Xining-a capital during the Nan Liang dynasty|china guides

Xining is located in the eastern part of Qinghai province lying on the Qinghai/Tibetan Plateau at an elevation of around 2,200 meters above sea level, and is around 225km from Lanzhou. Xining has a history of more than 2000 years; and was originally called Xipingting and also served as a capital during the Nan Liang dynasty.

Most travelers visiting Xining are either on their way to other destinations in Qinghai, most obviously the Kumbum Monastery and Qinghai Lake, or planning to travel on to Tibet. The city literally translated means Western Peace, a projection of wish fulfillment by imperial order. The city was probably established around the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and it remained an important trading post in the area, mainly for goods to and from Tibet and China by the sixteenth century the city was set up as both a military garrison and a major trading post upon the Southern Silk Route.

The city of Xining has plenty to offer in terms of food. The Local delights include food such as Chicken Cooked with Caterpillar Fungus (Danbai chongcao ji), a nasty sounding, tasty and nourishing dish, Gold-fish-shaped Flagelliform Nostoc (Facai jinyu), Chrysanthemum-shaped Carp Slices (Juhua liyu), Steamed Egg with Flagelliform Nostoc (Facai zhengdan), and Lamb Cooked with Sliced Mushroom (Yangrou mogu pian). Some of the better known restaurants in Xining offering good food at moderate prices include, The Cafe (Xining bingguan) in the Xining Hotel. It's a vast Chinese-style hall with big round tables serving enticing Mongolian hotpot buffet. Yongfu Hotel (Yongfu binguan) on Jianguo lu/Binhe lu. This hotel has a small restaurant that serves cheap dishes. Xiaoyuanmen Restaurant (Xiaoyuanmen shifu) on Dongguan dajie serves good Muslim food. Yinghua Mianpian Restaurant (Yinghua mianpian fandian), serves large bowls of these squares of noodles. Shang Yi Da Xia at 190 Dongguan lu is a small Muslim restaurant that does some good hotpots. For people who love street food, the city has lots to offer. These food stalls can be found in the markets and on most streets. The specialties are strongly Tibetan or Muslim influenced. These include Lamb Tenderloin (Feng'er liji), Kebab (Kao yangrou), Yu Rangpi (similar to the Dunhuang Rang pizi), Wang's Thick Sliced Noodle Pieces (Wang mianpian), Cold Noodles (Liang mian), Soup Cooked with Lamb and Oxen Entrails (Zasui tang), Hand Held Mutton (Shouzhua yangrou) and Lamb Liver (Zhu yanggan). For breakfast you should really try the tasty Muslim Yoghurt (Qingzheng suannai).