Qinghai Lake is the largest inland saltwater lake in China. From ancient times to the present, people have longed for its vastness, magic, and broadness, and have been amazed by its majesty and beauty. They have praised it as a bright pearl on the Qinghai Plateau.
Qinghai Lake was called "West Sea" in ancient times, also known as "Fresh Water" or "Fresh Sea". It is called "Kukunuoer" in Mongolian and "Cuowenbo" in Tibetan, which means "blue sea" and "blue ocean". Since the area around Qinghai Lake previously belonged to Beiheqiang pastureland, it was also called "Beiheqiang Sea". Some people in the Han Dynasty also called it "Xianhai". It was only from the Northern Wei Dynasty that the name was changed to "Qinghai". Qinghai Lake is located in the northeastern part of the plateau. The lake is surrounded by towering mountains. To the north is the majestic Datong Mountain, to the east is the majestic Riyue Mountain, to the south is the rolling Qinghai Nanshan Mountain, and to the west is the towering Rubber Mountain. It is about 200 kilometers away from Xining and has an altitude of 3,200 meters. With a circumference of 360 kilometers and an area of ??4,583 square kilometers, it is the largest saltwater lake in my country. There are nearly 30 large and small rivers in the lake area. There are two sub-lakes on the east coast of the lake, one is Gahai, covering an area of ??more than 10 square kilometers, and is salt water; the other is Erhai, covering an area of ??4 square kilometers, and is fresh water. Looking from the bank of Qinghai Lake, you can see green distant mountains surrounding it; The clear lake water has sparkling waves; the green grassy beach has flocks of sheep like clouds. On the endless lake, blue waves stretch to the sky, snow-capped mountains are reflected, fish are jumping for joy, and thousands of birds are soaring. Qinghai Lake is surrounded by vast grasslands. The lakeside terrain is open and flat, with sufficient water resources and a relatively mild climate. It is a natural pasture with abundant water and grass. In summer and autumn, the prairie is covered with green fungi. Golden rapeseed is fragrant in the wind; herdsmen’s tents are dotted here and there; herds of cattle and sheep are fluttering like clouds. The charming scenery of sunrise and sunset is full of poetry and painting, making people relaxed and happy.
The most attractive wonder of Qinghai Lake is the famous Bird Island at home and abroad. It is located in the northwest of the lake, covering an area of ??only 0.8 square kilometers. May and June every year are the best times to visit the bird kingdom. More than 10 kinds of migratory birds from southern my country and Southeast Asia, including bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, fish gulls, ruddy shelducks, cormorants and black-necked cranes, return to their hometowns in groups after spring to build nests, lay eggs and hatch their young. The number of broods that inhabit this small island can reach up to 100,000 or more. When you step onto Bird Island, you will be dazzled by the sight of birds flying, soaring in the blue sky, swimming in the blue waves, or perching on the beach. It is bustling and lively. The birds chirped gracefully and melodiously, as if they had entered the vast world of music. There are all kinds of bird's nests and colorful eggs all over the island, and there is almost no place for tourists to visit. If the birds that are united sincerely encounter a "natural enemy", they will swarm and launch a fierce attack on the intruder.
Haixin Mountain is another scenic spot in Qinghai Lake. It is located in the south of the center of Qinghai Lake, 2.3 kilometers long, about 800 meters wide, and 7.8 meters above the lake level. It has been famous for producing "dragon colts" since ancient times. Haixinshan has an elegant environment. The green grass is like fungus, the light clouds are thin, the fresh water is clear spring, and the scenery is pleasant. The white pagoda of the ancient temple on the mountain is hidden among them. It's like stepping into a fairyland. Climbing to the top of Haixin Mountain overlooks the entire Qinghai Lake. The magnificent scenery of vast sea and sky, connected sky and water, and flying gulls and leaping fish allows visitors to enjoy the natural landscape, cultivate their sentiments, and express their minds.
Qinghai Lake is a magical tourist destination and a huge treasure lake that has attracted the attention of scientists around the world. The government has conducted multiple comprehensive inspections of Qinghai Lake and found that Qinghai Lake is rich in mineral resources. The lake is rich in Huang fish and is the largest natural fish bank in northwest my country. In April and May, fish swim to nearby rivers to spawn. Dense schools of fish cover the water at the mouth of the Buha River, making the lake appear yellow. The fish swim loudly, flip and jump, which is extremely spectacular.
The Han, Tibetan, Mongolian and other ethnic groups living here live in harmony and work together to protect, develop and build this vast treasure lake. The beautiful scenery of Qinghai Lake attracts thousands of tourists and has become a tourist attraction gathered by domestic and foreign tourists. In order to develop the emerging plateau tourism industry, the Qinghai Tourism Department established a tourist spot in Qinghai Lake. Visitors here can not only enjoy the scenery of the plateau pastoral areas, but also ride horses and yaks, roam the grasslands, climb sand dunes, or visit herdsmen’s homes to appreciate the customs of Tibetan herdsmen. The ranch also sets up various tents specifically for tourists, and provides milk tea, butter, fried noodles and highland barley wine for tourists to taste.
Grand View of Bird Island in Qinghai Lake
In the beautiful Qinghai Lake, there is a Bird Island Nature Reserve famous at home and abroad, where bar-headed geese, brown-headed gulls, There are nearly twenty species of raptors such as fish gulls, cormorants, terns, black-necked cranes, swans, red shelducks, and jade-belted golden eagles, climbing birds such as hoopoe, and various small songbirds such as lark and skylark. According to estimates by bird experts, the total number of birds here is more than 100,000; among them, Bird Island (Xiaoxi Mountain) and Sanchaishi (Gucha Mountain) are the most famous because they gather here the largest number of birds in the reserve. More than seventy percent. If you are lucky enough to go sightseeing, it will be an eye-opener for you.
Far away from the Bird Island, you can hear the birdsong with different tones, chirping, chirping, and responding to each other. The chirping is noisy and lively.
It is even more interesting to look at their life scenes from a closer look: some are soaring in the wind and dancing gracefully; some are concentrating on hatching their nests, and the male and female are guarding; some are cruising on the lake, chasing and playing; and some are on the grass. While walking, the female bird leads the way and the male bird follows behind. Occasionally, if a disobedient chick leaves the group, the big bird will catch up and peck it as a sign of reprimand. It is like a small family scene.
If it is the hatching season of birds and you can see another spectacular scenery, you'd better not get too close to disturb them. Just use a telescope within one or two hundred meters. If you look outside, you can see the following shots: Bird Island was originally only 0.27 square kilometers and shaped like a tadpole. On the Tadpole Head Highlands, which protrudes about ten meters from the sea, this small area is covered with tens of thousands of bird nests. The density and number are so high that it is difficult to describe them in words. Birds breed and live in an environment with luxuriant water and grass, sufficient food, sunny and dry conditions, and few natural enemies. No wonder people call Qinghai Lake Bird Island a "bird's paradise."
The bird islands in the Qinghai Lake area where birds intensively inhabit and breed include Bird Island, Haixin Mountain, Gucha Mountain (Three Stones), Haixi Mountain, Shadao, Bird Island to Quanwan and Naga Then there are tidal flats and swamps along the lake. At the same time, it is also a scenic spot for viewing.
Bird Island, also known as Xiaoxishan or Egg Island (named because of the eggs everywhere), is located 4 kilometers north of the mouth of the Buha River. The east end of the island is large and the west end is narrow and long, shaped like a tadpole. The total length is 1500 meters. After 1978, the lake bottom on the north, west and south sides was exposed and merged with the land. The slope of Bird Island is gentle, and the surface is covered with sand and rocks. The main plants include white pigweed, wheatgrass, Echinacea falciparum, Siberian Polygonum, mugwort, bluegrass, etc. There are several springs on the southwest side of the island.
Bird Island Nature Reserve is a window for Qinghai Province to open to the outside world, and it is also an important place for experts and scholars to study and inspect plateau birds. From March to April every year, migratory birds such as geese, ducks, cranes, and gulls migrating from the south arrive at Qinghai Lake one after another and begin to choose places to build their nests; from May to June, bird eggs are everywhere, and then the young birds flock into groups, which is very lively and numerous. From inside and outside, the chirping of birds can be heard; from July to August, the autumn air is crisp, and birds soar in the blue sky or swim on the lake; they begin to migrate southward at the end of September.
Haixin Mountain is located slightly south of the center of Qinghai Lake, about 25 kilometers away from Bird Island. It is a long island, wide in the middle and narrow at both ends. The rocks on the southern edge are exposed to form steep cliffs, east, west and north. There are gentle shoals on three sides, and most of the island is covered with sand. There are ice grass, splendens splendens, Echinacea falciparum, wormwood, goldenrod, Siberian polygonatum, etc. The vegetation coverage is more than 50%, and birds are concentrated on the island. They inhabit cliff edges and gravel beaches.
Gucha Mountain, also known as Three Stones, is located in the southwest of Qinghai Lake, 8 kilometers from the lake to the south and 20 kilometers from Bird Island in the northwest. The three rocks are composed of reefs, gravel beaches and sand ridges. They are about 700 meters long from east to west and about 150 meters wide from north to south. The southern slope of the reef is gentle, while the northern slope is steep. Vegetation on the island is sparse, with only gray cabbage, wormwood, etc. growing in the gaps between gravels, with a coverage of less than 5%. This is one of the islands with the largest number of birds in Qinghai Lake.
Haixi Mountain, also known as Haixipi, is located about 6 kilometers north of the Buha River estuary. It is at the top of the Buha River alluvial flats with Egg Island. The two islands are about 2 kilometers apart from the north to the south. On the northeastern edge of the island, there is a new cliff close to the lake. Outside the cliff, there is an approximately circular rock standing in the lake, more than 30 meters away from the lake, which is a breeding place for cormorants. The plants growing on the island mainly include splendens splendens, wild onion, wheatgrass, bluegrass, etc., with a coverage of more than 90%.
Sand Island is located in the northeast of Qinghai Lake and within Haiyan County. It was once the largest island in the lake and has now become a peninsula. Its surface is covered with gravel and there is basically no vegetation. It is the habitat and breeding place of fish gulls. land.
Quanwan, Nagaze tidal flat swamp, is located in the southwest of Qinghai Lake. It mainly grows hygrophytes such as carex, flat spike grass, and fig leaf algae. There are many springs here forming swamps and wetlands. They are not frozen in winter and are not easy for people and animals to enter. There are abundant aquatic plants and plankton within 6-8 kilometers near the lake shore. It is the living area of ??Qinghai Lake naked carp larvae, and it is also the brooding area and habitat of many migratory birds and traveling birds. Rare birds such as whooper swans and black-necked cranes live here.
In addition to the main habitats of the above birds, there are also the Yilangjian and Erlangjian on the south bank of the lake, the Shaliu River, Quanji River, and the Hargai River estuary area on the north bank of the lake, and the middle and lower reaches of the Buha River and its tidal flats. It is also an area for birds to roost and feed.
There are 163 species of birds in Qinghai Lake, belonging to 14 orders and 35 families, with a total number of more than 100,000. Large populations include: bar-headed geese, crested pochards, ruddy shelducks, common mergansers, magpie ducks, white-eyed ducks, spot-billed ducks, pintail ducks and whooper swans of the family Anseriformes; Brown-headed gulls and fish gulls; Demoiselle cranes, gray cranes, and black-necked cranes of the family Craniformes; cormorants of the family Cormorantidae of the order Peliciformes, etc. The most abundant ones are brown-headed gulls, fish gulls, and crested pochards and cormorants, both numbering in the tens of thousands.