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Qinghai-Tibet Railway

Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the world's highest railway, extends 1956 kilometers from Xining to Lhasa. About 960 kilometers of the line is more that 4,000 meters above sea level and the highest point is 5,072 meters. The railway was commissioned on July 1 2006. The first three trains to run on the railway are trains from Beijing to Lhasa, Chengdu(Chongqing) to Lhasa and Xining-Lhasa.

The Qinghai-Tibet Railway began operation on 1 July. There are three trains that connect different parts of China to Lhasa ( Beijing to Lhasa, Chengdu(Chongqing) to Lhasa and Xing-Lhasa)
Trains Fares

Train Line	Distance(km)	Tickets Price(yuan)
		Hard Seat	Hard Sleeper	Solf Sleeper
Beijing West-Lhasa	4064	389	813	1262
Chengdu-Lhasa	3360	331	712	1104
Chongqing-Lhasa	3654	355	754	1168
Lanzhou-Lhasa	2188	242	552	854
Xining-Lhasa	1972	226	523	810

Sceneries along the way

Qinghai Lake

Qinghai Lake, China’s largest inland salt water lake is at 3200 meters above sea level and is situated at the east of Qinghai province, around 2.30 hours drive from Xining.

The lake occupies an area of 4456 square kilometers, having a perimeter of more than 360 kilometers and is more than twice the size of the famous Tai Lake in Wuxi in China’s Jiangsu Province. The ellipse-shaped lake looks like a huge poplar leaf sitting on the alpine prairie. Scenery in Qinghai lake varies according to seasons. Summer and autumn are the most comfortable weather conditions and the lake's scenery is most beautiful during these seasons. This is the best time to visit the lake.

The Bird Island

It is an interesting and charming place on the western shore of Qinghai Lake. The island is a paradise for varieties of birds. The protection policy of the local government makes island has created a haven for the birds. Each March and April when the ice covering the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau begins to melt, more than 20 kinds of migrating birds come to the island to breed. Flocks of birds cover the whole island and bird eggs can be found everywhere. Visitors can hear the birds songs from far away.

Chaerhan Salt Lake

The Chaka Salt Lakes (Chaka yanhu) were originally part of the ocean in primordial times and were formed during the intense crust activity that resulted in the formation of the largest plateau in the world, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. As the waters of this primordial soup receded, flowing into the nearby Indian and Pacific Oceans, depressions in the plateau retained water forming the region's famous lakes. There are a total of thirty lakes ranging from large to small. The largest named the Chaerhan Salt Lake (Chaerhan yanhu). The total surface area of the lake's are said to be around 105 square kilometers.

The highlight of the lakes are their reflective surfaces that mirror the passing clouds, the distant mountains and the nomad's tents and herds that can be found all around the area. Distinctive in this region is the salty smell that comes from anywhere near the lakes. The area is called a world of salt. Locals make a living from dredging the salt and from tourists related industry. For those into hiking, a walk along the Salt Bridge that crosses the lakes and running a total of 60km, is an interesting experience as is a look into the salt house that can be found beside the main lake. The lakes are probably best seen as a side trip for those after an extensive camping or hiking experience.

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