Bird Island

　　     Guide     Bird Island is located in the western bay of Qinghai Lake, at the top of the delta where the Buha River flows into the lake, on the north side of the river mouth. It is a national AAAA-level scenic area. 　 　    Introduction      Bird Island is the most popular attraction on Qinghai Lake. One side of the island stands in the water, while the other connects to the lakeshore land. The vegetation on the island is sparse, dotted only with occasional small flowers.

　　        Each year, thousands of birds inhabit the island, including a wide variety of species such as gulls, cormorants, swans, and cranes, as well as the rare black-necked crane. Although the best time to see the great swan is from November to February of the following year, the period from May to July is the best season for bird watching. 　    Food/Accommodation/Shopping      It takes four hours to reach Heimahe Town from Xining, where drivers usually stop for meals.     About a 50-minute drive from Heimahe Town is the Bird Island Hotel, where double rooms with bathrooms cost 40 yuan per person. The hotel is located 15 kilometers away from Bird Island.  　    Transportation       You can take a bus from Xining to get there; there is a ticket office at the intersection of Changjiang Road and Xiguan Street. In addition, Qinghai Traffic Travel Agency in Xining operates daily buses to Bird Island, charging 130 yuan per person (excluding meals and admission), departing at 7 am and returning in the evening at 10 pm. Of course, you can also rent a Toyota van to get there (rental costs about 1,200 yuan).

　　 Qinghai Qinghai Lake