Xining, the doorway
to the plateau

Every route across the plateau begins here. Xining is an easy city at 2,275 m, and half an hour outside it stands Kumbum, one of the six great monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism.

2,275 m altitudeArrival and acclimatisationMay–OctoberEnglish-speaking guide

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Xining is the capital of Qinghai and the natural first stop of the nine-day Grand Route: you land here, sleep at 2,275 m and let your body adjust before the road climbs. The city is small and calm by Chinese standards, with the Dongguan Great Mosque in the centre, and the plateau begins just beyond the last roundabout, where the concrete gives way to open grassland.

Kumbum (Ta'er Si) lies about 25 km outside the city, the birthplace of Tsongkhapa and one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school. It is famous for the three arts: butter sculptures, murals and appliqué, the embroidered thangkas known as barbola. The butter sculptures are shown in the first lunar month; out of season you see the halls and the murals instead. Day one is deliberately light, because the plateau rewards patience.

What to see

Kumbum Monastery (Ta'er Si)

One of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school and the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, about twenty-five kilometres from Xining.

The three arts of Kumbum

Butter sculptures, murals and appliqué embroidery. The butter sculptures are displayed during the first lunar month.

Dongguan Great Mosque

A rare mix of Chinese and Islamic architecture in the centre of town, with a peaceful courtyard and painted prayer halls.

First night at 2,275 m

The altitude here is modest but real. Sleep well, drink water and keep the first day light before the road climbs.

Qinghai lamb and noodles

Lamb, barley and yoghurt. Try the hand-pulled noodles and the thick yoghurt sold in the lanes near the mosque.

The old town and its markets

Small streets of food stalls and shops around the centre, where you meet everyday Qinghai life before the long drive west.

Arrival and the first day

Everything on this route depends on a calm first day. Xining is where the body meets altitude for the first time, so the plan is short walks, a good meal and an early night, with Kumbum filling the daylight hours and nothing strenuous afterwards.

Arrive, transfer and settle into the hotel near the centre.
Walk the old town and the Dongguan Great Mosque.
Visit Kumbum Monastery, late morning or early afternoon.
Eat early, drink water, sleep well.

Kumbum: what you actually see

Kumbum is a working monastery and one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school, so the visit is a walk through courtyards, assembly halls and painted galleries rather than a single monument. Between the halls are rows of prayer wheels and the smell of butter lamps. Guides explain the symbolism, which is most of the point.

Assembly halls with gilded roofs and painted entrances.
Butter sculptures, the most famous of the three arts.
Murals and the embroidered appliqué thangkas.
Rows of prayer wheels, walked clockwise.

Altitude and how to start

At 2,275 m most travellers feel nothing at all, but the route climbs to 3,194 m at Qinghai Lake and 3,170 m at Dachaidan. Starting gently in Xining is the cheapest insurance you can buy: you sleep low, adjust quietly and meet the higher passes already partly used to the thin air. The vehicle carries oxygen on board for the days that follow.

Practical tips:

Plan nothing strenuous for the first afternoon: this is your acclimatisation day.
Butter sculptures are shown only in the first lunar month; at other times the halls and murals are the draw.
Dress modestly at the monastery and always ask before photographing monks.
Keep a light jacket handy: mornings at 2,275 m are cool even in high summer.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to acclimatise in Xining?

Yes, gently. At 2,275 m most travellers feel fine, but the route climbs to 3,194 m at Qinghai Lake and 3,170 m at Dachaidan. A light first day makes the rest of the trip noticeably easier.

How far is Kumbum Monastery from Xining?

About 25 km, roughly forty minutes by road. Allow two to three hours on site, more if the butter sculptures are on display in the first lunar month.

Is Kumbum a Tibetan or a Chinese monastery?

It is Tibetan Buddhist, of the Gelug school, and one of its six great monasteries. The architecture mixes Tibetan and Chinese elements, which is part of what makes it unusual.