Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake is a national scenic area, a AAAAA-level tourist attraction, a national wetland park, and a national nature reserve.

Qinghai Lake, situated in the northeastern part of the Qinghai Plateau and the northwest of Xining City, is China’s largest inland lake and also the country’s biggest saltwater lake. It covers an area of 4,456 square kilometers, with a circumference of over 360 kilometers—more than double the size of the famous Taihu Lake. The lake is longer from east to west and narrower from north to south, slightly elliptical in shape. The average depth of Qinghai Lake is about 21 meters, with a maximum depth of 32.8 meters. Its water storage capacity reaches 105 billion cubic meters, and the lake surface sits at an elevation of 3,260 meters.

Qinghai Lake has been recognized by the World Record Association as China’s largest saltwater lake and China’s largest inland lake. It boasts numerous superlatives in China and is a national AAAAA-level natural scenic area.

Qinghai Lake freezes over every December, with the ice lasting for six months and a thickness of over half a meter. There are five small islands in the lake, the largest being Haixin Mountain. Bird Island, located in the western part of the lake, covers an area of 0.11 square kilometers and serves as a breeding ground for over 100,000 migratory birds of more than 10 species, including bar-headed geese, fish gulls, and cormorants. A bird island nature reserve has been established. The lake is rich in naked carp, and the lakeside grasslands provide excellent natural pasture.

Islands in the lake:

Haixin Mountain

Located slightly south of the center of Qinghai Lake, about 25 kilometers from Bird Island, Haixin Mountain is elongated in shape, wider in the middle and narrower at both ends. It stretches 2.3 kilometers in length and 0.8 kilometers in width, covering an area of 1.14 square kilometers. The highest point on the island reaches an elevation of 3,266 meters and is composed of granite and gneiss. There is a spring on the eastern edge of the island that provides drinking water. The southern edge features exposed rocks forming steep cliffs, while the eastern, western, and northern sides consist of gentle flatlands. Most of the island is covered with sandy soil, supporting vegetation such as feather grass, needlegrass, sicklepod, kobresia, needleleaf yellowflower, and Siberian Solomon's seal, with a vegetation coverage of over 50%. Birds tend to congregate along the cliffs and gravel beaches.

Haixipi

Haixipi, located 6 kilometers north of the mouth of the Buha River and sharing the same alluvial flatland apex with Bird Island, has a fault cliff on its northeastern edge close to the lakeshore. Outside the cliff stands a nearly cylindrical rock in the lake, which serves as a breeding site for cormorants. The island has a vegetation coverage of over 90%.

Shadao

Located in the northeast of the lake within Haibei County, Shadao was once the largest island in the lake, stretching approximately 13 kilometers in length and up to 2.8 kilometers in width, covering an area of 18 square kilometers. The highest point on the island is 3,252 meters above sea level. It was formed by sand ridges emerging from the lake and accumulating windblown sand. In 1980, the northeastern tip of Shadao connected to the mainland, turning it into a peninsula and enclosing the 33-square-kilometer Shadao Lake. The surface is entirely covered with gravel and lacks vegetation, serving as a breeding ground for fish gulls.

San Kuai Shi

Also known as Gucha Mountain, San Kuai Shi is located in the southwest of the lake and consists of seven densely clustered limestone and reef rocks, standing about 17 meters high and covering an area of approximately 0.056 square kilometers. It is 20 kilometers from Bird Island and Haixin Mountain. Only a few plants such as goat’s beard grow in the gaps between the rocks, with vegetation coverage of less than 5%.

Niao Dao (Bird Island)

Also called Xiaoxishan (Little West Mountain) or Dan Dao (Egg Island) due to the abundance of bird eggs on the ground, Niao Dao is located 4 kilometers north of the mouth of the Buha River. The eastern end of the island is broad, while the western end is narrow and elongated, resembling a tadpole. It stretches 1,500 meters in length. After 1978, the northern, western, and southern parts of the island became connected to the mainland as the lakebed was exposed. The slope of Bird Island is gentle, and the surface is covered with sand and stones. Several springs emerge on the southwestern side of the island. Main plants include bifid cinquefoil, white goosefoot, feather grass, sicklepod, Siberian smartweed, kobresia, and Kentucky bluegrass. Bird Island is a unique bird breeding site in Asia, the foremost of China’s eight major bird reserves, and an important open destination in Qinghai Province.

From March to April each year, migratory birds such as wild geese, ducks, cranes, and gulls arrive at Qinghai Lake from the south to begin nesting. Between May and June, the island is bustling with birds and eggs everywhere, creating a lively scene audible for miles. During this period, there are over 30 species of birds, numbering more than 165,000. From July to August, with clear autumn skies, flocks of birds soar through the sky and glide over the lake. Migration southward begins by the end of September. To protect the birds and allow public viewing, the Bird Island Nature Reserve was established in August 1975, designated as a national nature reserve in 1980, and in 1986, the provincial government allocated 600,000 yuan to build facilities such as tunnels, bunkers, and observation decks for visitors. Roads lead to the island from both the north and the south.

Within the picturesque Qinghai Lake lies the world-renowned Bird Island Nature Reserve, home to nearly twenty species of birds, including bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, fish gulls, cormorants, terns, black-necked cranes, swans, ruddy shelducks, and birds of prey such as golden eagles with ribbon-like tails, as well as climbing birds like hoopoes and various small songbirds like larks and skylarks. According to estimates by ornithologists, the total number of birds here exceeds 100,000. Among them, Bird Island (Xiaoxishan) and Sancha Stone (Gucha Mountain) are the most famous, as they host over 70% of the reserve’s bird population. If you have the chance to visit in person, it will truly be an eye-opening experience.

During the bird breeding season, you can witness another spectacular sight. It’s best to observe from a distance of 100–200 meters using binoculars without disturbing the birds. On the tadpole-shaped headland of Bird Island, which protrudes about 10 meters above the water and covers only 0.27 square kilometers, countless nests are densely packed on this tiny piece of land. The density and sheer number of nests are beyond description. Birds breed and thrive in an environment abundant with aquatic plants, food, sunlight, dryness, and fewer predators—no wonder Qinghai Lake’s Bird Island is called a “paradise for birds.”

Quan Wan (Spring Bay)

Nagaze Wetland and Marsh, located southwest of Qinghai Lake, mainly supports moisture-loving plants such as sedge, needle spike-rush, and horned pondweed. Multiple springs create marshy wetlands that do not freeze in winter, making the area difficult for humans and livestock to access. Within 6–8 kilometers of the lakeshore, the area is rich in aquatic plants and plankton, serving as a nursery for juvenile naked carp and a breeding and habitat ground for many migratory and resident birds. Rare birds such as whooper swans and black-necked cranes inhabit this area.

Further Reading:

· Third Batch of National Key Scenic Areas