Tourism on the Lake

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Just 150 kilometers from Xining, the south shore of Lake Kokonor is a popular destination for Chinese tourists. Most stay for just the afternoon.

By the Busload

The tourists come by the busload to take a boat trip on the lake and peruse the array of necklaces, ornate swords, animal hides and other wares offered by local vendors. A yak and camel sit on the beach in case someone wants a ride, and children in traditional costume—long wool coats, pleated hair, and large coral necklaces—line the pier ready to pose for a photo for one yuan.

Culture as Entertainment

The high-end tours include lunch and a cultural show at the Kokonor Nationalities Performing Arts Restaurant. Most eat and chatter during the show, occasionally shooting photos. This is an example of how the culture of various "nationalities" in China are becoming valued mainly as a form of entertainment.

I come along for the ride, trying to locate a Tibetan friend who used to live here. As I walk its shoreline, I find my attention divided between enjoying the calm of the sacred lake and observing the bustle of tourism on the piers.

Travelers to Kokonor:

I paid 100 RMB to join a CITS day trip to Kokonor. It's a quick and easy way to get there with stops at the Haiyan grasslands and Nyida La or "sun and moon pass". The latter is memorialized as a stopping point of the Chinese princess, Wengchen Konjo, on her way to wed Tibet's 7th century king, Songtsen Gampo.

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