Xining is the diverse and surprising capital of the Qinghai Province, and sits on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. This ancient highland city acts as a gateway into Tibet and was a commercial hub on the ancient ''Silk Road''. Xining has been welcoming people from a myriad of cultures for centuries. It now welcomes visitors from all over the world to sample its unique flavor.
As well as being the capital, Xining is the political, economic, and cultural center of the Qinghai province, and the largest city in the area. It is blessed with excellent natural resources, including mineral deposits and extensive farmland, mainly used to farm wheat, corn, fruit, vegetables & livestock.
Xining is most pleasant in summer, when the cool desert temperatures provide travelers with respite from the heat. For this reason it has often been called the Summer Resort Capital of China. Visitors coming to enjoy the scenery will not be disappointed: stunning sights such as Qinghai Lake, Bird Island and Riyue (Sun and Moon) Mountain can't fail to enchant. The winters are cold in Xining, but not harsh, even though many of the surrounding mountain ranges are permanently covered in snow.
The city holds many ancient relics, and has world famous Islamic, Buddhist and Taoist structures, all of which display a combination of architectural styles. Ta'er Monastery, Beichan Temple and Dongguan Mosque are three structures a visitor shouldn't miss.
Throughout the year, Xining is home to a series of festivals, the most visually arresting of which is undoubtedly the Tulip Festival in May. Over four million tulip plants of over 50 varieties provide a stunning backdrop to cultural displays and the festival is used to promote tourism in the area. By legend, Qinghai is the birthplace of the tulip: new tulip species have reportedly been found in the mountainous regions in recent years. 
Xining has a wonderful array of foods on offer, thanks in part to its ethnically diverse population. Xining Jiaotongxixiang is a good place for any visitor to begin their culinary exploration of this city: this street is lined with restaurants & something is bound to tempt even the pickiest of eaters. Large numbers of ethnic Hui (a broad term for Tibetan Muslims) live in and around Dongguan Street, which has accordingly become famous for Hui cuisine: meals are prepared according to Islamic law, using flavors traditional to this area.  A visitor wanting to sample a more diverse selection of Qinghai food may want to head up to Shuijing Lane in Ximenkou. Known locally as ''hundred-flavor-street'', it is a place where a visitor can sample all the major dishes of the province. Not to be missed are the famous Liangfen (bean Jelly) Fengwo Liji（a round lamb tenderloin) Jinyu Facai (pork wrapped in nostoc served in the shape of goldfish) and for the more adventurous western explorer, Danbai Chongcao Ji (a medicinal dish made of chicken, Chinese caterpillar fungus and eggs)

Xining lies in the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet plateau and the upper reaches of Huangshui River (a branch of the Yellow River) at 101°49 '17'' East Longitude and 36°34'13'' North Latitude,. It sits in the Hehuang Valley surrounded by mountains on all sides traversed from east to west by the Huangshui River
The city has mild summers with highs reaching 26C (78F) and cold, dry winters when the mercury can drop to -16C (4F) at night, and reach 0C (32F) on a January afternoon.
Any visitor to the area should be sure to pack plenty of layers whatever the season: the temperature plummets at night, even in the summer.

The total area of Xining is 7,671 square kilometers: the urbanized area covers around 350 square kilometers. The city has a population of 2.1 million, of which 1.27 million live in urban areas. A complex mix of nationalities live in the city, which has around 37 distinct ethnic groups, the largest of which are Hui, Tibetan, Sala, Mongol, Manchu, Dongxiang, and Zhuang.

History

The remains of ancient civilizations living in Qinghai indicate that the area has been populated for around 5,000 years, though Xining was only given this name around 900 years ago in 1103.
A successful farming community had been developing in Xining for thousands of years before the royal government of Emperor Wudi of the West Han Dynasty established a fortress and built the Xiping Pavilion here in 121 B.C, paving the way for the area to be incorporated into the system of prefectures and counties of the Central Plains
After uniting Tibet, in the 7th Century AD Songtsen Gampo took control of the tribes in the Qinghai area establishing an enduring connection between the Han and Tibetan people. Xining flourished as a trading town when it became an important stop on the legendary Silk Road and its importance as a military, economic and political outpost grew. It is still the only road by which to enter the hinterland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
In 1927, the Kuomintang Government established Qinghai Province which led to the birth of the Qinghai People's Government in 1950, with Xining named as the capital.