As the capital city of Qinghai Province, Xining is the provincial center of politics, economy, culture, education, technology, transportation and commerce. Xining lies in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and the upper reaches of Shuang Shui River. The average altitude of the urban area is 2275 meters. It is not very cold in winter and not very hot in summer, belonging to the typical continental climate with highland features. The average annual temperature is 7.7 degree Celsius, and the annual rainfall is 425 millimeter.

  Xining has a history of over 2100 years. It is composed of four districts (East, West, South & North), three counties (Da Tong, Huang Zhong, Huang Yuan), one Economic &Tech Development Zone which is under construction, and one Cheng Nan New District. With a total area of 7,665 square kilometers, it has a total population of 2.1 million and an urban coverage of 350 square kilometers and 1.03 million urban populations. Xining is a multinational and multi-religion city, consisting of 36 nationalities such as Han, Hui, Tu, Tibetan, Mongolian, Manchu and Salar etc, which constitute 25% of the total population.

The City of Xining acts as one of the major gateways to the Tibetan Plateau. It is an ancient highland city on the Yellow River which offers many scenic spots and historical sites. Although the city itself has a strong Islamic flavor, as it is home to many Hui people, you will start getting a more Tibetan feel as you move away from the city.

  Xining is also called the Summer Resort Capital of China for its cool summer. There are some nice places to explore in the summer/autumn season. 150 km from Xining, Qinghai Lake provides an escape from fervent cities and allows you to experience beautiful natural sceneries. The Birds Island at Qinghai Lake can offer you a perfect chance to see flocks of different birds. To the southwest of Xining, is Ta'er Monastery - the birthplace of Tsongkhapa (the founder of Gelugpa Sect). To the north of Xining is the Beichan Temple. Tourists will be rewarded with a panoramic view of the city from the mountaintop. Another site at city downtown not to be missed is the Dongguan Mosque, one of the biggest mosques in northern China.

Attractions
Dongguan Mosque
  First built in 1379, the Dongguan Mosque is located at Dongguan Street, and it was rebuilt in 1946. Since the founding of new China in 1949, the mosque has been revamped several times. Encompassing 11,940 square meters with the worshipping hall being 1,102 square meters, the mosque is the largest one in Qinghai Province. In 1988, it was approved as the mosque with the most prayers in the whole country by The Islamic Association of China.

  The mosque serves as an educational center and institution of higher learning for Islamism, and also is the leading mosque in Qinghai. All the worshipping ceremonies for Moslems in Northwest China are held here.

 Qinghai Lake and Bird Islands
  Located 150 km west of Xining, Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China. It is a salt lake at 3,205 m (10,515 feet) above sea level in a depression of the Tibetan Plateau. Nearly 30 rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake. The lake encompasses 4,340 square kilometers with a storage of over 77.8 billion cubic meters of water. The perimeter of the lake totals more than 360 kilometers. The lake often remains frozen for three months continuously in winter.

  Qinghai Lake is sandwiched between Hainan and Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefectures in northeastern Qinghai. The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. Many species use Qinghai as an intermediate stop during migration. At its northeast end are the 'Bird Islands' (Cormorant Island and Egg Island), which have been bird sanctuaries of the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone since 1997. Every March and April, when ice starts to melt, over 20 kinds of migrating birds fly to the Bird Islands to breed. During the months, flocks of birds cover the whole sky over the islands and bird eggs can be found everywhere. The visitors can hear the warbles of birds from miles away.