Qilian Scenic Area

Qilian Scenic Area

The Qilian Scenic Area is a national AAAA-level tourist attraction.

The Qilian Mountains are located on the northeastern border of Qinghai Province and the western border of Gansu Province in China. They consist of multiple parallel mountain ranges and broad valleys running northwest to southeast. Situated south of the Hexi Corridor, they are also known as the Southern Mountains. The western end connects with the Altun Mountains at the Dangjin Pass, while the eastern end extends to the Yellow River valley, linking with the Qinling and Liupan Mountains. Stretching nearly 1,000 kilometers, they are fold-fault block mountains. The widest part lies between Jiuquan City and the Qaidam Basin, reaching 300 kilometers. From north to south, they include the Daxue Mountain, Tuolai Mountain, Tuolai South Mountain, Yema South Mountain, Shule South Mountain, Danghe South Mountain, Turgendaban Mountain, Qaidam Mountain, and Zongwulong Mountain. Most peaks are between 4,000 to 5,000 meters above sea level, with the highest peak, Qilian South Mountain’s Tuanjie Peak, reaching 5,808 meters. Peaks above 4,000 meters are perennially snow-capped, and the mountain valleys lie between 3,000 to 3,500 meters above sea level. The Kunlun Mountains–Qilian Mountains–Hengduan Mountains form the first and second topographical steps of China.

The eastern section of the Qilian Mountains slopes downward from west to east, comprising three parallel mountain systems: the Corridor South Mountain–Lenglong Ridge–Wushaoling, Datong Mountain–Dapo Mountain, and Qinghai South Mountain–La Bei Mountain. Between them lie the Datong River Valley, Huangshui River Valley, and Qinghai Lake Basin. There are 3,306 glaciers covering an area of 2,063 square kilometers. The water system of the Qilian Mountain region is radial: centered from Hala Lake to the area along 99° east longitude, it radiates outward, forming large oases at the foothills. In the east, between 2,500 to 3,300 meters above sea level, cold-temperate coniferous forests are distributed. Forest resources have been severely damaged, and wildlife has declined. In 1987, the Qilian Mountain National Nature Reserve was established. The area is rich in mineral resources. In the narrow sense, the Qilian Mountains refer to the northernmost branch: the Corridor South Mountain and Lenglong Ridge, with an average elevation of over 4,000 meters. Major peaks include Lenglong Ridge (4,843 meters), Qilian Mountain (5,547 meters), and Qilian South Mountain (5,808 meters).

The water system of the Qilian Mountain region is radial-grid-like: centered from Hala Lake to the area along 99° east longitude, it radiates toward lower surroundings. It is also influenced by the northwest-southeast tectonic orientation, where valleys in this direction are long and wide, while those cutting across the mountains become canyons. Due to the high elevation and abundant snowfall in the northern and eastern mountains, rivers such as the Datong River and Huangshui River in the east have abundant water and flow into the Yellow River, making it an outflow region. In the north, rivers such as the Shiyang River, Hei River, Shule River, and Danghe River also carry substantial water, forming large oases at the foothills. Oasis areas gradually decrease from east to west. The southern part of the Qilian Mountains is relatively dry, with smaller elevation differences relative to the Qaidam Basin, resulting in shorter rivers. The eastern part of the Qilian Mountains features cold-temperate coniferous forests, which diminish in development from east to west but increase in elevation, ranging from 2,500 to 3,200 meters in the east, 2,700 to 3,300 meters in the central area, and finally disappearing in patchy distributions near the Beida River. Forests have been severely damaged, wildlife has declined, and precious animals such as the sable have gone extinct. The area is rich in minerals, with economically valuable deposits including the iron ore in Jingtieshan, coal mines in Muli and Yuka, and metal ores in Zongwulong Mountain.