Qinghai Lake
Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve; The Largest Lake In China · Gonghe, Qinghai
The largest lake in China: a vast, saline, sky-blue inland sea at about 3,200 metres on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, more than 4,000 square kilometres in area and ringed by grasslands, snow-streaked mountains and Tibetan herding country. Known in Tibetan as Tso Ngonpo and in Mongolian as Kokonor, both meaning blue lake, it is sacred to Tibetan Buddhists, who walk and drive pilgrimage circuits around its shore. In summer the lakeside turns gold with blooming rapeseed fields against the blue water, flocks of bar-headed geese, gulls and cormorants nest on its islands, and herders move yaks and sheep across the meadows. Cyclists ride the full loop of some 360 km, and every July the Tour of Magnificent Qinghai, a UCI professional stage race, passes along its shore. The Erlangjian scenic area on the south shore offers boat trips and viewpoints, and nearby Chaka Salt Lake is famous for mirror-like reflections. From late November to spring the lake freezes over.
Erlangjian Scenic Area, Gonghe County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gonghe, Qinghai, China
Lakeshore accessible year-round; Erlangjian and other scenic areas keep daytime hours, roughly 8:00-18:00 in season, with reduced services from late November while the lake is frozen.