青海湖位于海拔3,205米、青海省省会西宁以西约100公里处，是中国最大的咸水湖。面积4,317平方公里，最深处25.5米，有23条河注入湖中，其中大部分是季节性的。百分之八十的湖水源于五条主要河流。青海湖位于跨越亚洲的几条候鸟迁徙路线的交叉处。许多鸟类把青海湖作为迁徙过程中的暂息地，湖的西侧是著名的“鸟岛”，吸引着来自世界各地的观鸟者。每年夏天，游客们也来这里观看国际自行车比赛。

Located at the altitude of 3,205 meters, about 100 kilometers to the west of the Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, Qinghai Lake is the biggest salt lake in China. The area of Qinghai Lake is 4,317 square kilometers, the deepest part of it being 25.5 meters. 23 rivers flow into the lake, most of which are seasonal. 80% of the lake’s water comes from five main rivers. Qinghai Lake lies in the intersection of several bird migration routes across Asia. Many kinds of birds take Qinghai Lake as the temporary habitat during the migration. The western part of the lake is the famous “bird island”, which attracts bird watchers from all over the world. Tourists also come here to see the international bike race every summer.