Qinghai – Tibet Railway stretches 1956 kilometers from Xining City in Qinghai Province to Lhasa in Tibet Autonomous Region. The first phase of the project – the section between Xining and Golmud (814 kilometers) was firstly constructed in 1974 and put into operation in 1984. The second phase of the project – the section between Golmud and Lhasa (1142 kilometers) was firstly constructed in 2001 and put into operation in 2006. The Golmud - Lhasa section is the longest and highest plateau railway above the sea level.
Qinghai – Tibet Railway starts from Xining City, the capital city of Qinghai Province. It has convenient transportation; there are 15 direct flights between Xinning and some major cities in China, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Nanjing and Xi'an. There are 8 highways connected Xining with other cities, including an expressway through which one could arrive in Lanzhou of Gansu Province in three hours.
Xining is located at the east of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau with an altitude of 2275 meters. It is the best place for tourists to adjust themselves to the plateau environment before enter into Tibet. There are some famous natural and cultural scenic spots in Xining, both the Qinghai Lake and Taer Monastery worth your visiting.