The capital of Qinghai province, Xining is a city you'll likely come through if traveling over land to Xinjiang or the TIbet Autonomous Region. An ancient highland city bordering the Yellow River, and once an important stop along the Silk Road, Xining's look and feel are influenced by its significant population of Hui people. Add to this a dash of Tibetan culture, hospitable locals and good food and you get a combination that wins Xining consistent praise among travelers. Travel through Xining comes highly recommended in the summer. Not only is it the best time to view attractions in the area, but the city's cool climate, one of the benefits of being situated at an altitude of 2,200 meters, offers a reprieve from the sticky heat that prevails in so many other big Chinese cities. Though many simply come through on their way to Kashgar, Lhasa and other well-known western Ch... more >>

A likeable town populated by generally friendly folk, Tongren (Repkong in Tibetan) is a little town with a big secret: It's the art capital of Tibetan world, with artisans so skillful that an entire school of Tibetan art was named after the city. One activity you might find taking a lot of your time will be browsing the excellent thangkas (sacred Buddhist paintings) produced by Tongren's artists.  A post-card-sized thangka costs about RMB 300, but if you look at the incredible detail, and acknowledge the fact that it represents a full month's work to complete, you'll see that it's a good deal. Becoming a thangka connoisseur is pretty easy, it's all about the detail. If you see a mind-boggling amount of detail work which includes lines the width of a single cat hair, you've got yourself an authentic masterpiece. Less detail and thicker brush strokes means that you'... more >>

Golmud (Gé'ěrmù, 格尔木), or Geermu in Tibetan, an industrial city whose existence spans just 50 years or so, is situated on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in northern Qinghai, not far from the Gobi Desert, the imposing Kunlun Mountains and one of China's largest salt lakes. Upon exiting the train station, you'll be treated to a landscape of endless desolation. Think Death Valley, but flat. The city itself, with its tree-lined streets isn't too bad, but there's not much to do. The city's 200,000 residents are there to cash in on jobs relating to the extraction, processing and transportion of the Qaidam Basin's massive oil, salt and mineral resources. Apart from an inexplicable desire to simulate tourism on the moon or oblivion, there are few reasons for travelers to stop here, save that it is the only overland route through which to enter Tibet via either ... more >>