Xining

Introduction

Downtown Xining

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Xining (西宁) is the capital and largest city of Qinghai province, located along the upper reaches of the Yellow River. The city was originally a trading center along the Silk Road and a meeting point between Tibetan, Central Asian and Chinese people. Today it is slowly turning into a new commercial center, as business in China slowly grows further west. Although many would say this town is boring and a little industrial there is a certain charm to Xining if you give it a chance. From nomadic Tibetans hanging out in shopping malls to the glory of Ma Bufang’s warlord palace there is plenty to see and experience.

Sights and Activities

• People watching is a great activity in this town, since countless minorities come to Xining to do there business and visit family. Another fun activity is “spot the temple,” which is a game played by walking around the back alleys and looking for small local Tibetan temples or Muslim mosques.
• Ta’er Si (塔尔寺) is a large temple located about an hour away from Xining and is an excellent day excursion. Ta’er Si is famous for being the first temple the 14th Dali Lama was housed in before being sent to Lhasa. To get there take a bus from the bus station, although the ways of getting there are constantly changing. One suggestion is to take a taxi there then take the public bus back. Just ask locals “Chezhi qu Xining?”
• Ma Bufang’s Palace is a glorious traditional Chinese home located just west of the bus station on Binhe lu, but this place is difficult to located so ask your hotel owner for directions. Ma Bufang was the last warlord of Qinghai and his power is well represented in his home. The palace has multiple courtyards meant for people from foreign dignitaries to his daughters. It is worth taking the time to explore all the rooms because very few traditional court yard homes are this well preserved and open for touring. In the third and fourth courtyards there are nice exhibits to the different minorities of Qinghai and the natural history of Qinghai. Next door is a traditional red hall that has been turned into a Muslim market.
• Qinghai Provincial Museum (青海省博物馆) is a large museum with a small collection with a heavy Tibetan focus. The strange part of the museum is that the first floor is empty. All the galleries are on the second floor, so don't be confused when you walk in. Just proceed to the second floor up the main stairs. The museum is located off of Xiguan Dajie.
• Qinghai Lake (青海湖) is a stunning lake that is about a two hour drive from town. The lake is the main attraction of Qinghai province and is a bit far for a day trip. For more information read the Qinghai Lake article.

Events and Festivals

Qinghai Lake Bike Race starts and ends in Xining every July. Professional road cyclists brave the high altitude in order to gain fame.

Getting There

By Plane

The airport is around 27 kilometres outside of town and has flights to most major airports in China. A CAAC bus meets every flight.

By Bus

The main bus station is located on Jianguo Lu just south of the Yellow River. This bus station serves all the cities in Qinghai and several cities in Gansu. There are also several trains a day to Lhasa, depending on the time of the year.

By Train

The train station is located north of the Yellow River at the termination of Jianguo Lu. There are trains to every major city in China and a few cities in Qinghai.

Getting Around

Xining is located on the Yellow River in a valley. Most of the city is on the south side of the bank. The city centre is located in the western part of the city and is easy to walk around.

By Public Transport

Taxis are all over town and start at 6 rmb.

Sleep

Budget

Keep Connected

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

China Post (中国邮政) is the official postal service of the People's Republic of China, operated by the State Postal Bureau of the People's Republic of China (website in Chinese only), and has more details about price to send letters, postcards and parcels, both domestically as well as internationally. The Chinese postal service is very good. Remember that in more remote places usually only one post office in a city can handle sending international boxes or letters. Also many times it might be worth having the name of the country you are trying to send to in Chinese characters. Post offices have a striking green logo and can easily be found everywhere in the cities. They are mostly open every day (including weekends!) from 8:00am to 6:00pm, though small offices might have shorter opening times, while the bigger ones in central and touristic areas are sometimes open during evenings as well.