Xining

 city, capital city of state/province/region

Xining is the capital of Qinghai and the only major city in the province. Xining’s name is derived from Xipingting which means ‘hope of stability along western borders’. Located in the eastern part of Qinghai, on the edge of the Tibetan plateau at over 2,000 meters (6,560ft), Xining’s position on the crossroads of the route into Tibet and the central plains made it a strategically important city in ancient times. Today its location on the road to Tibet via Golmud means it is a stopping place for visitors on the way to Lhasa. While the city itself is fairly quiet, it is a good base from which to explore the little known sights of Qinghai such as its massive saltwater lake and the Tibetan monastery at Ta’er.