Qinghai Province, abbreviated as “Qing”, is a provincial-level administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. Located in western China, in the northeastern part of the Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, it governs 2 prefecture‑level cities and 6 autonomous prefectures, with Xining as its capital. Qinghai is home to ethnic groups including Han, Tibetan, Hui, and Mongolian; commonly used languages are Chinese, Tibetan, Mongolian, Salar, and others.
Qinghai Province lies at the junction of major geological tectonic units in western China. Its terrain is generally high in the west and low in the east, high in the north and south and low in the middle. The landforms are mainly plains and mountains, and the climate is a plateau continental climate. Qinghai Lake within its territory is one of the highest‑altitude lakes in the world and the largest plateau inland saltwater lake in China.
Ancient humans lived and multiplied in Qinghai tens of thousands of years ago. From the Shang Dynasty to the Zhou, Qin and Han dynasties, Qinghai was known as the “land of the Xirong, Di and Qiang peoples”. In the Han Dynasty, Emperor Wu established Linqiang County and Poqiang County in Qinghai. In the Tang Dynasty, Qinghai was under the jurisdiction of the Tubo Kingdom.
Qinghai is an important national ecological security barrier approved by the State Council and a key region for implementing the ecological protection and high‑quality development strategy of the Yellow River Basin. It is an important dairy production area in western China and one of China’s five major pastoral areas. It has been rated by UNESCO as “one of the world’s four pollution‑free ultra‑clean areas” and is known as the “Hometown of Tibetan Sheep in China” and “Capital of the World’s Yaks”.
Qinghai Province is one of the birthplaces and important sources of ancient Chinese civilization and Chinese civilization. The Silk Road, the Tang‑Tibet Ancient Road, and the Ancient Tea‑Horse Road run through Qinghai, forming a diverse culture dominated by Kunlun Culture and composed of various ethnic cultures. Qinghai has 6 items on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Its national 5A‑level tourist attractions include Qinghai Lake Scenic Area and Ta’er Monastery.
In 2023, Qinghai received 44.7635 million domestic and foreign tourists, including 20,461 inbound tourists. As of May 30, 2024, Qinghai had 4 national 5A‑level tourist attractions, 48 national 4A‑level attractions, 115 national 3A‑level attractions, and 21 national 2A‑level attractions.