On To Qinghai Lake For The Olympic Torch

The Olympic torch relay is to visit Qinghai Lake, China's largest salt water lake, on Monday. Qinghai Lake is the second stop of the three-day leg of the Olympic torch relay in Qinghai, after the curtain was lowered for the 7.5-kilometer Golmud leg.

A total of 162 torchbearers will participate in 6-kilometer leg of the Olympic torch relay along Qinghai Lake. After that, the flame will be passed through Xining, the provincial capital on Tuesday. Situated in the northeast part of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the lake valley covers 29,600 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake, at more than 3,200 meters above sea level, boasts a water area of 4,232 square km.

The major attractions of the lake include the Bird Island. Located at the crossroads of several bird migration routes across Asia, it is home to 189 species of birds and attracts large flocks of birds to perch every year. The lake is also a crucial barrier against the invasion of the desert from the west. Authorities in northwest China have launched a massive program this year to protect the lake from further environmental degradation, including water level falling, grassland degrading and desertification.