Qinghai Lake

Qinghai is the atonal pinyin romanisation of the Mandarin pronunciation of the Chinese name Although modern Chinese distinguishes between the colors blue and green, this distinction did not exist in classical Chinese. The color (qīng) was a "single" color inclusive of both blue and green as separate shades. The name is thus variously translated as "Blue Sea", "Green Sea", "Blue-Green Sea", "Blue/Green Sea", etc. For a time after its wars with the Xiongnu, Han China connected the lake with the legendary "Western Sea" assumed to balance the East China Sea, but as the Han Empire expanded further west into the Tarim Basin other lakes assumed the title. but now uses specifically for deep or dark blue distinguished both from light blue (, ) and green (, ). Classical Mongolian also did not distinguish between lakes and larger bodies of water. The Chinese name, using "sea" rather than "lake," is thus an overly literal calque of this name, used by the Upper Mongols, some of whom made up the local ruling class during the standardization of western Chinese toponyms in the Qing dynasty. Similar use of the Chinese word for "sea" to translate Mongolian lake toponyms can be seen elsewhere around Qinghai, as with Lake Heihai ("Black Sea") in the Kunlun Mountains. It is also the origin of one of the common names for the lake in English (Kokonor Lake). The Tibetans also separately calqued the name as or (, "Blue Lake or Sea"). ==Geography==

Qinghai Lake lies about west of Xining in a hollow of the Tibetan Plateau at above sea level. It lies between Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in northeastern Qinghai in Northwest China. The lake has fluctuated in size, shrinking over much of the 20th century but increasing since 2004. It had a surface area of , an average depth of , and a maximum depth of in 2008. Twenty-three rivers and streams empty into Qinghai Lake, most of them seasonal. Five permanent streams provide 80% of the total influx. The relatively low inflow and high evaporation rates have turned Qinghai saline and alkaline; the salt concentration is presently about 1.4% by weight (seawater has a salt concentration of about 3.5%), with a pH of 9.3. Climate The area around Qinghai Lake has a dry-winter subalpine climate (Köppen Dwc), typical of large areas of Tibet. Winters are frigid but extremely dry, so that the lake often remains frozen for three months continuously, }} ==History==

During the Han dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE), substantial numbers of Han Chinese lived in the Xining valley to the east. In the 17th century, Mongolic-speaking Oirat and Khalkha tribals migrated to Qinghai and became known as Qinghai Mongols. In 1724, the Qinghai Mongols led by revolted against the Qing dynasty. The Yongzheng Emperor, after putting down the rebellion, stripped away Qinghai's autonomy and imposed direct rule. Although some Tibetans lived around the lake, the Qing maintained an administrative division from the time of Güshi Khan between the Dalai Lama's western realm (slightly smaller than the current Tibet Autonomous Region) and the Tibetan-inhabited areas in the east. Yongzheng also sent Manchu and Han settlers to dilute the Mongols. During Nationalist rule (1928–1949), the Han formed a majority of Qinghai Province's residents, although Chinese Muslims (Hui) dominated the government. The Kuomintang Hui general Ma Bufang, having invited Kazakh Muslims, joined the governor of Qinghai and other high ranking Qinghai and national government officials in conducting a joint Kokonuur Lake Ceremony to worship the God of the Lake. During the ritual, the Chinese national anthem was sung and all participants bowed to a Portrait of Kuomintang founder Sun Yat-sen as well as to the God of the Lake. Participants, both Han and Muslim, made offerings to the god. After the 1949 Chinese revolution, refugees from the 1950s Anti-Rightist Movement settled in the area west of Qinghai Lake. Surface area decreased 11.7% in the period from 1908 to 2000. During that period, higher lake floor areas were exposed and numerous water bodies separated from the rest of the main lake. In the 1960s, the Gahai Lake (尕海, Gǎhǎi) appeared in the north; Shadao Lake (沙岛, Shādǎo), covering an area of to the northeast, followed in the 1980s, along with Haiyan Lake (海晏, Hǎiyàn) of . Another daughter lake split off in 2004. In addition, the lake has now split into half a dozen more small lakes at the border. Qinghai Provincial Remote Sensing Center, attributed the separation of Qinghai Lake to shrinkage of the water surface as a result of a lowered water level and desertification in the region. The water surface has shrunk by over the last three decades. ==Wildlife==

The lake is located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia. Many species use Qinghai as an intermediate stop during migration. As such, it is a focal point in global concerns regarding avian influenza (H5N1), as a major outbreak here could spread the virus across Europe and Asia, further increasing the chances of a pandemic. Minor outbreaks of H5N1 have already been identified at the lake. The Bird Islands have been sanctuaries of the Qinghai Lake Natural Protection Zone since 1997. There are five native fish species: The edible naked carp (Gymnocypris przewalskii, ), which is the most abundant in the lake, and four stoneloaches (Triplophysa stolickai, T. dorsonotata, T. scleroptera and T. siluroides). Other Yellow River fish species occurred in the lake, but they disappeared with the increasing salinity and basicity, beginning in the early Holocene. ==Culture==

There is an island in the western part of the lake with a temple and a few hermitages called "Mahādeva, the Heart of the Lake", "mTsho snying Ma hā de wa" in Tibetan, which historically was home to a Buddhist monastery. The temple was also used for religious purposes and ceremonies. No boat was used during summer, so monks and pilgrims traveled to and from only when the lake froze over in winter. A nomad described the size of the island by saying that: "if in the morning a she-goat starts to browse the grass around it clockwise and its kid anti-clockwise, they will meet only in the night, which shows how big the island is." It is also known as the place to which Gushri Khan and other Khoshut Mongols migrated during the 1620s. The lake is currently circumnavigated by pilgrims, mainly Tibetan Buddhists, especially every Horse Year of the 12-year cycle. Nikolay Przhevalsky estimated it would take about eight days by horse or 15 walking to circumambulate the lake, but pilgrims report it takes about 18 days on horseback, and one took 23 days walking to complete the circuit. == In popular media ==

Films • The Beautiful Kokonor Lake (青海湖畔, Qīnghǎi húpàn), a 2017 Chinese film directed by Shen Xinghao, starring Bai En, Irina Kaptelova, Jiang Ping, Yi Qin, Ma Su, Su Xin, Tong Rui Xin, Huang Yao. ==Gallery==

File:Rapeseed at Qinghai Lake.jpg|Rapeseed fields Qinghai Lake 2016 05.jpg|Grassland near the lake Qinghai Lake 2016 01.jpg|Gya'yi Monastery () at Qinghai Lake 青海湖边藏民帐篷 - panoramio.jpg|Yurt on the shore ==See also==