Qinghai Lake

Region: Amdo

Attraction Category: Holy Lakes

Qinghai Lake, the other names are Kokonor Lake in Mongolian, Tso Ngonpo in Tibetan. This is the largest salt lake in all of China, Qinghai Lake is regarded as holy by Tibetans and Mongolians. At the south side of the lake (150km from Xining), take a boat ride on the turquoise waves of the lake or go horseback riding along the shores with Tibetan nomads. If you have an extra day, continue on to the northwest side of the lake (220km from Xining), where you can visit Bird Island, a breeding ground for black-necked cranes, sandpipers, wild geese, and other bird species. There is also a small island in the middle of the lake which is called Tsonyang in Tibetan, it is a Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Retreat site. This site is isolated during the summer season, but it is open to tourist and pilgrims during winter time as you can walk or drive over the iced lake.