Abstract: To be a sizeable part of the historical Amdo, the present day Qinghai was a vital arena in the power contest between three major forces during the Ming-Qing transition: the growing Yellow Sect population of Tibetan Buddhism centered in heartland Tibet, the Mongol groups from Northeast first and then from Northwest, and the rising Manchu dynasty from the East. The arrival of the Han Chinese and the Muslim population ( both the Chinese-speaking and the Central Asian Muslims) further increased the regional diversity in terms of nationalities and their social systems. Emerging as the political headquarter of the region, the administrative office of the Grand Minister Resident of Xining as a branch of the Lifanyuan at the central government started its operation since the Yongzheng reign ( 1723—36). This office played a key role to transform Qinghai into a distinct administrative sector inside the Qing Empire under its modern label. Its unique governing experience in managing Amdo Tibetans in their traditional tusi system, the Mongol groups in the banner system, and the Han and Muslim population in the Chinese province-country system has left a significant mark in the regional as well as the national history of China. The history of this office, neglected in the previous Qing studies, helps us to realize that the Qinghai study deserves to be a self-standing academic field as the Tibetan studies and Mongolian studies have been．