Xining overview 西宁

About Xining

Dongguan Mosque and the surrounding streets show one part of the city’s religious and commercial life, while the provincial museum places the region in historical context. Ta’er Temple is a separate excursion to Lushar, outside the central city. Give these places time rather than treating Xining only as an airport transfer.

A county called Linqiang was established under the Han dynasty to control local Qiang tribes, and the site remained a frontier county under the Sui and Tang. Tibetan forces overran it in 763, when it was known as Qingtang Cheng (青唐城); the Song dynasty recovered it in 1104 and renamed it Xining, meaning 'peace in the west,' which has remained the seat of a prefecture since. Finds at the Zhujiazhai (朱家寨), Shenna (沈那) and Xixingyuan (西杏园) sites show people were living in the area some four to five thousand years earlier. An earthquake of magnitude 7.6 struck the city on 22 May 1927, one of China's deadliest, killing more than 40,000 people.

Xining sits in the middle Huangshui valley on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau, framed by the Daban Mountains (达坂山) to the north, the Laji Mountains (拉脊山) to the south and Riyue Mountain (日月山) to the west, with hills on every side; the Nanchuan (南川河) and Beichuan (北川河) rivers join the Huangshui within the city. Lying on the ancient Silk Road and Tang-Tibet route, it was traditionally called the 'lock of the western sea and throat of the sea-Tibet route' (西海锁钥、海藏咽喉), and covers a total area of 7,607 square kilometres.

What to look for

• Dongguan’s mosque and streets connect worship with daily commerce.
• The provincial museum introduces archaeology and regional history.
• Ta’er Temple provides a separate monastic visit beyond the centre.

Location & getting there

Getting to Xining

Xining railway station serves the city’s rail connections, while Caojiabao Airport lies east of the urban centre in Haidong. Choose a city hotel or specific attraction for the onward transfer rather than treating the airport as central Xining.