Qinghai is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after 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.

Qinghai was only relatively recently made a province of China. A large part of the area, historically called Kokonor in English until the early 20th century, lies outside of China proper and has been an ethnic melting pot for centuries, mixing Tibetan, Han Chinese, Mongol, and Turkic influences. It was a battleground during the Tang and subsequent Chinese dynasties when they fought against successive Tibetan dynasties.

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 southwestern part.The average elevation of Qinghai is over 3000 meters above sea level. Mountain ranges include the Tanggula Mountains and Kunlun Mountains. Its average temperature is approximately -5 to 8C, with January temperatures ranging from -18.2 to -7C and July temperatures ranging from 5 to 21?C. It is also prone to heavy winds as well as sandstorms from February to April.

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.

Many tourist attractions center on Xining, the provincial seat of Qinghai.The city itself has such notable stops, including the Great Mosque of Xining and North Mountain Temple.The Mengda Botanical Reserve in Qinghai present a unique combination of plants and natural stone sculpture. A wide variety of trees, shrubs and flowers from native to sub-tropical blazes a rich exuberance of color. With its famed pond-Heavenly Lake, waterfalls and visible wildlife, it is an idea for rambling and camping.

Along the Yellow River down to the southeast of Qinghai, Tongren has been familiarized as the Home of Tibetan Culture and Art. "Regong Art", originated in this place, mainly reflect Tibetan Buddhist culture. This unique Tibetan culture legacy include painting, frescoes, thangkas, sculpture and architecture. Handing down from generation to generation, almost every man here inherits the occupation as an artisan. These are just a few of the diamond attractions of Qinghai Province, the Qutan monastery, Bichan Daoist Temple, Great Donguan Mosque, and other scenic spots and historical sites still await you to explore.