Qinghai Hu is a salt lake located in Qinghai Province. It is the largest lake in China and despite being a saline lake, it boasts a large quantity of fish including large carp.
It is often visited by pilgrims as it is a sacred site and those making the journey take 18 days to do so. If, however, you are not a pilgrim, you can explore the lake at your leisure. There are many places to stay and a number of tourist facilities in the area.
There is a small island in the middle of the lake which is home to a small number of temples and hermitages called Mahadeva (the Heart of the Lake). It was once home to a Buddhist monastery. It was historically only visited in winter when the lake was frozen over and the monks were able to walk across. Today, it is visited throughout the year.
It is popular with bird lovers and hikers keen to get off the beaten track. The surrounding scenery is stunning.
Getting There & Away
The lake can be reached by both bus and train. There are daily buses from Xining bus station taking approximately 5 hours. It is also possible to take a bus from Golmud; however, this takes 11 hours. Xining is home to the nearest international airport with services available to destinations throughout Asia as well as to domestic cities.