Qinghai Province is located in western China, bordering Gansu to the east, Tibet to the south, Xinjiang to the west, and Inner Mongolia to the north. It is about 1,200 miles from Beijing. The provincial capital, 西宁, is the political, economic and cultural center of Qinghai. Qinghai has a long history and is an important part of the ancient Silk Road and a meeting point for multi-ethnic cultures. The population is about 5.9 million and the annual GDP is about US$40 billion. The five major cities in the province include Xining西宁, Haidong海东, Haixi海西, Hainan海南 and Huangnan黄南. Qinghai’s main industries include animal husbandry, new energy, salt lake resources and tourism. Its unique natural scenery and ethnic culture make tourism an important economic pillar. Top 10 tourist attractions in Qinghai: Qinghai Lake青海湖, Chaka Salt Lake茶卡盐湖, Kumbum Monastery塔尔寺, Sanjiangyuan National Park三江源国家公园, Hoh Xil可可西里, Yellow River Source黄河源, Qilian Mountain祁连山, Golmud Kunlun Mountain Pass格尔木昆仑山口, Ashgong Thousand Buddha Cliffs阿什贡千佛崖, and Guide National Geopark贵德国家地质公园.
