Longyang Gorge

Longyang Gorge

Stretching 40 kilometers, Longyang Gorge is where the Yellow River flows through. The valley is 9 kilometers wide, with undulating and rugged Chana Mountain on one side and endless grasslands on the other. In between lies a broad, flat, and fertile basin, turning the entire gorge into a massive natural reservoir area. Near the gorge entrance, the cliffs suddenly rise steeply, with the distance between the two banks being only about 30 meters and the banks towering over 150 meters high—making it an ideal location for building a hydropower station. The Longyangxia Hydropower Station features the highest dam in Asia, standing 178 meters tall. The dam base is 80 meters wide, the top is 15 meters wide, the main dam is 396 meters long, and both banks have auxiliary dams, bringing the total dam length to 1,140 meters. It can block the annual flow of 130,000 square kilometers of the upper Yellow River, forming China’s largest artificial lake here, covering an area of 380 square kilometers with a total storage capacity of 24 billion cubic meters, which also freezes in winter.

The Longyangxia Artificial Reservoir has become a stunning tourist attraction, where the dam tames the Yellow River and a vast lake emerges from the high gorge. With rippling blue waters and picturesque reflections of the mountains and lake, taking a cruise around the lake offers breathtaking views of the boundless sky and open land, leaving visitors amazed to find that the Yellow River water here is “clear.” This clear water is a gift of nature and the result of human utilization and transformation of the river. It is the first gorge of the Yellow River after it flows out of the Qinghai grasslands and enters the river’s gorge region. The gorge entrance is only 30 meters wide, flanked by hard granite cliffs rising nearly 200 meters high—making it a prime spot for dam construction. It is 1,684 kilometers from the source of the Yellow River and 3,376 kilometers from the river’s estuary, making it the first large-scale cascade hydropower station on the upper Yellow River, often referred to as the “head” power station of the Yellow River.

Located at the entrance of Longyang Gorge at the border between Gonghe County and Guinan County in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, it is accessible via the Xidao First-Class Highway to Riyue Mountain, then turning onto the Longyang Gorge Highway. It is 147 kilometers from the provincial capital Xining and 65 kilometers from the prefectural capital Qiabuqia. It is a natural scenic and industrial tourism destination. It lies 1,684 kilometers from the source of the Yellow River and 3,778 kilometers from the estuary, with an average elevation of 2,700 meters. As the first large-scale cascade hydropower station on the upper Yellow River, it is hailed as the “First Dam on the Long River” and is known as the “head” power station. Construction of the Longyangxia Hydropower Station began in 1976, and it is renowned for having the highest dam, the largest water storage capacity, and the largest single-unit capacity in the world. After its completion, it formed a massive artificial lake spanning 383 square kilometers with a total storage capacity of 246 billion cubic meters, of which nearly 200 square kilometers are usable. It is currently the highest-altitude artificial lake in China, with an average annual water temperature of 7.5°C and a maximum water temperature of 16.5°C. The area not only boasts cultural relics from the Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic ages but also features the majestic dam, the surging waters of the Yellow River, and the steep cliffs of the gorge. The reservoir water is clear and unpolluted, making it an ideal site for green aquaculture, as well as for water sports, leisure, and vacationing. It is also perfect for gorge rock climbing, exploring the ancient Yellow River routes, and water training competitions. Visitors can also enjoy delicious local specialties such as rainbow trout and pond smelt.