Qinghai was named after Qinghai Lake, the largest saltwater lake in China.It lies on the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in west China.Qinghai is the origin of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers, abundant in river branches, streams, lakes as well as wildlife resources.
The map of Qinghai
Ethnic Minority Group
The population of Qinghai is a mixture of cultures, religions, and ethnicity. Minorities take up 39% of the local population. Some main groups include the Kazaks,the Mongols,and the Hui.The different ethic groups make up a wide variety in local customs,so it is a quite interesting place for visitor to explore.
Climate
Qinghai has a continental climate. It has a mean annual temperature of 0-8oC .The climate feature is that it has long cold winter and short cool summers,frequent winds,little rainfall.Due to drastic temperature fluctuations from day to night, summer may be the best time to visit Qinghai because this is when the road to Tibet, via Golmud is open and its climate is friendliest to its visitors.
Cities and Highlights
Xining, as the capital and the only large city in Qinghai,has a 2000-year-old history and is also the key point of the southern branch of the Silk Road.The city itself has nothing exceptional to see, but is a convenient staging post for visiting Ta'er Monastery and Qinghai Lake.
Qinghai Lake is a photographer and artist's paradise of mirrored pastel sunrises, azure beauty in midday and the indigo blues of sunset.The Bird Island, called "the Kingdom of Birds",famouse for hundreds of thousand migratory birds on the western tip.
Qinghai Lake
Ta'er Monastery, which is considered one of the six great monasteries of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism , still is one of the living and the most important for believers, was built in 1560. With Tsongkhapa, who found the Yellow sect of lamas and was born in here, all solemn religious celebrations observed here to his honor.
Ta'er Monastery
The Mengda Botanical Reserve in Qinghai present a unique combination of plants and 
natural stone sculpture.With its famed pond-Heavenly Lake, waterfalls and visible wildlife, it is an idea for rambling and camping.
Lying in the southeast of Qinghai Province, Tongren County was a place for nomadic ethnic minorities in history ,and it was also the birthplace of the Regong Art which mainly reflects Tibetan Buddhist culture.
The Sun and Moon Mountain,though is not a great mountain,with its important position and the story of Wencheng Princess in Tang Dynasty,it's quite favored by many people. The Regong Art
Kekexili,means "beautiful girl"in Mongolian,it is the largest no man's land in china and the third in the world,but it is a paradise for animals.There once was a movie named after it and told a stroy happend here which is quite popular.
Kekexili
The Qaidam,an ideal place for expedition ;the "Small Imperial Palace in Qinghai"---Qutan Monastery and the snow - capped A'Nyemaqen Mountain......those are well-known and great places for visitors to come to.
Great Taste
People in Qinghai like to eat noodles and mutton,they make noodle as their staple food.The local flavors include hand-pulled noodles, dry-stirred noodles, roasted mutton, and dishes such as steamed huang fish, lotus fish, strewed mutton, stewed shashlik,etc.
