Seven-day Photographer’s Qinghai Tour

    You will meet your guide and driver at Xining Caojiapu International Airport and be escorted to your hotel in downtown Xining. Xining is the capital city of Qinghai Province, is the most easily accessible city to travelers in Qinghai Province. Its average altitude is 2,261 meters(7,418 feet) above sea level. The airport is located 30 kilometers(18.6 miles) to the south of downtown Xining. It operates flights to 46 domestic cities, such as Chengdu, Lhasa, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan.

    In the morning, you will leave your hotel for Qilian County which is located 286 kilometers(178 miles) to the northwest of Xining. It takes about six and a half hours to drive from Xining to Qilian. On the way to Qilian, you will visit Menyuan Oilseed Field, Qilian Pasture and Arou Monastery. You will spend the night in your hotel in the county seat of Qilian. The elevation of the county seat is 2,787 meters(9,144 feet) above sea level.

    As the largest cultivated land of rape plants in the world, Menyuan Oilseed Rape Field covers an area of 333 square kilometers(129 sq.mi). It lies at the south of Qilian Mountain. The rape plant on the high plateau blooms in July. The best time to visit Menyuan Oilseed Rape Field is in mid-July.

    Qilian Pasture lies at the foot of Qilian Mountain. It is one of six most beautiful pastures in Mainland China. The pasture is surrounded by snow-capped mountains. Huge numbers of sheep and yaks flock together on the pasture, running or grazing.

    Arou Monastery can be traced back to 1650s. It is situated on a pasture, 24 kilometers(15 miles) to the southeast of Qilian Town. The monastery used to be the place where the Third Dalai Lama preached a sermon to locals.

    You will ride your car or coach to visit Zhuo’er Mountain in the morning, and travel to Qinghai Lake in the afternoon. You will stay overnight in the county seat of Gangca. Gangca County lies on the north shore of Qinghai Lake. The distance between Qilian and Gangca is about 220 kilometers(137 miles). It takes about five and a half hours to get to Gangca from Qilian by car.

    Zhuo’er Mountain is located 6 kilometers(3.7 miles) to the east of Qilian Town. It is well-known for its Danxia landform. Danxia is a special landform in China which features its spectacular view of red cliffs and rugged landscape. Developed on continental red terrigenous sedimentary beds, Danxia landform has been influenced by endogenous forces, including the upthrust, and sculpted by exogenous forces, such as the weathering and erosion.

    After breakfast, you will set off for your tour around Qinghai Lake. You will spend the night in a hotel on the south shore of the lake. The sightseeing spots you will visit during the day are located on the north and east shores.

    Qinghai Lake lies in the northeast part of Qinghai-Tibet High Plateau, 145 kilometers(90 miles) to the west of downtown Xining. It is the largest inland saltwater lake in Mainland China. The lake measures about 4,500 square kilometers(1,737 sq.mi). It is also called Tso-Ngonpo by Tibetans. Tso-Ngonpo is a Tibetan word which means a blue lake in English. The view of the lake is stunning. Some of the most ideal sightseeing spots along the shore of the lake are Erlangjian Peninsula, the Ear-Shaped Bay, the Golden-Sand Bay, the Sandy Beach Peninsula, the Fairy Maiden Bay and the Birds’ Isle. A vast field of oilseed rape lies on the north shore of the lake. The rape plants bloom between July and August. Qinghai Lake is not only a wonderful place for landscape photographers, but also an ideal destination for birdwatchers. Some islets are surrounded by water. One of the islets is called the Birds’ Isle. It is a paradise for over 100,000 migratory birds, such as bar-headed geese, wild ducks and brown-headed gulls. The best time for bird-watching is between April and June.

    In the morning, you will go to visit some sightseeing spots on the west shore of the lake, such as the Viewing Platform for Sunrise and the Bird’s Isle. After having lunch, you will ride your car or coach to Chaka Lake. The distance between Qinghai Lake and Chaka Lake is about 100 kilometers(62 miles). It takes about two hours to drive from Qinghai Lake to Chaka Lake. You will not miss the sunrise at Qinghai Lake and the sunset at Chaka Lake. A hotel near Chaka Lake will be booked for you.

    Chaka Lake lies about 300 kilometers(186 miles) to the west of Xining. It is one of the top four attractions in Qinghai Province. Chaka Salt Lake is well-known as China’s Mirror of the Sky. The salt lake covers an area of 105 square kilometers(41 sq.mi). The view of the salt lake is breathtaking. It can rival the famous Uyuni Salt Flat in Bolivia.

    After breakfast, you will leave your hotel for Xining. On the way back to Xining, you will pay a visit to the Sun-Moon Mountain and Kumbum Monastery. The route is totally 340 kilometers(211 miles) in length. It takes about six and a half hours to get to Xining from Chaka Lake via the mountain and the monastery.

    The Sun-Moon Mountain is situated about 100 kilometers(62 miles) to the west of downtown Xining. It is called Riyue Mountain by the locals. The mountain pass is 3,520 meters(11,549 feet) above sea level. It was an important point of the Ancient Tang-Tibet Path. It is said that Princess Wencheng passed the mountain pass when she traveled to Tibet with her retinues in 641.

    Kumbum Monastery was built in the year of 1379. It is one of the six most famed Ge-lug-pa lamaseries, is the birthplace of Master Tsongkhapa who founded the Ge-lug-pa Sect of Lamaism. The monastery houses many priceless art treasures, such as murals and Tangka paintings. It is also called Ta’er Monastery by the locals. Both Dalai Lamas and Panchen Lamas preached the word of Buddha at the monastery.

    In the morning, you will go to visit Dongguan Grand Mosque of Xining and be transferred to Xining Caojiapu International Airport. The mosque can be dated back to the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644). It is one of the top four mosques in Northwestern China.