Guide National Geological Park
Qinghai
In the stunning multicoloured clay scenery of Danxia Canyon (丹霞峡谷, Dānxiá Xiágǔ), this geopark offers walking trails in among red and orange hills that…
Must-see attractions in Qinghai
Qinghai
The desert scenery outside of Tongren comes to a pinnacle in this national park where flaming-red mountains meet the turquoise waters of a reservoir…
Tibetan Culture & Medicine Museum
Xining
Exhibitions in the north hall focus on Tibetan medicine, astronomy and science. Many visitors come for the 618m-long thangka scroll in the south hall –…
Qinghai
This enormous, gold-plated Tibetan prayer wheel is turned with the aid of rushing water from the Yellow River. The prayer wheel is 27m tall, 10m in…
Jyekundo Dondrubling Monastery
Qinghai
First built in 1398, the Jyekundo Dondrubling Monastery suffered heavy damage from the 2010 earthquake (the main prayer hall was completely destroyed and…
Qinghai
This huge and excellent museum is a must-see to put some of the region's history and culture into perspective, including informative and well-presented…
Xining
This beautiful and recently constructed mosque is really quite an astonishing sight. Built from marble and a variety of other stones and carved tilework,…
Qinghai
Located 25km west of Qinghai Lake past Heimahe, this salt lake is a popular side trip for a stunning optical illusion that occurs between noon and 4pm…
Qinghai
The 6282m peak of Machen Kangri, or Mt Amnye Machen, is Amdo’s most sacred mountain – it’s eastern Tibet’s equivalent to Mt Kailash in western Tibet…
Qinghai
The closest Qinghai Lake tourist spot to Xining, this site 150km west of town consists of a Chinese-style sightseeing village backing on to the shores of…
Qinghai
Dedicated to the Tang dynasty Chinese Princess Wencheng, who was instrumental in converting her husband and Tibetan king, Songtsen Gampo, to Buddhism in…
Qinghai
Well known throughout the Tibetan world, this 17th-century hillside monastery in the Huzhu Tuzu (互助土族, Hùzhù Tǔzú) Autonomous County is considered one of…
Qinghai
One of the great monasteries of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism, Kumbum Monastery was built in 1577 on hallowed ground – the birthplace…
Qinghai
Closed to sightseeing at the time of research, these lakes are the widely accepted source of the Yellow River, and most Chinese tourists drive or hire a…
Qinghai
This two-monastery complex is the place to head if you’re interested in Tibetan art. The Upper (Yango) Monastery (吾屯上寺, Wútún Shàngsì) is closest to…
Qinghai
Completely rebuilt after suffering extensive damage in the 2010 earthquake, this site is thought to be the world’s largest mani wall (piles of stones with…
Qinghai
This island (a peninsula, in fact) on China’s largest lake is the breeding ground for thousands of wild geese, gulls, cormorants, sandpipers, extremely…
Qinghai
Across the Gu-chu river valley from Wútún Sì is the mysterious 400-year-old Gomar Gompa, a charming monastery that resembles a medieval walled village…
Huzhu Beishan Forest National Park
Qinghai
If you don't have time to explore further into the province, this exhilarating forest park in the foothills of the Qilian Mountains – at an elevation…
Xining
As becomes quickly evident to even the most casual observer, about one-third of Xining’s population is Muslim, and although the city's biggest mosque may…
Qinghai
Tongren’s main monastery is a huge and fascinating maze of renovated chapels and monks’ residences, dating from 1301. It’s a superb place to wander and…
Qinghai
Nestled on a piece of land within a horseshoe bend in the Dzichu River, Gading makes for one of the most stunning photos you could take in the region. The…
Qinghai
Although you cannot climb up upon the earthen wall that encapsulates the old town, you can walk around its perimeter, which makes for a very enjoyable…
Qinghai
Some 10km south of Nangchen is an atmospheric kora path sitting beside a wide section of the Za Qu River (扎曲), which swells to become the Mekong River…
Qinghai
The stunning Dana Gompa is remote and the road out from Nangchen takes you across a valley towards 4000m elevation. Once there, you'll find the province's…
Qinghai
Nestled on the ridge of a forested mountain about 70km south of Nangchen is this picturesque monastery. Wildlife is prevalent in the area, including blue…
Xining
This park, which is also known as Fènghuáng Shān (凤凰山), rises above Xining south of town. The grounds are home to two Buddhist temples: Nánchán Sì and…
Yushu Earthquake Relief Memorial Hall
Qinghai
Located behind the Yushu Earthquake Memorial, this poignant museum is dedicated to the relief operation that ensued after the 2010 earthquake that killed…
Xining
One or two isolated sections of Xining’s Tang dynasty city wall still remain, the most accessible being this short stretch within a park on Kunlun Zhonglu…
Xining
At the east end of Xinning Sq (Xīnníng Guǎngchǎng), this provincial museum looks like an ominous government building from afar. Once inside, galleries…
Xining
Standing atop Phoenix Mountain, this Buddhist temple overlooks Xining from the south. The temple was built during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127),…
Qinghai
Ignore the rather naff waterwheel at this park and get right to the bank of the Yellow River where you can dip your toes in. During summer, some stalls…
Qinghai
The most recognisable of the Buddhist monasteries scattered around Nangchen, this one is perched on a hill above town like an old manor and its kora is…
Qinghai
Alongside one of the tributary rivers of the Chang Jiang, Yushu’s central square is dominated by a colossal statue of King Gesar of Ling, the revered…
Qinghai
This Sakyapa-school monastery is notable for its scary gönkhang (protector temple). Set atop a hill, it is adorned with snarling stuffed wolves and…
Qinghai
The huge Regong Art Museum (热贡艺术博物馆, Règòng Yìshù Bówùguǎn) stands at the eastern end of this lively square at the heart of town. Come at twilight and…
Qinghai
The focal point of Guide’s old town, this small temple complex was built in 1592, and is named after the Yellow Emperor. The complex includes a three…
Qinghai
This monastery in the centre of Nangchen is where Tibetans, young and old, appear each morning to turn prayer wheels and circumambulate the temple. From…
Qinghai
The main assembly hall at this monastery is impressive, but most surprising is the temple featuring a huge 18m statue of Guru Rinpoche, with smaller…
Qinghai
Heimahe ('Black Horse River') is a necessary evil: an ugly one-street town in between the Erlangjian Scenic Area and Bird Island that caters as a pit-stop…
