Yeliguan

A small town at the eastern gateway to Gannan, with Yehai Lake, the red-rock Chibi Valley and the alpine meadows of Lianhua Shan — dubbed “the Guilin of the Northwest” and quieter than Xiahe.

Yeliguan is a small town in northeastern Lintan County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu. Set in the transition zone between the Gannan Plateau and the Loess Plateau, the town sits at about 2,200 m, about 200 km from Lanzhou and 150 km from Hezuo, making it Gannan's eastern gateway. The Yeliguan Tourist Area is a national AAAAA-rated scenic area with mountains, water, forests and red-rock danxia landforms, long known as “the Guilin of the Northwest” and “an ecological garden of mountains and waters”. The main sightseeing falls into three areas: first, Yehai Lake (Tianchi), 5–7 km north of town, a 3.5 km-long highland freshwater lake where you can hike, ride horses or take a boat around the shore; second, Chibi Valley and the danxia canyon of Qinni Gully west of town, plus Yeliguan National Forest Park around the town; third, Yemu Gorge, following the Yemu River downstream east of town, with views of the “Sleeping Buddha” mountain ridge, and further east the 3,578 m Lianhua Shan and the Bajiao flower valley, which blooms Jun–Aug. If you have time, head about 35 km south to Xincheng in Lintan County to see the Ming-dynasty Taozhou Garrison city. The best season is Jun–Sep; with summer temperatures averaging around 20°C, it's a favorite summer retreat for Lanzhou residents. The flower fields peak around August, and the forests turn golden in early-to-mid October. Winters are cold and most activities are in the off-season. Getting there: buses from Lanzhou South Station or Lanzhou bus stations take about 3–4 hours; driving via Lintao and Kangle takes about 3 hours. You can also come from Hezuo or Xiahe and link it with Labrang Monastery and Zhagana for a Gannan loop. Allow 1–2 days: Yehai Lake and Chibi Valley on day one, and the forest park or Lianhua Shan on day two. Note: the combined ticket (Yehai Lake, Chibi Valley and Qinni Gully) costs about ¥60 — check the scenic area's latest prices. UV is strong on the plateau and temperatures swing widely between day and night, so bring a jacket; summer afternoons often bring thunderstorms, and canyon trails get slippery after rain. The town has plenty of Tibetan family guesthouses and B&Bs; book ahead for summer weekends.

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