Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (2024)

Qinghai Facts

Chinese Name: 青海 (qīng hǎi)
Abbreviation: Qing
Population: 6,078,200
Area: 722,300 square kilometers (278,882 square miles)
Location: in the northwest of China
Administrative Division: 2 cities (Xining, Haidong); 5 autonomous prefectures (Haibei Tibetan, Huangnan Tibetan, Hainan Tibetan, Golog Tibetan, Yushu Tibetan, Haixi Mongolian Tibetan)
GDP (2019): CNY 296.595 billion (USD 42.991 billion)
Nationalities: Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Salar, Mongolian

China’s Fourth-Largest Province with Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs

Qinghai is an inland province located in northwestern China and adjacent to Gansu to the north and east, Xinjiang to the northwest, Tibet to the south and southwest and Sichuan to the southeast. By the virtue of high altitude, Qinghai is endowed with beautiful plateau landscapes various from towering mountains to canyons and basins. Its waterscape is also worth visiting. Qinghai Lake, the largest inland salt lake in China, has been attracting tourists all around the world. Besides, the Yangtze River and Yellow River are both originated from Qinghai. Let alone the numerous creeks and lakes scattered all over the province. As a region many ethnic minorities dwell, Qinghai will show you various folk cultures of Tibetan, Hui, Mongol, Tu and Salar nationalities.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (1)
Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (2)
Sutra Debating, Kumbum Monastery

Cities in Qinghai

  • Xining
  • Golmud
  • Golog
  • Haibei
  • Haidong
  • Hainan
  • Haixi
  • Huangnan
  • Yushu

Colorful Culture & Customs of Local Ethnic Minorities

Multiple ethnic groups bring Qinghai unique folk arts and customs. Regong Art of Tibetan people will feast your eyes on colorful Buddhist paintings, sculptures and murals. Thang-ga Art is also well-known for its mysterious scroll paintings, not to mention the lifelike butter sculptures and delicate folk embroideries. Apart from those arts and handicrafts, people in Qinghai are also good at singing and dancing. The resonant folk song Flower has even been listed as the intangible cultural heritage. The passionate Tibetan dance and the graceful dance of Tu people are waiting for you to join in. Also, you can learn more about their religious beliefs by attending Buddhist Butter Lamp Festival or Islamic Mawlid Celebration.

Best Time to Go

Qinghai has a highland continental climate, characterized with strong sunshine radiation, a large difference in its day and night temperature,a cool summer and a long freezing winter. Besides, annual precipitation is low and comes mostly in summer. The best time to visit this place is from May to October when it is not too cold with beautiful natural scenery.In July and August, tourists will be captivated by the thousands of acres of rapeseed flower in Menyuan County.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (8)
Tibetans in Qinghai
Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (9)
Cole Field in Menyuan County

Transportation

Qinghai borders onTibetin the south, and tourists can travel between these two regions by Qinghai-Tibet Railway or Qinghai-Tibet Highway. Also, Qinghai adjoinsGansu Provincein the north and east, and they are linked through Lan-Qing Railway. Regular trains travel back and forth between Xining and Beijing, Shanghai, Lhasa, etc. Lanzhou-Xinjiang High Speed Railway has a station in Xining, which incorporates Xining into the China’s extensive high speed railway network. Thus, tourists can easily get to Xining from Xi’an, Lanzhou, Urumqi, Dunhuang and other cities by high speed train.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (10)See also: Xining Railway Station, Xining Train Schedule

Nevertheless, most tourists choose to fly to Qinghai.Xining Caojiapu International Airportis the largest airport in Qinghai Province. Many flights have been established to/from other major cities in China, including Beijing, Xi’an, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Chengdu, Wuhan, etc. Other auxiliary airports in Qinghai areGolmud Airport,Yushu Batang Airport, Delingha Airport, Huatugou Airport and Golog Maqin Airport.

Travel Tips

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (11)1.Prevent sunburn: Qinghai has strong ultraviolet rays and long sunshine duration, thus tourists need to bring hat, sunglasses, and umbrella and apply sun cream to prevent sunburn. For girls, lip balm and moisturizing facial masks are highly recommended.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (12)2.Be wary of altitude sickness: With the average altitude above 3,000m (9,843ft), tourists may feel a headache, nausea, lack of appetite, fatigue or even have trouble breathing. Thus, remember to bring some essential drugs like Vitamin C or ibuprofen tablets.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (13)3.Pay heed to changeable weather: Given the large daily temperature difference in Qinghai, it is recommended to bring a jacket in case of a sudden chill. Even in daytime, the weather can be rather changeable. The scorching sun may be quickly followed by a downpour, thus an umbrella or raincoat is a must.

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (14)4.Respect the custom of local ethnic minorities. When visiting temples, tourists shouldn’t touch scriptures, statues or take photos without permission. Some temples may ask tourists to take off their shoes first. If there are cows or sheep attached with yellow, red or green cloth, keep a distance from them because they are Tibetan sacrificial offerings.

Geography

With the altitude high in west and low in east, the overall terrain of Qinghai Province presents a descending shape, which results in a diversified landscape. The west region in Qinghai are mostly plateaus and basins, represented by Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Loess Plateau and inland arid basin. And eastern Qinghai is a mountainous region. Generally, plateau accounts for eighty percent of Qinghai landscape. This province also has four water systems, includingYellow River,Yangtze River, Lancang River and Heihe River.

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- Last updated on Jul. 22, 2024 by Brenda Lian -

Qinghai Lake & Ethnic Minorities Customs (2024)

FAQs

Why is Qinghai Lake important? ›

Qinghai Lake is also an important water body for the ecological safety of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a natural barrier to prevent the eastward expansion of the desertification in western China, a treasury of the richest biodiversity on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, a concentrated habitat and breeding ...

Who are the minorities in Qinghai? ›

Most of Qinghai's population is Han (Chinese). Minority nationalities include Tibetans, Mongols, Hui (Chinese Muslims), Salar, and Tu (Mongour Tu).

What is the highest point in Qinghai? ›

The average elevation of Qinghai is approximately 3000 m. Mountain ranges include the Tanggula Mountains and Kunlun Mountains, with the highest point being Bukadaban Feng at 6860 m.

What is the meaning of Qinghai? ›

noun. a province of NW China: consists largely of mountains and high plateaus. Capital: Xining.

Why is the lake important? ›

Lakes are important because they provide habitats for plants and animals that need permanent water – including fish like the Arctic Charr. They also support a range of water plants, such as Long-stalked Pondweed, and the highly endangered Glutinous Snail. Lakes are important for a variety of waterbirds.

Is Qinghai Lake saltwater or freshwater? ›

Located in an endorheic basin in Qinghai Province, to which it gave its name, Qinghai Lake is classified as an alkaline salt lake.

Where do most ethnic minorities live in China? ›

China's official 55 minorities are located primarily in the south, west, and north of China.

What language is spoken in Qinghai? ›

In the east part of Haidong City, the dialect is similar with Lanyin Mandarin. So most of people in Qinghai use STANDARD MANDARIN, though some of them are influenced by the native accent.

Why is Qinghai so sparsely populated? ›

Situated inland, however, Qinghai is snagged by problems of high altitude, oxygen deficiency, and poor transportation facilities.

What is the culture of Qinghai? ›

If you visit Qinghai, although you are not in Tibet, you will get a very strong sense of what real Tibetan culture is like. In these prefectures, Lama Temples are the most important and holy places for local residents. You will find Marnyi stones and praying flags throughout the Tibetan prefectures.

What is the climate in Qinghai? ›

It serves as the origin of many great rivers in East, Southeast and South Asia. The annual mean temperature over the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau decreases from southeast to northwest, and the annual mean air temperature is between 15.5 and -5 °C (Chen et al., 2015).

When did Qinghai become part of China? ›

Qinghai was placed under separate administration in 1724 by the Qing dynasty (1668–1911/12). During the Qing period immigrants from the east settled in Qinghai, and Chinese political and cultural influence in the region increased. Qinghai was made a province of China in 1928.

What is the population of Qinghai? ›

In 2022, the total permanent resident population of Qinghai province in China amounted to around 5.95 million inhabitants. Qinghai province is located in Western China.

Why is Tibet called Tibet? ›

The name Tibet is derived from the Mongolian Thubet, the Chinese Tufan, the Tai Thibet, and the Arabic Tubbat. Before the 1950s Tibet was largely isolated from the rest of the world. It constituted a unique cultural and religious community, marked by the Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhism.

What is important about Lake Titicaca? ›

Lake Titicaca is the largest freshwater lake in South America and the highest of the world's large lakes. Titicaca is one of less than twenty ancient lakes on earth, and is thought to be three million years old. Lake Titicaca sits 3 810 m above sea level and is situated between Peru to the west and Bolivia to the east.

Why is Great salt lake important? ›

The lake contributes $1.9 billion to Utah's economy (adjusted for inflation), provides over 7,700 jobs, supports the highest concentration of Utah's valuable wetlands, and provides a stopover for millions of birds to rest and refuel during migration each year. Lake effect snow also contributes 5-10% to Utah's snowpack.

Why was the Great Lakes important? ›

The combined lakes contain the largest supply of fresh water on earth; 20% or one fifth of the Earth's total fresh water, with more than 3,000 miles of shoreline, the Great Lakes not only form Michigan's geography, but also shape our economy, society, and environment.

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