mountain

Any questions, just drop a line.