The Olympic torch ended its tour of Qinghai Lake, the second stop of the journey in Qinghai Province on Monday, with the cauldron lit at 12:30. Xining expects the arrival of the torch on Tuesday.

The Qinghai Lake leg of the Torch Relay kicked off around 11:00 with 162 torchbearers taking part in the six-kilometer leg.

After the cauldron was lit, a closing ceremony highlighted by officials' speeches and traditional performances was held.

Situated in the northeast part of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau, the lake valley covers 29,600 square kilometers. Qinghai Lake, at more than 3,200 meters above sea level, boasts a water area of 4,232 square km.

Among the major attractions of the lake is Bird Island. Located at the crossroad of several bird migration routes across Asia, it is home to 189 species of birds and attracts large flocks of birds to perch every year.

The lake is also a crucial barrier against the invasion of the desert from the west. Authorities in northwestern China have launched a massive program this year to protect the lake from further environmental degradation, including water level falling, grassland degradation and desertification.

(BOCOG June 23, 2008)