Qinghai Lake Loop: Blue and Gold on the Plateau

Qinghai Lake is China's largest inland lake and the closest blue to the sky. Five days and four nights of loop travel, from the rapeseed flowers by the lake to the "Sky Mirror" in Chaka, capturing the blue and gold of the plateau.

July is the best season for Qinghai Lake. The thousand-mu rapeseed flowers around the lake are in full bloom, with golden sea of flowers and the blue lake water meeting in a straight line, with the snow-capped Qilian Mountains as the backdrop. This collision of blue and gold is a unique visual feast on the plateau.

Rent a bicycle and start cycling around the lake. The road from Heima River to Bird Island is gentle, with lake water on the left and grassland on the right. The wind is strong, but every viewing platform with schools of Huang fish, distant migratory birds, and deserted lakeshores make the pedaling worthwhile.

Heading south to Chaka Salt Lake, known as the "Mirror of the Sky." On clear days without wind, the lake reflects the clouds and your figure, as if walking on clouds. Wearing brightly colored shoes and standing in shallow water, the photos taken blur the line between sky and earth.

Continuing westward over the Qilian Mountains, the prayer flags at the Dadongshu Mountain Pass flutter in the wind. On the other side of the mountain is Zhuo'er Mountain, where red Danxia flowers frame green meadows and white snow-capped peaks, earning it the nickname "Little Switzerland of the East."

The vastness of Qinghai Lake makes people rediscover what it means to be 'vast.' On the plateau at over 3,000 meters above sea level, the sky is low and the clouds thick, water and sky merge into one, and all worries are carried away by the wind. When leaving, you should carry a handful of lakeside stones in your pocket as a blue keepsake.