Qinghai is the roof of eastern China: the blue lake that gives the province its name, salt flats that mirror the sky, and the headwaters of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers. High, empty, and impossibly beautiful.

What to See

Qinghai Lake is China's largest saltwater lake: in July the rapeseed fields ring the shore in gold, and a cycle or drive around the lake runs blue and gold to the horizon.

Chaka Salt Lake is the “sky mirror” — a shallow film of water over the salt reflects the clouds perfectly. And Kumbum Monastery is a treasury of Tibetan Buddhist art, its “three wonders” filling the halls with colour.

What to Eat

Hand-grabbed mutton is the plateau standard: lamb boiled with almost nothing, dipped in salt and cumin. Qinghai yogurt is the surprise of the highlands — thick as custard, with a golden crust on top and a sharp, clean tang you will not find elsewhere.

Folk Customs

Practical Tips

Photos: Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake — via Wikimedia Commons, CC-licensed. Licenses and authors available on the original file pages.