青海湖一日 · 环湖与花海

莫家街是西宁最有名的一条小吃街，早上就开始热闹。本地早饭有甜醅（青稞或燕麦发酵的，酸甜带酒香）、酿皮（凉皮拌辣油、醋、蒜水）、羊肠面、尕面片，还有青海老酸奶——装在碗里，上面一层黄黄奶皮，撒点白糖最好吃。吃饱了再出发，因为出了西宁往西走，午饭前没什么像样的饭馆。街口可以买点水和零食带上。

Mojiajie is Xining's best-known snack street and livens up early. Local breakfasts include tiánpēi (fermented barley or oats — sweet-sour with a hint of wine), niángpí (cold noodles dressed with chilli oil, vinegar and garlic water), sheep-intestine noodles and small torn noodle pieces, plus Qinghai set yoghurt: served in a bowl under a yellow skin of cream, best with a little sugar. Eat well before setting out — once you leave Xining westward there is nothing decent to eat before lunch. Buy water and snacks at the street entrance.

塔尔寺在湟中区鲁沙尔镇，藏语叫「贡本贤巴林」，是格鲁派创始人宗喀巴大师的诞生地，六百多年历史。寺里最有名的是「艺术三绝」：酥油花（用彩色酥油捏成的佛像和故事，要在低温下做）、堆绣（绸缎剪贴的巨幅佛像）、壁画，颜色浓、细节多，看一次记住一辈子。大金瓦殿前有一棵菩提树，传说和宗喀巴有关，信徒们在殿外磕长头。参观要顺时针走，殿内不拍照，僧人念经时不打扰。

Kumbum, in Lushaer town of Huangzhong district, is known in Tibetan as Gumbum Xambaling and is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug school — over six hundred years old. Its fame rests on the 'three excellences': butter sculpture (figures and stories modelled in coloured butter, worked in the cold), appliqué (huge images cut and stitched from silk) and mural painting, all dense in colour and detail and hard to forget. In front of the Great Golden Tile Hall stands a bodhi tree linked by tradition to Tsongkhapa, with pilgrims prostrating outside. Walk clockwise, do not photograph inside the halls, and do not disturb the monks at prayer.

日月山海拔约 3500 米，是黄土高原和青藏高原的分界，过去也是农业区和牧业区的分界：翻过山，景色一下变成草原、经幡、牦牛。山口有两座小亭子，传说跟文成公主进藏有关——她在这里回望家乡，把日月宝镜摔成两半，成了日山和月山。山下那条河叫倒淌河，中国的河多向东流，这条却往西，所以得了这个名字。山口风大，加件外套。

Riyue Pass is about 3,500 metres and marks the divide between the loess plateau and the Tibetan plateau, historically also the line between farmland and pasture: over the top, the scenery turns to grassland, prayer flags and yaks. Two small pavilions stand at the pass, linked by tradition to Princess Wencheng on her way to Tibet — she looked back toward home here and broke her sun-and-moon mirror in two, giving the mountains their names. The stream below is the Daotang, the 'back-flowing river': most Chinese rivers run east, this one west, hence the name. The pass is windy — add a layer.

二郎剑在青海湖东南岸，因为一条伸进湖里的地形象一把剑而得名，本地也叫「151 基地」。这里是湖边设施最全的一段，有木栈道、观景台、码头，还有游乐项目。站在栈道尽头往西看，湖水从近处的浅绿到远处的深蓝，一层层变过去，天边一条线把水和天缝在一起，这就是青海湖最常被拍的样子。湖水是咸的，别当成淡水。

Erlangjian lies on the south-east shore, named for a spit reaching into the lake that looks like a sword, and known locally as 'Base 151'. It is the best-equipped stretch of shore, with boardwalks, viewpoints, a jetty and activities. From the end of the boardwalk, look west: the water runs from pale green close in to deep blue far out, band after band, and a single line at the horizon stitches lake to sky — the most photographed face of Qinghai Lake. The water is salty, not fresh.

青海湖一带的饭以羊肉和面食为主。手抓羊肉是带骨羊肉白煮，蘸椒盐或蒜泥，肉嫩不膻；尕面片是把面揪成小片下进汤里，配羊肉、萝卜、土豆；还有羊肉串、酿皮、青稞饼、青海老酸奶。这一带海拔三千多，饭菜口味偏咸、偏油，是给干活的人补力气的。吃不惯可以要点青菜、汤面，别勉强。

Food around the lake runs to mutton and wheat. Hand-grabbed mutton is bone-in lamb boiled plain and dipped in pepper-salt or garlic mash — tender and not gamey; gǎ miànpiàn is dough torn into small pieces and boiled in broth with mutton, radish and potato; there are also lamb skewers, cold noodles, barley bread and Qinghai set yoghurt. At three thousand metres the cooking runs salty and oily — food for people working hard outdoors. If it does not suit you, order greens or noodle soup rather than forcing it.

环湖西路是绕湖一圈里最好看的一段，一边是蓝色的湖，一边是成片油菜花。七月花全开的时候，黄的、蓝的、绿的、白的挤在一张画里，随手一拍都是明信片。路边有围起来的拍照花田，进去一般要收几块钱，归村里的合作社；也有当地的牧民牵着牦牛、白牦牛让人合影，拍前先问清楚价钱。环湖也有很多人骑自行车，路上注意车。

The western ring road is the loveliest stretch of the lake circuit: blue water on one side, solid rapeseed on the other. In July, when it all blooms, yellow, blue, green and white crowd into one frame and any snap looks like a postcard. Fenced photo-fields along the road usually charge a few yuan, going to the village co-operative; herders also lead yaks and white yaks out for pictures, so agree the price first. Plenty of people cycle the lake — mind the traffic.

沙岛在青海湖东北岸，是湖边泥沙被风堆出来的一片沙丘，沙丘和湖水直接挨着，一边踩沙子一边看湖，很特别。沙丘的形状天天在变，风一吹沙脊就挪。这里能滑沙、骑沙滩摩托，也可以就站在沙脊上看湖。下午来光线斜，沙子的纹路最好看。风一起沙就往脸上打，围巾、墨镜有用。

Sand Island, on the north-east shore, is a field of dunes heaped up by wind from lakeside sediment, and the sand runs straight down to the water — you walk on dune and look at lake at once, which is unusual. The shapes shift daily as the wind moves the ridges. You can sandboard, rent a beach quad bike, or simply stand on a ridge and look out. Afternoon light is low and brings out the grain of the sand best. When the wind gets up it stings, so a scarf and sunglasses help.

黑马河在青海湖西岸，是看日出最有名的地方，看日落也一样好。太阳慢慢往湖里沉，天从蓝变橙再变紫，湖面跟着一起变色，远处的山变成剪影。晚上冷得快，白天短袖、晚上棉衣是常事。镇上住宿有宾馆也有帐篷、蒙古包，旺季要提前订。日落后要开车回西宁的话，路远又黑，最好在镇上住一晚再走。

Heimahe sits on the west shore and is the best-known place for sunrise — and just as good for sunset. The sun sinks slowly into the lake, the sky running blue to orange to violet, the water changing with it and the far hills going to silhouette. It cools fast in the evening; a T-shirt by day and a padded coat by night is normal. Accommodation in town runs from hotels to tents and yurts, and in high season you must book ahead. If you mean to drive back to Xining after sunset, the road is long and dark — better to stay the night in town.