Qinghai Lake is historically known as Koko Nor and this is a Mongolian word for blue or teal sea given by the numerous Mongolians that used to live in this area. This massive alkaline salt lake, located in the northeast of the Tibetan Plateau in Gangcha County, Qinghai Province, is frequently ranked first on lists of the “Most Beautiful Lakes in China.”
Qinghai Lake is fed by twenty-three rivers and streams, the majority of which are seasonal. Eighty percent of the total influx here is provided by five permanent channels. For Tibetans and Tibetan Buddhists, four sacred lakes exist across the plateau: Lake Manasarovar, Yamdrok Lake, Namtso Lake, and Qinghai Lake (the first three are all located in Tibet). According to Tibetan beliefs, pilgrims should make a pilgrimage around the 360km perimeter of the lake to achieve better karma. Especially holy years where more merit is achieved are in the Year of the Goat, the Year of the Horse, and in the Year of the Monkey. Some Buddhist monks even recommend this pilgrimage as a way into a better reincarnation or a way to heal sick family members.
Qinghai Lake has an incredible variety of landscapes, including wetlands, grasslands, snow-capped mountains, and sand dune deserts! The wetlands around Qinghai Lake are the world’s seventh largest and this area was designated an internationally important wetland in 1992 and is a UNESCO world heritage site.
This area is a natural reserve and habitat for native birds as well as a migratory bird haven. Every year in late October, Qinghai Lake experiences a peak in migratory bird activity, with over 100,000 migratory birds congregating there. Bird species include bar-headed geese, ruddy shell ducks, brown headed gulls, Pallas's gulls, great cormorants, and the Tibetan Rose finch.
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