Golmud

Golmud is a strategically important city in the Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of western Qinghai, sitting at around 2,800 metres on the edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Its economy rests on potash and salt extraction from the vast Qarhan Salt Lake, mining, and its role as a key logistics and transport hub on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It is the main staging point for travel and freight heading to Lhasa. The city has a cold, arid high-plateau climate with long cold winters and cool summers. For an international student, Golmud offers dramatic access to the Kunlun Mountains, salt-lake scenery, and hearty northwestern mutton cuisine.