Xining Travel Guide

Basic information Telephone area code: 0512 Emergency phone: 110, 119, 120 Tourist Information Phone: 0512-65223131 Tourism Bureau Complaints Tel: 0512-65223377 Destination Overview   Destination sketch As the capital city of Qinghai Province, Xining is the provincial center of politics, economy, […]

Basic information

Telephone area code: 0512
Emergency phone: 110, 119, 120
Tourist Information Phone: 0512-65223131
Tourism Bureau Complaints Tel: 0512-65223377

Destination Overview

Destination sketch

As the capital city of Qinghai Province, Xining is the provincial center of politics, economy, culture, education, technology, transportation and commerce. Xining lies in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, and the upper reaches of Shuang Shui River. The average altitude of the urban area is 2275 meters.
The City of Xining acts as one of the major gateways to the Tibetan Plateau. It is an ancient highland city on the Yellow River which offers many scenic spots and historical sites. Although the city itself has a strong Islamic flavor, as it is home to many Hui people, you will start getting a more Tibetan feel as you move away from the city.

Local life

With a population of more than two million, Xining is the first city on the upper reaches of the Yellow River to achieve a population into the millions. There are about 37 nationalities living here, including Han, Hui, Tu and Tibetan. The local traditions and customs are influenced by these distinctive nationalities, in particular the Tibetan group.

Beliefs and taboos

The peoples living here all have their own religious beliefs and national customs.

Best Travel season

It is not very cold in winter and not very hot in summer, belonging to the typical continental climate with highland features. The average annual temperature is 7.7 degree Celsius, and the annual rainfall is 425 millimeter.

Intercity traffic

Aircraft

Xining Caojiabao Airport
Civil Aviation Building
The airport bus route is between the airport and the Civil Aviation Building. It runs every half an hour. Address: Bayi Road, Xining City
Tel: 0971-8189015

Train

Xining Railway Station
Train station information: 0971-7192222
Xining Railway Passenger Exchange: 0971-7191114
Train station ticket office: 0971-7192262
Qinghai Province Intermodal Company’s Joint Ticketing Office: 0971-6155203

Long distance bus

Xining Long-distance Bus Station
Address: No. 1, Jianguo Road, Xining City (to the front of the railway station square)
Phone: 0971-7112094

Xinning Road Passenger Station
Address: No. 19 Xinning Road, Xining City
Arrival method: take bus 9,12,18,25,31,82,106 etc.

Nanchuan West Road Passenger Station
Address: 49 Nanchuan Road, Xining City
Arrival method: You can take the bus of 7, 12, 20, 32, 33, 80 etc.
Tel: 0971-6253203

Xining Coach Station
Address: Jianguo Road North, about 600 meters south of the train station
Tel: 0971-8149506

Suburban County Urban Bus Station
Xiguan Avenue Zhifang Street is mainly a short-distance bus to Xining. Sending to various scenic spots inside and outside the province.

Traffic in the city

Bus

There are more than 20 public transportation vehicle lines in Xining City. There are many buses in Xining that are automatically coin operated. The fares are generally ranging from 5 cents, 1 yuan, and 2 yuan.

Taxi

The starting price of taxis is 6-8 yuan, generally 1.3 yuan per kilometer from 3 kilometers. Take a taxi in the evening to bargain, and within 5 yuan in the city, you can make a trip.

Attractions

Dongguan Mosque

Situated in Dongguan Street, Xining City, Dongguan Mosque is the biggest mosque in Qinghai Province. It was built in 1380, and now boasts a history of more than 600 years. The Mosque is not only famous for its magnificent architecture but also as a religious Education center and as the highest learning institution of Islam.
Covering an area of 11,940 square meters (about 3 acres), Dongguan Mosque is built on a grand scale. Its history combines both Chinese traditional architectural art and Islamic architectural features. When traveling here, the first thing you can see is the elegant arched door On which is is written ‘Dongguan Mosque’. On either side of the front door stands the Xuanli Lou (Xuanli Pavilion). The Xuanli Lou is special as the place where the Imams invite people to pray. It is 8 meters (some 26 feet) High, and consists of three floors which are hexagonal in shape.
Address: Dongguan East Gate Mosque
Arrival method: Take bus 1, 2, 14, 23, 25 and get off at East Point Gate.
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00
Tickets: 25 yuan

Beichan temple

Beichan Temple was an early Buddhist temple and it was renamed Taoism during the prevalence of Taoism. Beichan Temple is an earlier religious building built in Qinghai Province. It was originally built in the Northern Wei Dynasty and has a history of more than 1800 years. There are memories of algae patterns in the Wei and Jin Dynasties, Buddhist art murals, and various Buddha statues.
Address: Beishan Park, Xining City
Arrival method: Take the bus number 10, 19, 20, 80 and get off at Beishan Market.
Open time: 8:00-18:00
Tickets: Free

Qinghai Provincial Museum

Qinghai Provincial Museum is a national AAAA tourist attraction. Located in 58 Xiguan Street, Chengxi district in Xining City, the museum is a humanity scenic spot. Covering an area of ​​17,000 square meters with the construction area of ​​20,800 square meters, it is a magnificent Since the day of its establishment, Qinghai Provincial Museum has applied itself to the collection and research of the local relics of history, nationality, folkways and religion. At present, All kinds of cultural relics in Qinghai Provincial Museum have reached more than 47,000 pieces. The cultural relics reflect the general views of development in different historical period of Qinghai.
Address: 58 Xiguan Street
Arrival method: take bus 9,13,16,24,25,58,85,104 etc. under Xinning Plaza
Opening hours: Summer 9:00-16:30; Winter 9:30-16:00; Closed on Mondays
Tickets: Free
Tel: 0971-6118691

Taer Lamasery

Taer Lamasery (25 kilometers southwest of Xining) is one of the six largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries of the Yellow Hat Sect and one of the largest lamaseries outside Tibet. Covering over 100 acres, it contains 35 buildings and temples filled with Han and Tibetan art, butter sculptures, murals and appliques that are known as “the three wonders of the Taer.” One erotic sculpture shows a woman having sex with an ox.
Inside the monastery halls, monks beat on drums while chanting in shrieking voice in rooms filled with smoke from yak butter lamps and incense burners with cypress leaves. Stuffed yaks, goats and bears are placed around the temple and offerings are pinned to them. The huge kitchen smells like a tannery. Meals there are sometimes cooked in seven-foot vats capable cooking 13 yaks at one time.
Taer is located at the site of the former home of the founder of the Yellow Sect, Zong Kapa, who preached here 500 years ago before moving onto Ganden monastery near Lhasa. While in Lhasa, Zong’s mother wrote him and asked him to return, Zong wrote back he couldn’t make it. At that instance, the story goes, a pipal tree miraculously sprang up at his birthplace, the same way a Bodhi tree arose when Buddha received the enlightenment. The monastery was built around the pipal tree in 1560.
Taer Monastery is also known as Kumbum or Kumbun Monastery. Among the other miracles that have occurred there over the years have been the sudden appearance of trees at the Flower Temple and strange inscriptions that have been mysteriously carved into in their trunks. On display in one of the temples is the white horse that dropped dead after bearing the 9th Panchen Lama here in 1903.
The present Dalai-Lama was born in the hills nearby Taer and the 3rd Dalai Lama is buried in the monastery’s Nine-Roomed Hall. Before the period of Chinese repression, 3,600 monks lived here. During the Cultural Revolution there were virtually none. By the mid-1980s, the number of monks had increased to 500 again.
Taer Monastery is regarded as the most Beijing-friendly Tibetan monastery. It was recently restored as part of a four-year, $5 million project paid for by Beijing because the main lama who resided there was deemed to be cooperative (the lama ended up escaping to India and the California in 1998). Former President Jiang Zemin visited the monastery
Address: Southwest of Xining City, 25 km southwest of Lushaerl Town, Suizhong County
Arrival method: You can take a taxi that stops at the location of Xinmen South Gate Management Station. The cost is RMB 10 per person. There is also a bus that stops there. The fare is RMB 5.5/person, 20 minutes per classes; Xiao Ximen Bus Station next to the Xining Stadium, There is a bus to the Huangzhong town near the Kumbum Monastery. During the day, it is usually issued every 30 minutes, 5yuan.
Opening hours: 8:00-18:00
Tickets: 80 yuan

Itinerary

Xining city tour

Dongguan Mosque – Beichan Temple – Nanshan park – Hutai ruins – Provincial museum – Plateau Mingzhu tower

Food

Xining’s main minority groups provide a large portion of the food on offer. The Hui, a broad term for Chinese Muslims, serve up spicy noodles, lamb kababs and flatbread (bing). Tibetan food choices are concentrated around the train station, mostly small places the serve momos and noodles and seat guests on small coaches.

Accommodation

There are dozens of small guesthouses near the train and long distance bus station. Most places seem amiable to taking foreigners, and prices range from ¥10 in a grimy four-room bunk (expect the other occupants to smoke in the room all night long) to ¥100 for a deluxe double. More guesthouses can be found around the town’s West Gate, or Ximen.

Shopping

Shopping in Xining will add a unique experience to your trip. Although Qinghai Province is located in the far northwest of China, the shopping malls, wholesale markets and retail shops here offer both ordinary goods and unique local specialties of Qinghai and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Xining is the supply depot for visitors who are headed to the other destinations of Qinghai Province and Tibet, making it a great place to shop whether you plan to spend your time Xining or venture on to more remote areas.
Tibetan Knife, Yak Beef Jerky, medical herb, Handicrafts and Fabric