Xining travel guide

Xining has long been known as the "Gateway to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau". It now has a transport network combining air, rail and road. Xining is an essential transit point and hub for travel within and beyond the province.

2. Objects: Do not touch religious objects. When eating in a Muslim household, follow halal standards.

3. Prayer: Mosques generally do not welcome non-Muslim visitors during prayer times. Muslim prayer is genuinely worth seeing, but you should only visit and take photos with permission. The best approach is to have a Muslim companion take you in, and they can arrange for you to watch from one side.

Women in all kinds of headscarves hurry through the streets of Xining: white, black, green, and some in floral prints. The colours signal a Muslim woman's age, with black for the eldest and white for the youngest. White scarves are rarer now, though, as young women have switched to brighter shades such as pink and blue.

1. Tickets generally go on sale one day in advance.

2. Xining's bus stations close early in the evening, so go early to check schedules or buy tickets.

3. Buses from Xining to other destinations run frequently, but departure times are not fixed.

Always agree on your destination before getting in. Xining's city centre is compact. The flag-fall fare is usually ¥6, and if you bargain well, ¥5 can take you quite far.

Caojiabu International Airport lies about 29 km east of central Xining and is the airport closest to Qinghai Lake. It currently offers direct flights to many cities, including Beijing, Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen and Urumqi.

Airport shuttle buses run to central Xining, terminating at the Bayi Road Bus Station in the city centre. The fare is ¥21.

Xining currently has high-speed train services to Lanzhou, Menyuan, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and even Urumqi. Regular trains run east to major cities such as Shanghai and Beijing, and west direct to Lhasa. All trains to and from other cities depart from and stop at Xining Railway Station.

Xining has dozens of bus routes connecting the city and its suburbs. Long-distance buses also run to counties such as Huangzhong, Huangyuan and Datong, which is convenient for visitors.

1. Daybreak: this is the best time to photograph the Dongguan Mosque. Besides the grand architecture, you may catch worshippers sweeping the mosque grounds.

2. Prayer: the mosque can normally hold 3,000 worshippers and up to 10,000 at peak times, a truly spectacular sight.

3. Main hall: generally closed to the public; entry requires the imam's permission. Photography is not allowed inside the main hall.

4. Significance: the mosque is also the education centre for Islam in Northwest China and home to the region's highest institution for the study of Islamic scripture.

2. Ningshou Pagoda: the five-tiered, close-eaved brick pagoda on the summit of Beishan was built in the Qing dynasty.

The Xining region offers a rich variety of main dishes and snacks. Xining's snacks are famous far and wide. Remember these names: Yin Liangfen, Yu Niangpi, Kang Zhurou, Li Yangtou, Xin Suancao and Song Jingdui. The first character in each name is a surname, and it is also the signature of that snack family.

Chenggui Lamb Neck Hand-Grab Specialty Shop sits on the north side of the crossroads of Gonghe Road and Dongguan Street. Its lamb neck is a distinctive local dish. Open from 17:00 until about 22:00, when it usually sells out. It also serves gamianpian, lazi and fried potatoes. Prices are reasonable, service is attentive, and it is very popular.

1. When drinking locally, respect local customs.

2. Xining's qingke (highland barley) liquor goes to your head easily. As a guide, drink no more than two-thirds of your usual baijiu quantity, and avoid overindulging.

3. Xining sits at over 2,000 metres above sea level. Apart from avoiding strenuous exercise, limit smoking and drinking.

In Xining, try boiled tea (aocha), made mainly from black tea simmered with salt, Sichuan pepper, tsaoko (grass cardamom) and ginger. The tea is strong and dark; it is said to cut the greasiness of rich food and clear the head.

Da Xinjie (Big New Street) and Xiao Xinjie (Small New Street) are two intersecting lanes in Chengzhong District. Da Xinjie runs north to south and Xiao Xinjie east to west. The night market on Da Xinjie focuses on clothing but also has plenty of snacks, while Xiao Xinjie is lined with snack stalls giving off fragrant aromas.

Luxury hotels in Xining are not very expensive, so for many visitors from big cities, it is entirely possible to indulge a little.

1. A basic single room at a guesthouse in Xining generally costs about ¥60.

2. Hotels generally do not have air conditioning, so bring a light layer for summer evenings. Hotels provide quilts and blankets.

3. Xining's tap water is very cold, so avoid taking cold showers.

A one-stop complex combining dining, plaza shopping and nightlife, with everything you could need. The Qinghai Conghong Nuosang Tibetan Cultural Experience Space sells authentic specialty foods from across Qinghai.

Shangyexiang Market, Gucheng Tai Market and Ximenkou Dongtian Shopping City are all good places to shop. For local specialties, Hualian Supermarket carries most items, and the quality is relatively reliable.

Some people say there are three things you must not leave Xining without buying. The first is “Snow Mountain” five-spice beef jerky, made from fresh yak meat from the Qinghai plateau, with a distinctive flavour. The others are yak-wool sweaters and qingke barley liquor. Of course, genuine products bought from proper shopping centres are best. Xining also has cordyceps liquor and handicrafts worth buying, such as Tibetan knives and silverware.

Daxin Street is open from 17:00 to 24:00. Even strolling along this street, which is not especially busy, you can feel the liveliness of Xining's nights.