Day 1: Xining – Kumbum Monastery – Dzongkar Latse – Qinghai Lake(KokoNor Lake) [3320m]
We begin our journey by driving to Kumbum monastery, which is located in Huangzhong county 25 km west of Xining. Kumbum Monastery is the largest monastery in Qinghai and is the home to 600 monks. This monastery is famous for being the birthplace of Lama Tsongkhapa, the founder of the Gelug tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
After visiting Kumbum, we will take a small scenic road and ascend for about 800 meters to reach the sacred mountain pass of Dongkar Latse or Dzongkha Lhatse. It is a unique sight that initially was a special place to make an offering for the local mountain gods and protector deities. Here, we will enjoy a breathtaking mountain view and hang our prayer flags for ourselves and other beings’ good luck and well-being. Afterwards, we will drive through nomadic areas to Qinghai lake. Qinghai Lake, also known as Kokonor lake in the Mongolian language, and Tso Ngonpo in Tibetan, is the largest lake on the Tibetan plateau and the largest salt lake in China. Here we will have an opportunity to take a boat trip or to ride a horse. Alternatively, we can just take a casual walk on the shore to enjoy the beauty this lake has to offer. In July and August, the shore is covered by yellow rapeseed flowers providing amazing scenery for gorgeous photographs. If we are lucky, we may spot black-necked cranes – a unique among the cranes is that it resides almost exclusively at high altitudes on the Tibetan Plateau. We will spend the night at the hotel in a room with a fantastic view of the lake. In clear weather, we will enjoy beautiful views of the sunset and sunrise on the lake.
A lady on the horse back at the Qinghai Lake.
Day 2: Qinghai Lake – Chaka Salt Lake – Xining [2270m]
We will begin our morning by walking to the lakeshore to watch the sun appearing on the horizon. Afterwards, we will continue our journey by driving up to the next mountain pass with an altitude of 3900 meters sea level. There, we will be rewarded with another breathtaking mountain view. Descending from the mountain, we will reach the famous Chaka Salt Lake, located in Ulan County of Haixi Mongolian Tibetan Prefecture, Qinghai province. The oval-shaped lake is nested near the eastern end of the Qaidam Basin. The name “Chaka” means “salt land” in Tibetan. The Chaka Salt Lake is the major tourist destination and a key salt mine in Qinghai. The lake is famous for its crystal-blue water and reflective lake bed. It is popularly known as “Mirror of the Sky”. After spending a few hours at the lake we will drive back to Xining via Chabcha town, also known by its Chinese name of Gonghe.
Travelers are enjoying in the salt bed lake.
