Xining Travel Guide

Northwest halal food stronghold! Must-eat: hand-grabbed mutton (Yixin Mutton Hand-Grabbed Restaurant — featured on "A Bite of China"), Qinghai liangpi (yellow liangpi + chives, garlic, and vinegar), sheep intestine noodles (sheep intestines stuffed with meat filling, a bold Northwest way of eating), yak yogurt (super sour! eat with white sugar), kangguo mutton, tianpei (a sweet fermented drink made from highland barley, a summer heat-relief wonder), goujiaoniao (strange name but delicious — highland barley flour fried pancake). Spice level: not spicy.

D1: Kumbum Monastery (25km from the city center, half a day) + Dongguan Great Mosque + Mojia Street; D2: Qinghai Lake 1-day tour (Erlangjian Scenic Area / cycling along the East Ring Road / rapeseed flowers in July); 3 days: add Chaka Salt Lake (Mirror of the Sky) + Zhuo'er Mountain (Little Switzerland of the East). Budget: 1000-2000 yuan. Qinghai Lake is most beautiful during the rapeseed flower season in July. Xining is at an altitude of 2260m, so altitude sickness is generally not a concern.