Xining Qinghai

by poonam bisht

Cities in Liaoning offer various sites for exploration and hence there is no shortage of Capital of the province of Liaoning , the city of Shenyang , lies at a distance of some 500 miles from…


Cities in Liaoning offer various sites for exploration and hence there is no shortage of Capital of the province of Liaoning , the city of Shenyang , lies at a distance of some 500 miles from Beijing.

It is located in the eastern part of Qinghai, on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Xining, Qinghai province lies on the Huang Shui River. The name of Xining is derived from the word Xipingting which means hope of stability along western borders. Xining, Qinghai province used to be the major commercial hub on the caravan route to Tibet. It was the extraterritorial capital of Koko Nor territory and remained as a part of Gansu till 1928. After that it became the capital of Qinghai.

Xining, Qinghai province is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its pleasant summer. In summers the temperature remains below 17 Centigrade. It is a good place to escape during the scorching summers. The visitors even bring warm clothes during the summers. The area belongs to the continental mid-drought type of climate, with rich sunshine. The average annual daily temperature is 3.2 Centigrade. With a relatively high sea level, temperature differs greatly between day and night. The best time to visit Xining, Qinghai province is during the period of May-September when the weather is most pleasant.

Xining, Qinghai province is the first city on the upper reaches of the Yellow River to achieve a population into the millions. There are about 37 nationalities living in Xining, Qinghai province, which include Han, Hui, Tu and Tibetan. In the educational sphere, Xining has the Qinghai University, Qinghai Normal University and Qinghai Medical College which offer a wide range of courses to the students.

Xining Airport is located at Caoji Bao, 29 Kilometers east of the city. It serves Beijing, Guangzhou, Kunming, Shenzhen, Xian, Chengdu, Chongging, Dunhuang, Golmud and Urumgi. Direct flights to Lhasa are available from here. There are direct trains plying between Xining and Beijing, Shanghai, Zhenzhou, Gomud, Qingdao, Lanzhou and Yinchuan. The recently operated Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a major fact for Xining’s significant role in China’s railway transportation. Xining East Long Distance Bus Station is the center of Qinghai’s highway transportation, with hundreds of buses plying to all major cities and towns within and beyond Xining, Qinghai province.

Some of the major sight seeing places in Xining, Qinghai province includes:

  • The Ta’er Monastery
  • The Dongguan Mosque
  • Beichan Temple
  • Sun and Moon Mountain
  • Qinghai Lake
  • Bird Island
  • Laoye Mountain
  • Kumbum Monastery