Qinghai Explorer

Very much part of Tibet—though split off into a separate province by the Chinese— Qinghai is, of all the places in the world that make the claim, worthy of the title “Roof of the World.” Its landscapes are breathtakingly high, barren, and infinite, and its resilient Tibetan culture is inspiring. Our eight-day exploration of this unordinary place begins in Xining (easily accessible from any number of Chinese cities, making it a fine add-on to a trip to Tibet proper). Then we head south, altitudinously, to the “national-level” historical and cultural city of Tongren and its nicely preserved Longwu Temple, a showcase of traditional Tibetan religious art.

Then to the Kumbum, a storied monastery hallowed by the nearby birthplaces of the founder of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, Tsongkapa, and the 14th Dalai Lama, head of that school and the whole of Vajrayana, or Tibetan, Buddhism. We return to Xining via the vast, bird-thronged Qinghai Lake, set in a depression at a mere 10,712 feet above the distant sea.

Day 1: arrive in Xining • Day 2: Xining to Tongren via Dangcai and Xuanhuan • Days 3 & 4: Tongren • Day 5: Tongren to Nanzhong Valley • Day 6: Nanzhong Valley to Kumbum • Day 7: Kumbum to Xining via Qinghai Lake • Day 8: depart Xining.

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