Things to do in Qinghai, China: The Best Nature & Parks

May 19, 2022 Malia Yoakum

Qinghai (Chinese: 青海; pronounced [tɕʰíŋxài]), formerly known in English as Kokonur, is a province of the People's Republic of China located in the northwest of the country. As one of the largest province-level administrative divisions of China by area, the province is ranked fourth-largest in size, but has the third-smallest population.
Restaurants in Qinghai

1. XunHua Tourist Area

Northeast of the County, Xunhua County 811100 China
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 2 reviews

XunHua Tourist Area

2. Hoh Xil Nature Reserve

Near the County, Qumarleb County 815500 China
Excellent
87%
Good
13%
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5.0 based on 15 reviews

Hoh Xil Nature Reserve

Reviewed By Melanieduan - Newcastle, United Kingdom

I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to visit Hoh Xil in person. With the average elevation of about 4500m, we took a self drive from Golmud and it took us about 3 hours. It is such a barren land with difficult environment for people to live but it is indeed the heaven for wild animals! We saw snowy mountain peaks, grasslands, rivers and small lakes cross the land here and there, feel like the clouds near you and move slowly towards the horizon, wild yaks, Tibetan antelopes, birds runs and flys freely along the way. Fresh air is free! Get your mouth open and take deep breath as much as you can. Generally, I am delighted to see those lovely naive animals are happy and protected in this land with hope and joy.

3. Beishan Mountain Forest Park of Huzhu

Northeast of the County, Huzhu County 810500 China
Excellent
86%
Good
14%
Satisfactory
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5.0 based on 7 reviews

Beishan Mountain Forest Park of Huzhu

4. Huangyuan Gorge

North of the County, Huangyuan County 812100 China
Excellent
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Huangyuan Gorge

5. Duoergaicuo Marsh

North of Jiangyuan Area, Zhiduo County 815400 China
Excellent
100%
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5.0 based on 1 reviews

Duoergaicuo Marsh

6. Lake Kokonor

151km From the 109 National Rd Qingzang Highway, Xining China +86 974 851 9680
Excellent
63%
Good
28%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
2%
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4.5 based on 597 reviews

Lake Kokonor

Reviewed By garyr0bertb - China, null

I visited Qinghai Lake in December 2020. Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor), China’s largest lake, changes according to the seasons. I wanted to see it in winter, the low tourist season. The lake is majestic, even in winter as the edges are iced over. I took alpine hiking gear but abandoned the idea when the temperatures hit minus 20 centigrade with strong winds blowing. Further away from the lake though it was only minus 12. At the touristy Erlangjian, only 1 of the 25 shops was open and I encountered only 6 other travellers. I saw more yaks & sheep than people. Still I walked for a bit around the lake and noticed a lot of small Tibetan Buddhist shrines and other things I could not identify. I booked a car & driver through a national Chinese tourist company to ensure a knowledgeable and licensed local driver with necessary insurance. We used a translation app to communicate. While only 130 km from Xining, the drive took nearly 3 hours as the driver thankfully drove slowly through the snowy roads. The scenery (photos uploaded) was spectacular, and he knew from experience where to stop and say “photo”. There were only two small towns enroute with distinctive Tibetan architecture. The driver informed me that Qinghai Lake is sacred to Tibetans and many pilgrims come here each year. I only experienced one section of the lake on a day trip and visited the famous Ta’er Monastery on the way home. I intend to visit the lake again in either Spring or Autumn and stay for 4-5 days, do some hiking, visit the mountains nearby and also Chaka Lake. Some Tips # This is a very remote part of China so careful preparation is needed if you do not join a tour group. # Hiring a licensed driver for a day or more provides you with greater flexibility but is more expensive. # Winter is not the best time for everyone. # There is a narrow bitumen bicycle path around the lake or sections of the lake but I’m not sure I would take by racing bike! # Definitely avoid Chinese national holidays unless you are comfortable with large crowds. # Read about its geography, history & religious significance before visiting as it might influence the type of experience you have. It’s a photographer’s paradise. # Remember that most of the land to the water’s edge is fenced, private, pastoral land which means “Keep Out”.

7. Qinghai Plateau

China
Excellent
71%
Good
21%
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4%
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4%
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4.5 based on 28 reviews

Qinghai Plateau

Reviewed By KodoDrummer - Yekaterinburg, Russia

This July, the colours of Qinghai Plateau are amazingly beautiful. Some fields have areas of yellow, adjacent to fields of green, and another a brownish red. In yet another field, there was a mixture of red, white, and orange flowers. And in another, a field of lavender. All magnificently beautiful. And to assist with the pollination, there were boxes of beehives, and thousands of bees at work in the fields of flowers.

8. Qinghai Golmud Kunlun Mountain National Park

South of Golmud, Golmud 816000 China
Excellent
60%
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40%
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4.5 based on 5 reviews

Qinghai Golmud Kunlun Mountain National Park

Reviewed By PB852014

We had been in a dust storm the day before in Golmud and there was very much dust left in the atmosphere so you could only see a couple of hundred meters so we missed it on the way up, but on the way down in the morning what a sight to see all the animals and the morning sun gleaming on the ice capped mountains a sight I will never forget.

9. Sand Island of Qinghai Lake

Northeast of Qinghai Lake, Haiyan County 810200 China
Excellent
64%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
2%
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2%
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2%
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4.5 based on 50 reviews

Sand Island of Qinghai Lake

10. Xining Niangniang Mountain

Qiaotou Town, Datong County 810100 China
Excellent
50%
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50%
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4.5 based on 2 reviews

Xining Niangniang Mountain

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