# Qinghai Lake Scenic Area (青海湖景区)

Xining, Qinghai Province · Northwest, China · Guidebook rating: 5/5
Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/places/qinghai-lake-scenic-area
Language: en

## Key facts

- **Admission:** Erlangjian Scenic Area: ¥90 (peak season), ¥50 (off-season); Xiannüwan Scenic Area: ¥60 (peak season), ¥30 (off-season)
- **Opening hours:** 07:00-19:30 (Sep 1-Dec 31)
- **Time needed:** 1–3 days
- **Address:** North side of National Highway 109, Gangca County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
- **Getting there:** From Xining and Golmud, sleeper buses run to Lhasa several times a day, passing Chaka Salt Lake and Qinghai Lake. This is one of the buses you can take, and the journey takes 4 hours. If you charter a car from Xining to Qinghai Lake, the cost of driving around the lake is ¥800–1,000.
- **Good for:** Photography, Nature

## About Qinghai Lake Scenic Area

For Qinghai Province, Qinghai Lake is what the Great Wall is for China, so it is a must-visit on any trip to Qinghai.
Qinghai Lake is 105 km long and 63 km wide, with a surface elevation of 3,196 m. It is China’s largest inland lake and also its largest saltwater lake. It is surrounded by four towering mountains, rising 3,600–5,000 m, which stand like four high natural screens embracing the lake.
The lake’s scenery changes with the seasons. In summer and autumn, the vast grassland looks like a green carpet, with countless cattle and sheep scattered across it like pearls. In winter, the lake freezes into a jade-like expanse that shines like a giant mirror in the sunlight. A trip to Qinghai Lake lets you appreciate nature’s masterpiece as well as the pastoral scenery of the plateau. You can ride horses or yaks, roam the grasslands, climb the sand dunes and, if you are keen, visit herders’ homes to experience Tibetan herding culture. The main sights include Riyue Mountain, Daotang River, Bird Island, Jinyintan Grassland, Erlangjian Scenic Area and the Menyuan rapeseed fields.

## Tips from the guidebook

- 1. Rapeseed flowers: In August and September, vast fields of rapeseed bloom along the north shore of Qinghai Lake, making it even more beautiful.
- 2. Sunrise viewing: Heimahe Township is one of the best places to watch the sunrise over Qinghai Lake.
- 3. The lake may be “closed”: From around October, the lake is closed to visitors because of the severe cold.
- 4. Closures: To protect the ecology and natural resources of Qinghai Lake, Bird Island and Sand Island scenic areas are undergoing closed rectification and remediation, and are temporarily inaccessible. For specific opening times, please follow the notices published on the official website of the Qinghai Lake Administration.
- Cycling Around Qinghai Lake
- Route: Xining → Daotang River → Jiangxigou Township → Bird Island → Gangcha → Qinghai Lake Township → Xihai Town → Hudong Sheep Farm (湖东羊场) → Xining
- Mid-July is when rapeseed flowers bloom around Qinghai Lake. Cycling around the lake lets you enjoy the beautiful scenery along the way while getting some exercise. The International Qinghai Lake Cycling Race is held every August.

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Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), p. 707. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.
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