Background

The Qinghai Lake, in northeast Qinghai Province, is surrounded by the Datong, Sun and Moon, and South mountains. It formed during the middle of the Cenozoic Era, and was known as West Sea in the ancient times. Covering an area of 4,600 square kilometers, it is the largest saltwater lake in China, 3,200m high above sea level and 29m deep. The lake teems with Gymnocipris przewalskii. The vast grassland by the lake is good for grazing. Among the six isles in the lake, the Isle of Birds is a habitat of migratory birds. In warm springs, it becomes a "paradise" for over 100,000 birds, including barehead geese and great black-headed gulls. It is one of the nature reserves for birds in China.

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