The exotic delights of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway

The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is located in the north-west part of China at an altitude of more than 3,500 meters. Qinghai Province and Tibet Autonomous Region are all in the area.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will be open from July 1. Starting your journey from Xining, you will gradually enjoy the change of scenery along the line. The changing scenes are like a symphony, with a lively rhythm and strong emotions. Every movement is a distinguishable feature, but is ultimately unified under the theme of highland character. The holy city, Lahsa, is at the end of this exciting journey. We will focus on the Qinghai Province section this week and our journey along the Qinghai-Tibet Railway will continue to the Tibet Autonomous Region next week.
Starting from Xining, capital city of Qinghai Province
Xining city is regarded as the eastern gateway to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The city is located at an altitude of 2,260 meters. The color of the sky is a kind of crystal clear blue, which is typical in highland areas, and the air here is cool and clean.


However, the Xining area is not the real highlands. It is an agricultural area on the Huangshui River drainage area, which is the biggest branch of the Yellow River.
Ta Er Temple is a must-see destination in Xining. It is a famous Lama temple in China and the center for Buddhist activities in north-west China. 'Ta Er' means 100,000 figures of Buddha in the Tibetan language. The ancient architecture is a combination of Tibetan and Han styles.
Besides, the Dongguan Mosque, one of the four major mosques of northwest China, the Sun and Moon Mountain, and the North Mountain are all places worth visiting.
Qinghai Lake
The train departs from the north bank of Qinghai Lake, which is 150 kilometers away from Xining at an altitude of 3,200 meters. The water of the lake is icy, containing large quantities of salt. It is the biggest salt water lake in China. Herdsmen of the Tibetan and Mongolian minority live around the lake. While the train travels through some towns, you may see them dressed in their traditional clothes. The best time to visit Qinghai Lake is in July and August. The vast cole flower fields and the deep blue lake form a beautiful picture.
Snow on Kunlun Mountain
Going inside the Kunlun Cordillera, the mountains you see appear to be lofty and grand. The station after Nachitai is Yuzhu Peak station. The Yuzhu Peak is at a 6,178-meter altitude, and is surrounded by 15 peaks of more than 5,000 meters high. The ice and snow at the top of the peak never thaw throughout the year.
The pass of the Kunlun Mountain Range is the third station on the line. People can take pictures at the Kunlun Mountain Pass Monument and Hohxil Natural Reserves Monument. There are also some heaps of rock and flags that were used by the Tibetan people to sacrifice Mountain Gods. Kunlun Mountain is regarded the origin of many Chinese fairy tales, such as A Journey to the West, and White Snake Legend.
Kunlun Spring
Continuing the journey south, the train will pass another important city along the line called GeErmu, which means 'a place with a great number of rivers' in the Molian language.
Leaving GeErmu, the train enters Kunlun Cordillera. Then, it will stop at Nachitai Station, one of the eight stations that the trai stops for 20 minutes to allow passengers to view the scenery. The famous Kunlun Spring is at Nachitai, 90 kilometers away from GeErmu. It is an ice-free spring. The spring is said to be poured from a heavenly palace ad is regarded as holy water by local people. The spring water spouts out endlessly, is clear and tasty, and contains a large amount of minerals.
Kekexili (Hoh Xil) and wild animal channels
From Kunlun Mountain Pass to the south, the train will enter Yushu Tibet Autonomous Prefecture. The fourth station, at ChumaEr River, is not far from Kunlun Mountain
The landscape here is quite different. It is high, cold, desolate and boundless grassland. Few people come here, so it is called Kekexili, a desolate place where no people live. It is the third largest desolate place in the world, and the largest in China. You will see three to four natural reserve stations along the line. At Kekexili, you can feel an obvious change in the climate. The air is no longer dry but is freezing. The wind blows with fewer sand grains, but more strongly.

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