Canola in bloom
Flowering in July.
Jucember — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Pakeywind — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Sergio Tittarini from Shanghai, China — CC BY 2.0 · Jonashtand — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Daniel Eriksson — CC BY 4.0 · Henry — CC BY-SA 2.0 · 西安兵马俑 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · sylvannus — CC BY-SA 3.0
China's largest lake, a blue saline lake on the Tibetan Plateau at 3,205 metres, which covered some 4,317 square kilometres when measured in 2008; it gave Qinghai province its name, meaning «blue sea», and the Mongols call it «Koko Nor», the «blue lake». Cut off from the Yellow River about 150,000 years ago, the lake turned salty and alkaline, with a salinity of about 1.4 per cent; twenty-three rivers and streams feed it and the scaleless naked carp lives in its waters, while the Bird Islands off the peninsula on its western shore have been a bird sanctuary since 1997, as the lake lies at the crossroads of several bird migration routes. Most visitors head for the Erlangjian scenic area on the south-eastern shore, a long sword-shaped spit reaching into the lake, with a lakeside walk and boat trips; in summer, especially July, fields of yellow canola flowers carpet the plains around the shore, and an international cycle race named after the lake circles it. Tickets cost CNY 90 from April to October and CNY 50 for the rest of the year, with boat trips extra, per visitor guides. The altitude can bring headaches or breathlessness, so take it slowly and drink water, and bring warm clothes and sun cream, as the sun is strong and the weather changes fast.
Flowering in July.
A sword-shaped spit.
Among them the brown-headed gull.
Erlangjian scenic area on the south-eastern shore, more than 100 km west of Xining
The easiest way is a day tour or a car with a driver from Xining, as the Erlangjian scenic area lies more than 100 km to the west.
June to September, when the weather is mild and the canola flowers bloom in July; winter is bitterly cold.
Look for restaurants under the halal sign, often run by Hui Muslims and common across Qinghai; the easiest option is to eat in Xining or bring your own food.