Mangnai & Huatugou
The westernmost oil town of the Qaidam Basin, with Emerald Lake, Youshashan, Aiken Springs and Gasikule Lake, and the gateway to Xinjiang on the Qinghai–Xinjiang highway.
Mangnai city lies at the far west of Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai, on the northwestern edge of the Qaidam Basin. The city government is based in Huatugou town, at about 2,900 m, with the Altun Mountains to the north, the Kunlun Mountains to the south and Ruoqiang in Xinjiang to the west. It is the gateway for the Qinghai northwest grand loop and for entering or leaving Xinjiang on the Qinghai–Xinjiang highway (G315). Huatugou grew with the Qinghai Oilfield and is a young oil town; the nearby Youshashan (Oil Sand Mountain) is where oil development in the Qaidam began. The main sights include Mangnai Emerald Lake, a set of colorful salt ponds to the east; the layered, folded Youshashan beside the G315; Gasikule Lake, a plateau salt lake west of the city, with the Alar Grassland on its shore; the fantastically colored Aiken Springs; and the old Mangnai asbestos mine ruins at the Qinghai–Xinjiang border to the northwest. Lenghu, the Eboliang yardangs and similar sights belong to the Lenghu area to the east and need to be planned separately. The best season is May–Oct, with Jun–Sep the peak for self-drivers; winters are bitterly cold and windy. Huatugou has an airport and a station on the Golmud–Korla railway; it is about 30 minutes by car from town to Emerald Lake and about 40 minutes to Aiken Springs, and getting between sights basically requires a self-drive or chartered car. Suggested stay: 1–2 days. The plateau sun is strong and the air dry, so drink plenty of water and use sun protection; do not step carelessly on salt lakes or wetland edges, and fill up your fuel tank before long drives.
Top sights
- Mangya Emerald Lake – A chain of colorful salt ponds east of Huatugou, where emerald-green and lake-blue pools, white salt bridges and red mountains create a str…
- Aiken Spring – A geothermal spring on the Alaer grasslands, where mineral deposits form a red-and-yellow ring that looks like a "Devil's Eye" from the air.
- Gas Hure Lake – A high-altitude saline lake south of Huatugou, its blue-green water set against the Gobi and the snowy peaks of the Altun Mountains; the ar…
- Youshashan (Oil Sand Mountain) – A bare mountain southeast of Huatugou with exposed oil-bearing sands; colourful folded strata and oil relics make it one of the starting po…
- Alar Grassland – A high-altitude wetland grassland beside Gas Hure Lake, criss-crossed by streams and contrasting with the surrounding gobi and snowy peaks…
- Old Mangya Asbestos Mine – A derelict asbestos mining town on the Qinghai–Xinjiang border; grey-white mine tailings, abandoned plants and empty buildings bear witness…
Where to eat
- Zhangjia Niuza Tang (Huatugou Branch) – A small beef offal soup shop in Huatugou town that has operated for about a decade; yak soup with freshly griddled flat…
- Wuse Xinjiang Flavor Restaurant – A Xinjiang-flavored restaurant in Huatugou town; travel notes list it as a recommended full meal, and the tandoor meat…
Itineraries
- Western Qaidam Wilderness Crossing – A one-way journey from Xining to Dunhuang, passing through Hoh Xil, Water Yadan, Mangya, Eboliang, and Lenghu.