Maqu County
Home to the First Bend of the Yellow River, with boundless grassland wetlands, famous for Hequ horses and summer horse-racing events.
Maqu County lies at the southwestern tip of Gansu Province, in the west of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, on the eastern edge of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, bordering Qinghai and Sichuan. Here the Yellow River forms its famous First Bend of the Nine Bends, and the Awancang Wetland is a vast grassland crisscrossed by channels. Hequ horses are renowned, and horse-racing events are often held in summer. The grasslands are at their best in July and August, while winters are severely cold, and on the plateau you should take care against the cold and altitude sickness. It can be reached by road from Hezuo or from Zoigê in Sichuan.