Qinghai Hu

Qinghai Hu (Qinghai Lake) is China’s largest inland salt lake, located on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and notable for its size and high-elevation grassland setting.

The lake covers several thousand square kilometres and sits at an elevation above 3,000 metres; it is an important staging ground for migratory birds and a landscape dominated by open steppe and rolling hills. Popular visitor activities include birdwatching, short shoreline walks and a full-circuit road used by cyclists and drivers.

The area around the lake has long been used by Tibetan and other nomadic peoples and is now managed with nature reserves and visitor facilities in several locations; the lakeshore supports seasonal grazing and tourism infrastructure in small settlements.

Situated in Qinghai province on the northeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the lake lies west of the provincial capital Xining and is reached by regional roads that connect a number of small towns and viewing points around the shore.

• Size and ecology: The lake is the largest in China by area and sits at high elevation; it is a key site for migratory birds and for grassland scenery around the shoreline.
• Circumferential route: A paved road largely encircles the lake, providing a route commonly used by cyclists and drivers to make a full circuit of roughly 360 kilometres.

What to See #

• Bird Island: A seasonally important islet and bird habitat on the lake that attracts nesting waterbirds during spring and summer and is a focus for wildlife viewing.