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Xining
Nanliang Hutai Relics Park
Nanliang Hutai Relics Park
Dongguan Mosque
Dongguan Mosque
Qinghai, China

Xining

Xining is a major city in Qinghai, China, 2,275 m above sea level. It has a population of about 2,467,965 (2020). The climate is classified as monsoon-influenced warm-summer continental (Köppen Dwb), with dry, cold winters and wet summers.

Now3°C
Best timeMay · Jul–Aug
Population2.47M
Local time02:28
36.63° N, 101.76° EElevation 2,275 mUTC+8 · China Standard Time
The year in Xiningweather score
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec57October
October: high / low13° / 1°
Rain this month22mm
Best timeMay · Jul–Aug

Best: May · Jul–Aug. Warmth, sunshine and dry days, month by month.

Xining at a glance

Best time to visitMay · Jul–Aug

The months with the highest weather score

Warmest month22°C

Average high in July

Coolest month-14°C

Average low in January

Wettest monthAugust

83 mm of rain

Driest monthJanuary

2 mm of rain

Monuments nearby2+

within 3.6 km

How Xining has grown

People living in the built-up area (146 km² today), every five years since 1975; 2030 is the projection.

+155%559k in 1975 → 1.42M in 2025
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85
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95
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Weather in Xining

Now and the next ten days. The 14 and 30-day outlooks are one click away.

14-day forecast
3°C

Clear · wind 3 km/h · humidity 47%

Today hour by hour
Today23 Oct17°0°
Sat24 Oct11°3°
Sun25 Oct12°2°0.9 mm
Mon26 Oct9°1°1.7 mm
Tue27 Oct11°-2°
Wed28 Oct12°1°
Thu29 Oct14°-2°
Fri30 Oct11°-1°
Sat31 Oct11°-1°

When to go to Xining

Each month's weather score (warmth, sun, dry days) with its temperatures and rain.

Climate month by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Score575548666864676765575457
High1°4°9°15°18°21°22°22°18°13°7°2°
Low-14°-9°-5°-1°5°9°11°10°7°1°-6°-12°
Rain (mm)23102352657983622242
Wet days01361214171716720

What's on in Xining

Concerts, football matches, the public holidays ahead and the town's festivals through the year.

Monuments and museums in Xining

All monuments

More museums: Kunlun jade museum · Qinghai Folk-customs museum · Yak museum · China Tibetan Medicine Culture Museum · Qing Hai Province Museum · 青海省科学技术馆 · 青海藏文化博物院——北馆 · 青海藏文化博物院——南馆 · 青藏高原自然博物馆

Outdoors around Xining

Hiking routes from the town, and what there is to do within 15 km: huts, viewpoints, climbing, camping, ski areas and dive sites.

Things to do

Wildlife in October

The birds and mammals of China seen most this month, compared with the rest of their year.

The sky over Xining

Eclipses and meteor showers

Earthquakes around Xining

The last 30 days within 300 km, and the record since 1950.

Earthquakes

Strongest nearby since 1950

6.6Nangu 107 km ↘2022 · 140 km
6.3Daotanghe 66 km ←1990 · 141 km
6.3Daotanghe 74 km ↙1990 · 148 km
6.0Nanmenxia 89 km ↖1986 · 124 km

Universities and research institutes

Qinghai Vocational College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Science and TechnologyUniversity or college · founded 1940
Qinghai Health Vocational and Technical CollegeUniversity or college · founded 1948
Qinghai University for NationalitiesUniversity or college · founded 1949
Qinghai Normal UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1956
Qinghai UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1958
Qinghai Architectural Vocational and Technical CollegeUniversity or college · founded 1978
Qinghai Open UniversityUniversity or college · founded 1978
Qinghai Vocational College of Police OfficersUniversity or college · founded 2000
Qinghai Vocational and Technical UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2002
Kunlun College of Qinghai UniversityUniversity or college · founded 2004
Xining City Vocational and Technical CollegeUniversity or college · founded 2014
Qinghai Institute of TechnologyUniversity or college · founded 2024
Qinghai Institute of Salt LakesUniversity or college
Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau Biological ResourcesResearch institute · founded 2006
Northwest Institute of Plateau BiologyResearch institute
Qinghai Meteorological InstituteResearch institute
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureResearch institute

Towns and villages around Xining

Each with its own page: weather, climate and the best time to visit.

Xining from above

Getting to Xining

Xining Caojiabao International AirportXNN
28 km
Lanzhou Zhongchuan International AirportLHW
167 km
Gannan Xiahe AirportGXH
216 km
小桥Railway station
2.7 km
西宁北Railway station
4.4 km
西宁Railway station
5 km

Places near Xining

Places with a climate like Xining

Matched month by month on temperature, rain and sunshine.

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Xining?
Based on 30-year climate normals, May, July and August offer the best balance of comfortable temperatures, low rainfall and sunshine in Xining.
What is the hottest month in Xining?
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 22°C and lows of 11°C.
What is the coldest month in Xining?
January is the coldest month, with average highs of 1°C and lows of -14°C.
What is the rainiest month in Xining?
August is the wettest month with about 83 mm of precipitation on 17 wet days.