by Poppy Matt

Created on: September 22, 2011   Last Updated: September 23, 2011

Qinghai also known as Qing province in China is one of the top spots for tourists in the country.  Named after the Qinghai Lake which is the largest inland salt-Water lake in China, Qinghai is located in the northern part of China and covers an area of about 720, 000 kilometers square and has a population of about 4.4 million people among which are the Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Salar and the Mongolian minority ethic groups. Qinghai is located in the Qingzang Plateau with Xining as its capital. It has a complicated topography and as so has a continental plateau climate. Qinghai offers a mixture of fascinating cultural displays courtesy of the different ethic groups in the province. Qinghai is characterized by short cool summers and long freezing winters. The province also boasts of a colorful landscape.

The province is abundant in mineral resources; it also has an impressive amount of petroleum, coal, natural gas and some kinds of non-ferrous metals. Qinghai is also quite prominent in the agricultural industry producing rape, wheat, highland barley, sugar-beet among other crops. Its animal husbandry is also well developed and has been regarded as one of the main pastoral areas in China rearing livestock such as camels, horses, yaks, sheep and goats among many others. Its major industries are the metallurgical industries, machinery, petroleum industry, chemical industry and livestock products. Transportation is very efficient in the province offering tourists different options to use from railways to aviation not to forget about the popular transportation methods. The places of interests in Qinghai includes the immaculate Qinghai Lake which is very attractive to nature lovers and those who are interested in hiking, camping and bird-watching, Riyue Mountain, Xining Mosque, Ta’er Temple also known as the Kumbum monastery which is considered as the biggest and greatest of the six greatest monasteries of Gelugpa in Tibetan Buddhism, Bird island, Tibet Railway, the small imperial palace in Qinghai also known as the Qutan monastery, snow-capped A'Nyemaqen Mountain and the “Highland Xishuangbanna” Mengda Nature Reserve and many more including deserts and so on; the “Repoking Art” displays the creative talents of the Qinghai people through painting. The traditional specialties of the Qinghai district are fish, fur and different silver materials. Souvenirs can also be picked up at local stalls or markets in the province. The province also boasts of a remote, ancient and mysterious land. Qinghai is undoubtedly a paradise for adventurers.

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