Qinghai Province is a sparking jewel set on the northwest plateau of China, wherein the Yangtze River, the Yellow River as well as the Mekong River take their source. The scenic¹ quality of Qinghai‘s widely varying landscape is superb and enticing², offering from the ranges of gleaming mountains with glacier-capped peaks over 6000 meters high to the gobi desert dunes³ of Qaidam, from lush ranchland to the sapphire-like lakes of vast area, all this has created a land of marvel⁴, mystery and diversity.

Qinghai Lake is a photographer and artist‘s paradise of mirrored pastel sunrises, azure⁵ beauty in midday and the indigo⁶ blues⁷ of sunset. The Bird Island on the western tip hosts hundreds of thousand migrate birds, hovering⁸ over the sky or diving into the water. Great Lamasery of Kumbum (Taer Lamasery), still one of the living and the most important for believers, was built in 1560. With Tsongkhapa, who found the Yellow sect⁹ of lamas and was born in here, all solemn religious celebrations observed here to his honor. The excellent collection in Kumbum are an eyeful of classic Chinese-Tibetan architecture which has been preserved in best condition for centuries and its three typical Tibetan Supreme¹⁰ Arts developed by Kumbum‘s lama artists, that is evident in Yak¹¹ Butter Sculpture, Frescoes¹² and Embossed Embroidery¹³.

The Qaidam, once been prosperous as the ancient Silk Road stretching across much of its length, is an idea place for expedition¹⁴. You can explore the ‘end of the World‘, mystic ‘Lost City‘ of which had been described by Peter Fleming in his news from Tartary and discover the beauty of dazzling salt lakes.

The Mengda Botanical Reserve in Qinghai present a unique combination of plants and natural stone sculpture. A wide variety of trees, shrubs¹⁵ and flowers from native to sub-tropical blazes a rich exuberance¹⁶ of color. With its famed pond-Heavenly Lake, waterfalls and visible wildlife, it is an idea for rambling¹⁷ and camping.

Along the Yellow River down to the southeast of Qinghai, Tongren has been familiarized as the Home of Tibetan Culture and Art. "Regong Art", originated in this place, mainly reflect Tibetan Buddhist¹⁸ culture. This unique Tibetan culture legacy¹⁹ include painting, frescoes, thangkas, sculpture and architecture. Handing down from generation to generation, almost every man here inherits the occupation as an artisan. These are just a few of the diamond attractions of Qinghai Province, the Qutan monastery²⁰, Bichan Daoist Temple, Great Donguan Mosque²¹, and other scenic spots and historical sites still await you to explore.

Notes:

1. Yangtze River 长江

2. Mekong River 湄公河（澜沧江）

3. the gobi desert 戈壁滩