Qinghai Lake Erlangjian Scenic Area

🌊Qinghai Lake, known in Tibetan as "Cuowenbu" meaning "blue sea", is crystal clear and stretches as far as the eye can see. Some say Qinghai Lake is a "sapphire" 💎 left by nature in the inland, and it is also the "Jade Pool" mentioned in legends, associated with the Queen Mother of the West, or "Wangmu Niangniang". The average altitude is 3196 meters⛰️ 🌊Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China, also known as Xianhai or Freshwater Sea. After the Northern Wei Dynasty, it was called Qinghai, characterized by low temperatures, large diurnal temperature variation, scarce and concentrated rainfall, long sunshine hours, and strong solar radiation. Winters are harsh and long, while summers are cool and brief🌞 📍Detailed address: Qinghai Lake Scenic Area, Gonghe County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai 🔶Preparation for the trip: 🪪Documents: ID card, student ID (discount for tickets) 🧴Hygiene: Skincare products, cosmetics, high SPF sunscreen 🧥Clothing: Summer clothes + light jacket + windbreaker (check the weather three days before departure) ⚡️Electronics: Charger, power bank, selfie stick🤳 💊Medicine: Rhodiola, cold medicine, gastrointestinal medicine, motion sickness medicine 👌Others: Umbrella🌂, sunglasses🕶️, hat🧢, some cash💵 🗓Itinerary: 🎈Day 1: Arrive in Xining and check into a hotel🏨 🎈Day 2: Xining➡️Riyue Mountain➡️Erlangjian Scenic Area of Qinghai Lake➡️Chaka Salt Lake➡️Chaka Town 🎈Day 3: Chaka Town➡️Cross the Qaidam Basin (Gobi style)➡️Emerald Lake➡️Dachaidan 🍲Recommended food: Yogurt🧈Kang Pot🥘Yak Milk🥛Local Hotpot🫕Stuffed Pancake🥠Boiled Yak Meat🥩 📝Tips: 🌈Bring some dry food🍞 and water💦 for the long journey to replenish energy💪🏻 🌈Wear polarized sunglasses🕶️The sunlight☀️ reflected on the salt lake is very strong and can cause damage to the eyes⚠️ 🌈Be sure to take photos with the lambs🐑, 5 yuan per person💰 🌈Wear sky blue, white, or ethnic shawls to match the blue sky, white clouds, and lake, and you'll get amazing photos in minutes!📸 🌄While you're young, be sure to visit the great Northwest See the roughest romance💕 Deserts, Gobi, grottoes, Danxia landforms, snow-capped mountains🏔️, grasslands🌿, lakes🌊 everything is just right‼️

🌠 Erlang Sword Scenic Area, located on the southeast shore of Qinghai Lake, was previously known as Base 151. There is a sharp peninsula extending into the lake in the northeastern part of the scenic area, stretching from south to north into the lake, resembling a long sword, hence the name Erlang Sword. 🌅 The scenic area features bird-watching platforms, deer-watching platforms, sea-viewing bridges, sea-viewing pavilions, and water entertainment activities such as jet skiing and yachting. It is also the best place to watch the sunrise and sunset over Qinghai Lake. 📝 Note tips: Staying at the hotel within the scenic area allows for free admission, which should be processed at a separate window, and guests staying in the scenic area can drive into the area for free. 🕙 Business hours: 8:30-18:00 ⏳ Recommended duration of visit: 2-3 hours 💰 Ticket price: Peak season: 90 RMB/person, Off-season: 50 RMB/person 📍 Detailed address: Beside National Highway 109, Gonghe County, Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province

After a night of snowfall in Chaka Town❄️, what would have been a 2-hour journey over Rubber Mountain🚗 to reach Qinghai Lake turned into a 3.5-hour detour via the Jingzang Expressway. During this season, there are very few tour groups and self-driving tourists, making it much quieter, and there's no need to worry about accommodation, tickets, or dining anymore~ The water of Qinghai Lake is very clear. On a good day, it really resembles the sea🌊 with its azure blue beauty, very pleasing to the eye❗️ In the distance, there are snow-capped mountains, and the diverse natural scenery is indescribably beautiful~ ⚠️Important notes: 1⃣️ Parking is prohibited at random on the Qinghai Lake ring road. Self-driving friends should pay attention. 2⃣️ There are many herders' pastures along the way, so drive slowly and carefully. Avoid hitting cattle and sheep that may dart out. 3⃣️ Qinghai Lake is over 3000 meters above sea level. Be sure to walk slowly. 4⃣️ The ultraviolet rays are strong and the temperature difference is large. Make sure to protect yourself from the sun and keep warm. 5⃣️ You can bring some small bread. It's possible to feed the seagulls.

March to April is definitely not the best travel season for the great Northwest 🏕️, but how can one resist the off-season travel deals, with very cheap flights and not so expensive tickets【some scenic spots offer half-price tickets】. Whether you join a tour group or drive yourself, it's a good choice at this time. The biggest reason is the love for the desolation and openness of the Northwest, walking on the endless Gobi desert, and encountering a romantic and stunning sunset🌇. 🌟Highlights: 👨‍👩‍👦Private small group【reject🙅🏻‍♂️strangers joining the group】 🏨Selected accommodations【carefully chosen, one in a thousand】 👨‍✈️Expert drivers【strictly selected for safe travel】 🚗Sedan/SUV/Business car【choice of vehicle for travel】 🏔️Quick view of the beautiful scenery ✔Qinghai Lake 〖Erlang Sword Scenic Area💰50〗 ✔Chaka Salt Lake〖Sky No.1 30〗 ✔West Lake Road around the lake〖Free🆓〗 ✔Zhangye Danxia〖Ticket + Sightseeing Car 93〗 ✔Zhuoer Mountain〖Free🆓〗 ✔Qilian Grassland〖30〗 ✔Dadongshu Mountain Pass〖Free🆓〗 ⚠️Note: Some scenic spots are half-price during the off-season and full-price during the peak season 🗓Itinerary: DAY❶: Xining - Riyue Mountain - Laji Mountain - Qinghai Lake - Heima River - Chaka Town DAY❷: Chaka Salt Lake - West Lake Road around the lake - Gangcha - Dadongshu Mountain Pass - Qilian Zhuoer Mountain DAY❸: Qilian Zhuoer Mountain - Heihe Grand Canyon - Zhangye Danxia - Danxia Town DAY❹: Danxia Town - Qilian Grassland - Menyuan - Daban Mountain - Xining

Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China and a world-class tourism site. It has a unique scenery every season and is worth to visit! It is a hidden gem sorrounded by mountains and platues in Qinghai Province. The lake becomes totally frozen in winter and you can walk in the lake. It also features a breath-taking scenery in its sorrounding area! You can also stop-by at some other famous tourist sites when you're heading there. It's worth to visit! #Qinghai #DiscoverChina #Holiday

Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Area 👍 🗓 Itinerary: D1, Xining, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, stay in Delingha 🗓 Itinerary: D2: Delingha~Chaka Salt Lake~Jade Lake~Stay in Da Qaidam 🗓 Itinerary: D3: Da Qaidam---U-shaped Highway 315---Dongtaijineer Lake---Water Yadan---Stay in Da Qaidam 🗓 Itinerary: D4: Da Qaidam---Heidushan Mountain--Petroleum Town------Stay in Dunhuang (Desert Camping) 🗓 Itinerary: D5: Dunhuang Mogao Caves---Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring---Dunhuang Night Market (Encounter Dunhuang Live Performance) Stay in Dunhuang 🗓 Itinerary: D6: Dunhuang Guazhou---Jiayuguan---Zhangye Danxia Sunset----Stay in Zhangye 🗓 Itinerary: D7: Zhangye---Biandukou Scenic Area---Menyuan Rapeseed Flower Field (July, August)---End of the trip in Xining First day of the trip, casual photography by Qinghai Lake

📝Qinghai-Gansu Loop 4th Station: Erlang Sword Panoramic Viewpoint📝 🚗🚗🚗🚗 Due to various reasons, it was already 8 o'clock in the evening when we arrived at the Erlang Sword Scenic Area, and we couldn't go to the scenic area, but we could still go up the mountain to the viewing platform. It takes about 15 minutes to drive south. 🌊🌊🌊🌊 We've been by the lake just now, but we can't clearly feel what Qinghai Lake is like. It's like 'Not knowing the true face of Mount Lu, just because I'm in this mountain.' Standing high and looking far into Qinghai Lake, it's indeed a different scenery. Picture 1 is the scenery of 'Erlang Sword Panoramic Viewpoint' on Gaode, and the following pictures are taken on the way down the mountain. 🖼🖼🖼🖼 Strictly speaking, this is not a proper viewing platform, it may not be finished yet, there is no parking lot, no viewing platform, and no viewing sign. We have to find our own place and angle. Fortunately, the scenery is still impressive. Visited on July 6, 2022

The Erlangjian Scenic Area of Qinghai Lake is a scenic spot located within Qinghai Province, featuring grasslands, beaches, and animals as its main ecological and natural resources. The Erlangjian Scenic Area has established a bird-watching platform, deer-viewing garden, sea-viewing bridge, and sea-viewing pavilion as a combined viewing area, with the dock square 'Four Auspicious Beasts' sculpture as a combined leisure area. Located in the southeastern part of Qinghai Lake, and known as the 151 Base due to its 151km distance from Xining, the scenic area's main entrance is situated beside National Highway 109 and has now become one of the most important attractions of Qinghai Lake. Besides Bird Island, the 151 Base is a must-visit destination for tour groups. Erlangjian, with its winding geography extending into Qinghai Lake, its grasslands, beaches, and animals as the main ecological and natural resources, and its folk cultural activities, has become a dazzling pearl of the Qinghai Lake tourist area. Currently, Erlangjian has built a viewing area comprised of a bird-watching platform, deer-viewing garden, sea-viewing bridge, and sea-viewing pavilion, a leisure area with the dock square and 'Four Auspicious Beasts' sculpture, and a water entertainment area with activities such as water motorbikes and self-driving yachts.

Erlang Sword Scenic Area is located in the southeast of Qinghai Lake, extending into the lake for more than ten kilometers. It is a narrow and pointed peninsula, shaped like a sword, and is a dazzling pearl in the Qinghai Lake tourist area. The Erlang Sword Scenic Area covers an area of about 2.5 square kilometers, and the Tibetans call it 'Sea Tiger'. The scenic area has already built a viewing area composed of bird watching platforms, deer watching gardens, sea viewing bridges, and sea viewing pavilions, a leisure area composed of dock squares and auspicious four-rui sculptures, and a water entertainment area with water motorcycles and self-driving yachts as activities.

One must visit the great Northwest at least once in a lifetime! ⛰️ The Northwest Grand Loop —— “Qinghai Lake” It's only beautiful when the weather is good~ 🚗 Self-driving tour: Xining —— Qinghai Lake (213km requires 3 hours) The scenery along the way is beautiful, passing through vast grasslands that look good no matter how you photograph them The temperature difference between day and night is big! Be sure to prepare a windbreaker or thick coat, which can be worn when taking photos The ultraviolet radiation on the plateau is strong, pay attention to sun protection Qinghai Lake has been fenced off, mainly divided into three viewing areas: 📌 Erlang Sword Scenic Area 💰: 90r/person Mainly artificially developed attractions, a must-visit for tour groups, many places are fenced off, you can take a cruise 🛳️, this has been covered in a previous post 📌 Heima River: 💰20r/person Navigate to "Heima River Qinghai Lake", free admission! Take a 20r mini train inside and you'll see the stunning Qinghai Lake! Not many tourists, no railings here, and taking photos with yaks costs 20r Free parking 📌 Dawawu Ranch Internet-famous Sunrise Viewing Platform: 💰10r/person After visiting Heima River, navigate to "Dawawu Ranch", only 16km and a dozen minutes away. Once there, you'll see a free viewing platform! Continue driving forward, take a turn and on the left-hand side, you'll find the homes of the herdsmen, the photos of Qinghai Lake from the hillside are taken here~ Warm reminder: You can bring some cookies or bread to feed the birds here, they have migrated over 10,000 kilometers from Russia to this place, you can call them lovebirds, heads up for a bombshell!

In this remote plateau of the Northwest, there lies a dreamy expanse of azure, nestled quietly in the embrace of mountains, tempting every soul that yearns for the distance with its boundless vastness and pure hues. Qinghai Lake, the plateau lake known as 'a tear on the Earth,' awaits you and me to unveil its mysterious and enchanting veil. Scenic Area Introduction Qinghai Lake, China's largest saltwater lake, with its vast waters, magnificent sunrises and sunsets, rich ecological resources, and unique ethnic culture, has become a sacred destination in the hearts of countless travelers. Surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with grassy shores and herds of cattle and sheep, it is a paradise for photography enthusiasts and an excellent place for those seeking peace of mind. 🚉Travel Tips - **How to get there**: Departing from Xining, you can choose to drive yourself, hire a car, or take a long-distance bus to Qinghai Lake. Self-driving is the most flexible option, and the scenery along the way is also a great enjoyment. The distance from Xining to Qinghai Lake is about 150 kilometers, with a driving time of about 2.5 hours. - **Public Transportation**: There are several buses from Xining Railway Station to towns around Qinghai Lake (such as Gonghe County), after which you can transfer to local transport or take a taxi to the lakeside. 🎫Ticket Price and Opening Hours - **Erlang Sword Scenic Area**: The adult ticket is about 100 yuan, and the opening hours are usually from 7:00 to 18:30 in summer, with adjustments in winter. - **Bird Island**: Open seasonally, with spring being the best time to visit, and the ticket price is about 60 yuan. - **Opening Hours**: The opening hours of each scenic spot vary with the season, so it is recommended to check the latest information before traveling. Travel Route Planning - **Day 1**: Depart from Xining → Ta'er Monastery (experience Tibetan Buddhism culture) → Qinghai Lake Erlang Sword Scenic Area (lakeside stroll, experience the plateau lake scenery) → Heima River (overnight stay, prepare for sunrise viewing the next day). - **Day 2**: Sunrise at Heima River → Chaka Salt Lake (Mirror of the Sky, photography paradise) → Jinyintan (grassland cycling, experience the life of herders) → Return to Xining. - **Highlights**: The magnificent sunrise at Heima River, the mirror world of Chaka Salt Lake, and the lake and mountain views of Erlang Sword, each spot is a must-see scenery. 📸Essential Photo Spots 1. **Sunrise at Heima River**: The east side of Heima River is the best spot for photographing the sunrise over Qinghai Lake. 2. **Mirror of the Sky at Chaka Salt Lake**: The central area, in the early morning or evening, when the water surface is calm like a mirror. 3. **Lakeside of Erlang Sword**: The lakeside boardwalk, capturing the perfect combination of the lake surface and distant mountains. Must-Visit Attractions - **Erlang Sword Scenic Area**: Penetrating into the peninsula in the lake, you can get close to the lake water. - **Chaka Salt Lake**: Known as the 'Mirror of the Sky', wear bright clothes to capture your reflection. - **Bird Island**: An excellent spot for bird watching in spring, with thousands of migratory birds nesting and breeding here. 📝Tips: - **Prevention of altitude sickness**: Qinghai Lake is about 3200 meters above sea level, be aware of altitude sickness prevention, slow down your movements, and drink water moderately. - **Sun protection and warmth**: The plateau has strong ultraviolet rays and a large temperature difference between day and night, so be sure to bring enough sunscreen and warm clothing. - **Environmental awareness**: Do not litter, protect the fragile plateau ecological environment. - **Respect for customs**: When visiting religious places such as Ta'er Monastery, respect local religious and cultural customs and dress appropriately. The journey to Qinghai Lake is not only a visual feast but also a purification of the soul. As the sun sets and the lake surface ripples with golden waves, you will find that this place is more than just a lake; it is a poem interwoven with nature and culture, a haven for the soul to rest. Qinghai Lake is waiting for you to come and write your own highland story.