Kunlun Mountain Geopark

Kunlun Mountain Geopark

Kunlun Mountain Geopark is a national geopark.

Kunlun Mountain Geopark is located in Golmud City, Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. The park covers an area of 1,403 square kilometers and consists of three distinct scenic areas: Naij Tal Scenic Area, Xidatan Scenic Area, and Yaochi Scenic Area.

In Chinese Taoist culture, Kunlun Mountain is honored as the "Ancestor of All Mountains" and the "Land of All Deities." It was also the site of the late Ming Dynasty Taoist sect, the Huyuan School, though it gradually faded from prominence due to historical changes.

The Kunlun Mountain National Geopark is situated along the Naij Tal–Kunlun Mountain Pass section of the East Kunlun range in Golmud, with geographic coordinates: 93°09′35″E – 94°36′37″E; 35°37′53″N – 36°03′35″N, and an elevation ranging from 3,540 to 6,178.6 meters. The total area is 1,403 square kilometers, with major geological heritage sites covering 350 square kilometers. There are nine scenic zones, including major earthquake fault zones, Yuzhu Peak, modern glaciers, mud volcano-type ice mounds, and the Kunlun jade mining area. The highest point in the park is Yuzhu Peak of Kunlun Mountain, standing at 6,178 meters above sea level.

The park’s main geological heritage features are distributed in a belt-like pattern along the mountain, terraces, and valleys. The overall layout of the park follows a “123” structure: One center: the Qinghai Golmud Kunlun Mountain National Geopark Management and Reception Service Center, which houses administrative offices and related facilities. Two axes: the Wild Ox Valley–Queen Mother of the West Yaochi Tourist Route; and the Naij Tal–Xidatan–Kunlun Mountain Pass Scientific Expedition Route. Three scenic areas: Naij Tal Scenic Area, Yaochi Scenic Area, and Xidatan Scenic Area.

Transportation Information

Internal Transportation

Among the park’s three major scenic areas, the main routes in Naij Tal Scenic Area and Xidatan Scenic Area are located along national highways, offering relatively convenient access. The park is approximately 90 kilometers from downtown Golmud. Driving from Golmud city center to Naij Tal Scenic Area takes about 1.5 hours. The drive from Naij Tal to Kunlun Mountain Pass takes around 40 minutes. Yaochi Scenic Area has a gravel road surface and is only accessible by off-road vehicles. Speed should be kept low; the journey from Wuji Longfeng Palace to Yaochi is about 100 kilometers and takes roughly 3 hours.

External Transportation

Air: Golmud has an airport with direct flights from Xi’an and Xining operated by China Eastern Airlines, with a flight time of about 1 hour. Xining Airport is the largest in Qinghai Province, offering direct flights to cities such as Chengdu, Beijing, Guangzhou, Xi’an, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Golmud, Yushu, Lhasa, Shenzhen, and Kunming.

Rail: Railway access in Golmud is fairly convenient, with 5–7 daily trains stopping there. Among them, two are direct services, while the rest are passing trains to Lhasa. The travel time from Xining to Golmud is about 9 to 12 hours.

Road: The area is an important node on the Qinghai–Tibet Highway. There are two routes between Xining and Golmud—north and south—each approximately 800 kilometers long, with a travel time of around 10 hours.

Travel Routes

Kunlun Mountain Taoist Pilgrimage Tour

This route is specially designed for visitors with a keen interest in Taoism, highlighting the status of Kunlun Mountain as the “Ancestor of All Mountains.” It combines religious sites on Kunlun Mountain with various sacred locations across Qinghai Province. Key attractions and activities include visiting Wuji Longfeng Palace, Yuxu Peak, Yaochi, and participating in Taoist ancestral worship ceremonies.

Yuxu Peak Mountaineering and Adventure Tour

Yuxu Peak is located 80 km west of the park, south of Wild Ox Valley, and is known as the sister peak of Yuzhu Peak, approximately 70 km away. Perennially snow-capped, Yuxu Peak is famous for the rare spectacle of “June Snow on Kunlun.” The mountain is often shrouded in mist, with its peaks standing gracefully amid peculiar rocks. The clear waters of the Kunlun River flow through the valley, making for exceptionally beautiful natural scenery.

Wild Ox Valley Sightseeing Tour

This route stretches 170 km from the eastern entrance of Wild Ox Valley (where the ticket gate is located near Wuji Longfeng Palace) to the Yuxu Peak Taoist site in the west. The valley primarily features landscapes of the Kunlun River along with wetlands and grasslands formed alongside it. It offers not only cultural sites such as rock paintings and the Yuxu Peak Taoist sanctuary but also stunning natural vistas.

Xidatan Glacier Sightseeing Tour

This route extends about 30 km from the Yuzhu Peak Mineral Spring Highway in the north to the foot of Yuzhu Peak in the south, mainly for vehicle-based sightseeing. The main attractions include modern glaciers, glacial erosion landforms, and glacial deposition landforms. Along the route, visitors can gaze up at the towering Yuzhu Peak. In summer, the mountain displays vibrant colors—red earth, green forests, and white snow. In winter, the snow-covered peaks gleam brilliantly. Multiple glaciers extend down the slopes, while the summit features classic glacial formations such as horn peaks, cirques, and arêtes. Beneath the snow-capped mountains lie emerald-green grasslands, and along the valley runs the world’s highest-altitude Qinghai–Tibet Railway, like a colorful ribbon set against the landscape. The sharp contrast of blue sky, snow mountains, glaciers, grasslands, and railway creates a striking natural and human-made panorama that is highly appealing to visitors.