Many people who have been to Northwest China's Qinghai Province regard the place as nothing more than a doorway and a passage, either to run to Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region to "kill films" or to hurry to Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to enjoy the Uygur songs and dances, hardly realizing that Qinghai boasts not only majestic natural beauty, but also special ethnic flavors.

The province's eastern and middle parts are located at the transitional zone of China's highest and second highest land, namely, the Qinghai-Tibet and Loess plateaus. The landforms and topographies are rich and varied, with most places situated at heights above 2,000 meters, but below 4,000 meters. With Qinghai having less altitude reaction as well as less heat than Tibet, it is much easier to visit.

The Qaidam Basin and its surrounding areas boast even more varied topographies, with the Gobi Desert and other deserts, naked hills, canyons carved by glaciers, and Yadan topography sculpted by wind and rain, as well as bluish green lakes, perilous peaks densely spotted by ancient cypresses, snow-capped mountains in all seasons, colorful valleys formed in the Cretaceous period, and the snow-like salt lake. In the area that nurtured the Huanghe, Yangtze, and Lancang rivers, there are many tall mountains higher than 4,500 m eters. The river valley zones between the mountains are the large-scale grasslands. 

The time between June and October is the most glamorous season for Qinghai. Late June is the time when golden rape plants are in full blossom; late August is rather delightful when all the trees are touched with gold; and by October, the forests are even more colorful with all the red leaves covered by frost.

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