Qilian County
A grassland town in the heart of the Qilian Mountains, where the scenery of Zhuoer Mountain and Niuxin Mountain is praised as the "Little Switzerland of the East."
Qilian County lies in the north of Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in the heart of the central Qilian Mountains, bordering Gansu, with mountains, grassland and forest interwoven in beautiful scenery. Highlights include Zhuoer Mountain, where Danxia landforms and snow peaks complement each other, Niuxin Mountain (Ami Dongsuo), regarded as a sacred mountain, and broad alpine pastures; it is a popular stop on the Qinghai–Gansu Grand Loop. In summer the grasslands are green and flowers bloom, the best season to go. Most visitors arrive via National Highway G227 or by self-drive or chartered car from Xining or Zhangye.
Destinations
Itineraries
- Menyuan, Qilian, Qinghai Lake & Chaka Loop – Head north to the Menyuan flower seas and Qilian grasslands, then loop around the north shore of Qinghai Lake to Chaka.
- Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop Classic Route – A closed-loop route starting from Xining, circling Qinghai Lake, Qaidam, Dunhuang, the Hexi Corridor, and the Qilian Mo…
- Zhangye Danxia and Qilian Grassland Horse Ranch – See Zhangye's Danxia canyons, cross Biandu Pass to spend two nights in Qilian and visit Zhuoer Mountain, then return vi…