Qinghai is a massive province in China. I hadn’t actually realized how big it is, until I started deciding what we would do here. And in this massive province, there is also an enormous lake by the same name: Qinghai.
Qinghai is China’s biggest lake, but it only actually ranks 36th in the world. Lake Superior, Lake Manitoba and Lake Winnipeg are all bigger, but I have to say that Qinghai’s setting was still something quite beautiful to see!
Nearly 4500kms square, this giant body of water is located in part of the Tibetan Plateau. There is Tibetan culture here everywhere you look. From the Yaks to the prayer flags, you can feel that you aren’t on the east coast of China anymore!
On the lake itself, there isn’t a lot to do. You can rent a motorbike or bicycle, but we chose to walk along the beach instead, taking in the cool, fresh air. All along that particular area, you can rent traditional Tibetan Robes for photo ops, and you can even ride a Yak into the water.
Of course, getting to Qinghai Lake is half the fun, as far as I’m concerned. We originally intended to take the bus, but when we saw the lineup, we opted to hire a van instead. The roads were a little scary, and our driver was under the impression that we were in a Nascar race, but we made a few stops that certainly made the trip worth it.
On our way to the lake, we stopped at one lookout, and got some photos. I was happy to have my Canon with me so that I could zoom in. We didn’t get very close by, but at least I got to see some of the beautiful art!
On our way back, we also stopped for some more Tibetan culture at Jia Yi Temple. This particular spot was a bit off of a road and we were able to get out of the car and explore a little bit.
I actually prefer taking buses over hiring a van most of the time, but this last stop actually made the van ride worth it, as far as I was concerned. Sometimes it’s better to be a little cramped, and to spend a little more, because you might end up with extra experiences too!
Tomorrow we check out more Tibetan Culture! Check back!!