Delingha

The “desolate city in the rain” of Haizi’s poem: Lake Hurleg and Lake Tosen, the “alien relics” and Baishu Mountain, in a poetic small city on the Grand Loop.

Delingha lies in the eastern part of Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, on the northeastern edge of the Qaidam Basin. It is the prefectural capital; its Mongolian name means “golden world,” and it sits at an average of about 2,980 m. The city is famous among literary-minded young travelers for Haizi’s 1988 line “Sister, tonight I am in Delingha,” and it is an important supply and overnight stop between Chaka and Da Qaidam on the Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop. In town, see the Bayin River and the Haizi Poetry Museum. About 40 km southwest, Lake Hurleg (freshwater) and Lake Tosen (saltwater) are together known as the “Lovers’ Lakes,” and Mount Baigong beside Lake Tosen holds the so-called “alien relics.” North of the city, Baishu Mountain offers cool summer hiking; to the southeast are Gahai Lake and Jinzihai, a lake in the desert; and on the Gobi east of town is the Qinghai Station of the Purple Mountain Observatory. The best season is Jun–Sep, with sunny days and stargazing at night; winters are bitterly cold and windy. Delingha has an airport and a station on the Qinghai–Tibet Railway, and it is about a 5-hour drive from Xining. Allow 1–2 days: half a day in town, half a day for Lake Hurleg and the alien relics, then Baishu Mountain or Jinzihai if time allows. Temperatures swing widely between day and night and UV is strong, so dress warmly and protect yourself from the sun.

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