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'' (; Postal map spelling: ''Tsinghai''; ; Mongolian: ''Köke Naγur''; Manchu: ''Huhu Noor'') is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after the enormous Qinghai Lake. It borders Gansu on the northeast, the Xinjiang Autonomous Region on the northwest, Sichuan on the southeast, and Tibet Autonomous Region on the southwest.

Contents

History

Geography

Administrative divisions

Economy

Demographics

Culture

Transportation

Tourism

External links

See also

History

Qinghai is a relatively recent province of the People's Republic of China, colloquially known as "China". It was an ethnic melting pot for a long time, mixing Han (Chinese), Mongolian, Tibetan, and Turkic influences. It was a battleground during the Tang and the subsequent Chinese dynasties when they fought against successive Tibetan dynasties. (http://cc.purdue.edu/~wtv/tibet/history4.html.)
In 1928, it became a province of the then Republic of China. Subsequently it became the primary base for warlord Ma Bufang, before it became a province under the People's Republic in 1949.

Geography

Qinghai is located on the northeastern part of the Tibetan Plateau. The Yellow River (Huang He) originates in the middle of the province, while the Yangtze and Mekong have their sources in the southern part.
The average elevation of Qinghai is about 3000 metres above sea level. Mountain ranges include the Tangula Mountains and Kunlun Mountains.
Its average temperature is approximately -5 to 8°C, with January temperatures ranging from -18.2 to -7°C and July temperatures ranging from 5 to 21°C. It is also prone to heavy winds as well as sandstorms from February to April.
Qinghai Lake (Koko Nor) is the largest lake in the People's Republic of China.

Administrative divisions

Qinghai is divided into one prefecture-level city (Xining), one prefecture (Haidong Prefecture), and six autonomous prefectures: Haibei, Hainan, Huangnan, Golog, Gyêgu, and Haixi. All of these are in turn divided into four districts, two county-level cities, thirty counties, and seven autonomous counties.
See 'List of administrative divisions of Qinghai' for a complete list of county-level divisions.

Economy

Qinghai's economy is amongst the smallest in all of China. Its nominal GDP for 2004 was just 46.57 billion RMB (5.78 billion USD) and contributes to a little over 0.3% of the entire country's economy. Per capita GDP was 7310 RMB (882 USD).
Its heavy industry includes iron and steel productions, located near its capital city of Xining. Oil and natural gas from the Chaidamu Basin have also been an important contributor to the economy.

Demographics

The population of Qinghai is approximately 5.2 million, among which the Han account for 54.5%. Other groups include the Tibetans 20.87%, Tu, Hui, Salar, and Mongols.

Culture

Qinghai's culture is heavily influenced by China and Tibet, given the close proximities as well as a shared history. http://cc.purdue.edu/~wtv/tibet/history4.html Qinghai was also vital to such European eras as the Reformation, and the Renaissance as numerous Chinese inventions like the Compass and the printing press all flowed through the Silk Road, which was vital to the economy.

Transportation

The Lanqing Railway, running between Lanzhou, Gansu and Xining, the province's capital, was completed in 1959 and is the major transportation route in and out of the province. A continuation of the line, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway through Golmud, has become one of the most ambitious projects in PRC history. It was completed in October 2005 and now links Tibet with the rest of China through Qinghai.
Six National Highways run through the province. Xining Caojiabu Airport provides service to Beijing, Lanzhou, Golmud and Delingha.

Tourism

Many tourist attractions center on Xining, the provincial seat of Qinghai.
The city itself has such notable stops, including the 'Great Mosque' of Xining (qīngzhēn dà sì) and 'North Mountain Temple' (bĕishān sì).
Outside Xining lie two notable attractions:

★ The Kumbum Monastery (Tibetan: sKu 'bum dKon pa)(tă'ĕr sì), one of the most important Yellow Hat Sect monasteries, lies 30 km outside Xining. It also features the Hall of Yak Butter Sculptures.

★ Qinghai Lake (qīnghăi hú) is another tourist attraction, albeit further from Xining than Kumbum. The lake is the largest saltwater lake in China, and is also located on the "Roof of the World," the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The lake itself lies at 3,600m elevation. The surrounding area is made up of rolling grasslands and populated by ethnic Tibetans. Most pre-arranged tours stop at Bird Island (niăo dăo). An international bicycle race takes place annually from Xining to Qinghai Lake.

External links

★ Large map of Qinghai

See also

★ Geladandong