Xining

China's “Summer Capital”: Kumbum Monastery, the Dongguan Grand Mosque and Mojia Street snacks, plus the gateway for the Qinghai Lake loop and self-drive trips across the Northwest.

Xining is the capital of Qinghai Province, in the Huangshui River valley on the northeastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau at about 2,260 m. Summer temperatures average 15–20°C, earning it the title “China's Summer Capital.” It is also the gateway for the Qinghai Lake Loop, the Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop and the railway into Tibet. The city stretches east–west along the Huangshui River. Main areas: in Chengzhong District, Mojia Street, Shuijing Lane and the Dashizi commercial area are the center for snacks and night markets; in Chengdong District, the Dongguan Grand Mosque and surrounding Hui neighborhood give an Islamic flavor; in Chengxi District, the Haihu New Area is home to the Qinghai Provincial Museum, the Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum and the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau Wildlife Park; Nanshan Park in the southern suburbs and the Pu'ning Pearl observation tower offer views over the whole city; and about 25 km to the southwest, in Lusar Town, Huangzhong District, stands Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Monastery), one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and Xining's number one attraction. The best season is June–August: cool and refreshing, with the vast rapeseed fields of Menyuan and Qinghai Lake blooming from mid-July to early August; May and September are comfortable and uncrowded; winters are dry and cold, often below −10°C, but the Kumbum Monastery New Year festival (the butter sculpture exhibition on the 15th day of the first Tibetan month) is well worth seeing. Getting there: Xining Caojiabao Airport has flights from major cities nationwide, about 30 km from downtown; the Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway takes just over 1 hour from Lanzhou and about 4.5 hours from Xi'an; Qinghai–Tibet Railway trains stop at Xining, and the trip to Lhasa takes about 21 hours; a subway is under construction, buses and taxis are convenient, and there are tourist routes and buses to Kumbum Monastery. Suggested time: 1–2 days for the city plus Kumbum Monastery; as the starting point of a loop, add 3–7 days for Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Menyuan and more. Notes: at 2,200 m altitude sickness is generally not an issue, but as the first stop before Tibet or the high plateau, drink plenty of water and go easy on alcohol; UV is strong and the air is dry; most Hui restaurants are halal, so do not bring non-halal food; photography is not allowed inside the halls of Kumbum Monastery; accommodation is tight in summer (especially July–August), so book ahead.

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