Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Qinghai Lake, China’s largest inland saltwater lake, lies in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau at an altitude of around 3,200 metres above sea level.
Tibetans call it Tso Ngonpo, meaning “Blue Lake”.
The area combines high-altitude landscapes, internationally important bird nesting grounds, rare endemic species and an ecosystem that is gradually recovering amid climate change and conservation efforts.
A Lake in the Heart of a Highland Basin
Qinghai Lake is located in Qinghai Province, between Gangcha, Gonghe and Haiyan counties. Geographically, it lies approximately between 36°33′ and 37°14′ north latitude and 99°37′ and 100°44′ east longitude. Its surface is between 3,193 and 3,196 metres above sea level.
The lake’s dimensions change from year to year, and estimates vary depending on the measurement method. Its area ranges from 4,165 to 4,597 square kilometres; one estimate put it at approximately 4,572.7 square kilometres in 2022. Qinghai Lake stretches 101–105 kilometres in length and 63–76 kilometres in width.
Its average depth is around 21 metres, with a maximum of approximately 25.5 metres. Depending on the dataset and period covered, its water volume is estimated at between 71.6 billion and 105 billion cubic metres.
The lake’s basin covers approximately 29,661 square kilometres and includes Gangcha, Tianjun, Gonghe and Haiyan counties. This cold, semi-arid basin lies at the intersection of three natural zones: the eastern monsoon region, the arid northwest and the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau.
Saltwater Without an Outlet to the Sea
Qinghai is an endorheic lake, meaning that water does not flow out of it. As a result, salts and minerals accumulate over time. The lake is replenished by direct precipitation and runoff from more than 50 intermittent rivers.
The Buha River is its main tributary.
The water is alkaline and saline. According to a recent hydrochemical study, its pH is approximately 9.08, while average mineralisation is around 12,024 milligrams per litre. Sodium, magnesium and chlorides are the predominant chemical components.
The Highland Climate
The climate around the lake is harsh, typical of a high plateau. Average annual temperatures range from approximately minus 0.9 to plus 1.4 degrees Celsius, while annual precipitation varies from 260 to 572 millimetres depending on the location and observation period.
Winters are long, with an ice cover that typically lasts four to five months. In summer, daytime temperatures along the shores rise to 15–25 degrees Celsius, making June, July and August the most comfortable months to visit.
A Lake That Shrunk and Then Rose Again
Qinghai Lake is a clear indicator of climate fluctuations on the plateau. From 1958 to 2004, its water level fell by approximately 0.08 metres per year. Between 2004 and 2018, it rose by around 0.16 metres annually.
The earlier decline was attributed to dry conditions and high evaporation. Between 1959 and 2000, the lake received an average of about 357 millimetres of precipitation annually, while evaporation reached approximately 924 millimetres.
Human water consumption accounted for only around 1% of water losses through evaporation. Researchers therefore consider climate, rather than local water withdrawals, the main cause of the falling water level.
Since the mid-2000s, increased precipitation and reduced evaporation have contributed to the lake’s recovery. According to one study based on satellite observations, Qinghai Lake’s area increased by an average of 2.89 square kilometres per year between 1986 and 2022.
Bird Island and Asia’s Migration Routes
The lake’s wetlands are an important hub for two bird migration routes: the Central Asian–Indian Flyway and the East Asian–Australasian Flyway. The wetlands around Bird Island are particularly significant, providing nesting grounds for colonial waterbirds, including bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, Pallas’s gulls and cormorants.
The Qinghai Lake National Nature Reserve developed from the Bird Island Nature Reserve, established in 1975 and elevated to a higher status in 1997. Today, it encompasses the lake itself and key habitats of Przewalski’s gazelle.
Przewalski’s Naked Carp: Saving a Key Species
One of the lake ecosystem’s key species is Przewalski’s naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii), known locally as huangyu. The fish is endemic to Qinghai Lake and migrates upstream into freshwater rivers to spawn each year from June to August.
Overfishing, the drying up of tributaries and the loss of spawning grounds caused a sharp decline in its population.
Available data indicate that fish stocks fell from approximately 320,000 tonnes before 1950 to around 3,000 tonnes by the end of the 20th century. A fishing moratorium, artificial breeding and the release of young fish, together with the construction of fish passages, have helped the population recover substantially. Recent reports put stocks at approximately 133,000 tonnes.
Przewalski’s Gazelle: From 300 to 3,000
Przewalski’s gazelle is found only on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau and remains endangered despite improvements in its population. In the 1990s, its numbers around the lake fell to just over 300. The population now exceeds 3,400.
The species continues to face threats from limited suitable habitat, settlement expansion, livestock grazing and conflicts between people and wildlife. Conservation plans increasingly emphasise the involvement of local communities alongside habitat protection.
A Sacred Lake for Tibetans
Qinghai Lake holds sacred significance for Tibetan communities. Its surroundings include grasslands, sand dunes, snow-covered mountains, monasteries and settlements where traditional pastoralism continues.
The combination of natural and cultural landscapes makes the area one of the most recognisable parts of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Travellers often combine a visit to the lake with trips to Xining, Ta’er Monastery, Chaka Salt Lake, the western road around Qinghai Lake and the Jinyintan grasslands.
Rapeseed Fields, Cycling Races and Winter Ice
July and August are considered the most scenic months, when yellow rapeseed fields bloom along parts of the shoreline against the lake’s deep blue waters. From June to August, visitors can enjoy relatively mild weather, green grasslands and flowering rapeseed.
April to June is generally more suitable for birdwatching, as migratory and nesting species are present at the lake. Access conditions can vary, however, and some parts of Bird Island are closed for conservation purposes.
The lake is also known for the Tour of Qinghai Lake, an international road cycling race usually held in late July. In winter, the frozen lake becomes a stark high-altitude landscape, although travel is more difficult during this period.
What Travellers Should Know
Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, is the usual starting point for trips to the lake. The most reliable visiting period is considered to be from late June to early September, when access, vegetation and weather conditions are generally favourable.
As the lake lies above 3,100 metres, travellers are advised to allow time to acclimatise, protect themselves from the sun, bring warm clothing even in summer and avoid strenuous physical activity on the first day. Strong sunlight, dry air and rapidly changing weather make preparation particularly important.
The beauty of the Blue Lake depends on a fragile balance: the water cycle of its closed basin, the spawning migrations of its endemic fish, bird nesting grounds and the survival of one of the rarest mammals on the Tibetan Plateau.
