Xining, a place worthy of visit before boarding the train to Tibet

Xining, capital of Qinghai Province in west China, is the starting point of the famous Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Every train to Lhasa, capital of Tibet stops here a while. Some travelers get off the train here to enjoy a short Xining tour before they continue their trip to Tibet. 

Xining has a history of over 2100 years and the gateway to travel between Tibet and the Gansu Corridor Silk Road trade route. It was also a chief commercial hub on the Hexi Corridor caravan route to Tibet, handling especially timber, wool and salt in ancient times.  

Xining now is known as a summer resort city due to its cool weather in summer. Of course, apart from the pleasant weather, it has many attractions making a tour here well worth considering. It provides both cultural and natural attractions.

The representative cultural tourist site in Xining should be Taer Monastery, to the city’s southwest. It is the birthplace of Tsong Khapa, the founder of the Gelugpa or the Yellow Hat Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. It is a must-visit place in this city. Now, it is the religious activity center of both monks and followers of the Yellow Hat Sect. During its long 400 years of history, it has gradually become a place of interest for its distinct ethnic color and native style.

Then the representative natural tourist site in Xining is Qinghai Lake. This lake offers an escape from fervent cities and allows you to experience beautiful natural scenery relaxedly. Situated on the northwest of the lake, the Bird Island is the highlight of this lake.

No wonder most visitors to Tibet from both home and abroad would stop at Xining for one or two days during the journey to Tibet. From Xining, it is easy to travel to Lhasa. For domestic travelers, they prefer to drive or cycle along the Qinghai-Tibet Highway to Lhasa to get more close to the nature if the time permits. Otherwise, they would take the train from Xining to Lhasa, which is also a popular way to Tibet among foreign travelers for they are curious about the world’s highest railway, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In addition, travelers can also fly to Tibet from Xining.