Things to do in Tianzhu

Qilian Mountains Binggou River Scenic Area

Chairlong lake, at an altitude of 4,008 m, is a sacred natural alpine lake in the Qilian mountains with high elevation and vast area. The lake water, formed by melting snow from the mountains, displays emerald, azure and other colors as the light changes. Backed by the majestic Anigangar snow mountain, the landscape resembles a heavenly pool on earth. The round-trip hiking route is approximately 20 km, featuring wooden walkways and the Hero's slope viewing platform along the way. Successful summiters can receive a dedicated climbing certificate. The entire trail remains pristine with well-preserved natural features, accompanied by meadows, unique rocks and wild flowers, free from excessive commercial development. It's ideal for outdoor hiking enthusiasts and travelers seeking unspoiled natural scenery, offering pure and healing alpine views. The vast native alpine meadow bursts into bloom with purple iris flowers around the Dragon Boat Festival each year, creating a stunning visual spectacle across the wilderness. Gentle wooden boardwalks extend deep into the floral expanse, where cattle and sheep graze leisurely while wild marmots occasionally appear, all framed by distant rolling green mountains under expansive skies. During non-blooming seasons, the lush grassy fields serve as ideal spots for leisurely walks, picnics and aerial photography. With its flat terrain requiring no strenuous climbing, the attraction is easily accessible for seniors and children alike. At sunset when golden light blankets the grassland, the atmosphere becomes magical, making it a prime location for travel photography and camping throughout the year, with each season offering distinct pastoral landscapes. Vast stretches of pristine spruce and juniper forests form alpine woodlands, with wooden boardwalks winding along mountain streams. The area boasts exceptionally high negative oxygen ion levels, earning its reputation as a natural wellness oxygen bar. In spring and summer, lush greenery shades the paths accompanied by babbling brooks and constant birdsong. Come fall, the mountains transform into a breathtaking tapestry of red and gold hues. The interconnected canyons and forest sea provide continuous shade, shielding visitors from summer heat while offering soothing walks. The thriving ecosystem frequently rewards travelers with squirrel sightings and encounters with mountain birds. With gentle slopes suitable for all ages, it's an ideal destination for leisure, relaxation and rejuvenation. Nimela Grand Canyon, meaning "valley of the sun" in Tibetan, boasts unique wonders like "June glaciers with flowers blooming on ice." Glacial streams surge endlessly through the canyon, flanked by rugged rock formations where primitive spruce trees and alpine rhododendrons grow in harmony. A gentle wooden walkway runs the entire length, making for effortless exploration. Legend says this was the habitat of the three-legged golden crow, with dense forest vegetation and abundant negative oxygen ions. With an average summer temperature of just 18°C, it's a natural cool retreat. Afternoon mist often creates rainbows arching across the canyon, offering picturesque views at every step. Combining refreshing air, wilderness charm, and unique glacial landscapes, it's a hidden gem for light hiking. Princess Honghua ranch is the historical site where Princess Honghua of the Tang dynasty once herded livestock. On the vast and gentle alpine meadows, prayer flags flutter in the wind amidst scattered Tibetan tents and herds of yaks, immersing visitors in the rich Huari Tibetan culture. The location offers expansive views with a complete panorama of the Ani Gangkar snow mountain, complemented by cultural activities like Tibetan costume photography and butter-making workshops. Adjacent to the Malanhua grassland and the starting point of Tianchi hiking trails, it serves as an ideal resting spot during travels. At dusk, the setting sun bathes the entire meadow in warm golden hues, while the night sky remains unpolluted by light, providing excellent stargazing conditions. Blending millennia of history, grassland scenery and Tibetan folk customs, the site harmoniously combines cultural heritage with natural beauty. The Aniganggar snow mountain is the main peak of the eastern Qilian Mountains, standing at 4,874 m with perennial snow and crisscrossing glaciers, serving as the source of the entire Binggou River water system. The majestic mountain features alternating ice cliffs and bare rocks, shrouded in year-round mist, exuding a sacred and grand plateau aura. The hiking trail to Chairlonghai Tianchi offers a panoramic view of the snow-capped mountain, with golden sunlight covering the summit during sunrise and sunset, creating a breathtaking spectacle. Meltwater from the mountain flows down the valleys, forming streams that nourish grasslands, forests, and lakes, completing the ecological network of the attraction. As the iconic landmark of this hidden paradise, it presents unique charm in every season and is a must-visit destination for photography enthusiasts. The sea of azaleas is located on the mountainside of the Nimela Gorge, serving as a seasonal attraction in spring and summer. Every June, while remnants of ice still linger in the mountains, vast stretches of alpine azaleas bloom in competition, with clusters of pink-purple and white flowers dotting the evergreen pines and glacial rivers, creating a unique scene where ice and blossoms coexist. The gentle trail is easy to walk, allowing close-up appreciation of the floral branches and distant views of the gorge streams and faraway mountains. With few visitors, the area offers a tranquil escape from crowded hotspots. The floral sea, framed by glaciers and forests, provides rich compositional layers, making it ideal for capturing mountain portraits and stunning landscape shots. This hidden gem is a niche viewing spot, only accessible during the blooming season, making it highly time-sensitive. The great khan's camp is a 1:1 restoration of the Tuyuhun royal camp, faithfully replicating ancient nomadic tents, living utensils, and nomadic scenes to recreate the grassland lifestyle during Princess Honghua's marriage alliance period. The camp displays nomadic artifacts and historical exhibition panels, detailing the millennium-old stories of the Hexi Tuyuhun tribe and Princess Honghua, combining educational value with visual appeal. Located near Princess Honghua's ranch, it offers a convenient stop after exploring the grasslands, providing an immersive experience of ancient nomadic civilization. Unlike purely natural views, it adds profound cultural depth to your itinerary, making it ideal for family-friendly educational trips and history enthusiasts. The Shili gallery is a gentle mountain trail connecting Honghua ranch and Nimeila canyon, featuring minimal elevation changes. Along the way, it unfolds meadows, streams, and pristine pine forests, presenting ever-changing views like a flowing landscape painting. Multiple viewing platforms along the route unlock panoramic vistas of snow-capped mountains, flower fields, and forests with unobstructed sightlines. The entire trail is easy to walk with minimal physical exertion, perfect for leisurely strolls and spontaneous photo stops. Linking two core scenic areas, it serves both as a transit route and an independent attraction, offering richly layered landscapes and exceptional touring comfort throughout. Hidden deep in the Qilian forest lies Banmu Fangtang, a tranquil pond with a mirror-like surface that perfectly reflects the surrounding spruce trees, wildflowers, and distant mountains, blending the landscape and its reflection into a serene, healing scene. Encircled by dense woods that block out the outside noise, this secluded spot remains peaceful with few visitors, making it a hidden gem to escape the crowds. The forest trail passes by here, offering a brief stop to capture atmospheric photos of the water reflections, with soft and elegant lighting. Free from bustling crowds, it's ideal for solitary relaxation and quiet photography, allowing you to fully appreciate the quiet beauty of the forest. This underrated waterside spot is a must-visit highlight along the forest route.

No. 3 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Wuwei

Wushao Mountain Range

Wushao Mountain Range is a high-altitude natural landscape with distinct regional characteristics. The mountain range stretches about 17 km from east to west, with the ridge altitude mostly around 3,000 m, and the main peak reaching an altitude of 3,562 m. The undulating mountains form a natural barrier, with a majestic and open terrain. Standing on the ridge and looking into the distance, you can see layers of mountains and a vast expanse of sky and earth, feeling the boundless and magnificent natural atmosphere of the high-altitude regions in the Northwest. The east of the ridge belongs to the Longzhong Plateau, and after crossing the mountain pass, you gradually enter the Hexi Corridor. With changes in terrain and climatic conditions, this is also an important transition area from semi-arid to arid regions, and the natural boundary between the monsoon and non-monsoon zones also roughly follows the mountain ridge. The landforms, vegetation, and air humidity on both sides of the mountain range present different characteristics with changes in altitude and region, forming a unique and rich natural landscape here.

No. 2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Wuwei

Maya Snow Mountain

It is called Anigazhuo in Tibetan and is located in the west of Tianzhu County, 35 kilometers away from Tianzhu County. It runs from northwest to southeast. It is about 45 kilometers long from east to west and about 10 kilometers wide from north to south. Mount Sumeru, 4447 meters above sea level. Maya Snow Mountain is named after the teeth that resemble a horse and are covered with snow all year round. At the foot of Maya Snow Mountain, there is Yinyin grassland stretching for more than 10 kilometers. Every year on June 13 of the lunar calendar, local herdsmen will hold a grand ceremony of offering sacrifices to Tianchi in Maya Snow Mountain. The Tianchi Lake is tightly embraced by cliffs and cliffs. It is about 0.5 square kilometers in size and looks like a crescent moon. The water of the pool is clear and blue, and the four seasons are as usual. There is a huge rock standing on the top of the Maya Snow Mountain, with a crack in the middle, as if a sharp blade was split. According to legend, King Gesar used this stone to test his sword when he went on an expedition, hence the name "Sword Test Stone". Every July and August, Maya Snow Mountain has a unique natural phenomenon. If there is a loud noise or roar at the top of the mountain, there will be thunder and thunder, dense clouds and mist, and heavy rain pouring down in moments, which is hard to prevent. . After a short while, the fog dissipated, and the snow-capped snow peaks reappeared in front of the eyes against the green grassland. At about 6 in the morning, when you climb the mountainside of the tent mountain in Wushaoling, you can clearly see the Ma Ya Zhaohui. It is generally divided into three stages: "morning light, red sun bathing peak, sun dew and gold". In less than a minute or two, it slowly turned into light red, golden yellow, and milky white, and its landscape was very beautiful.

Chai'erlonghai Heavenly Lake

Chai'erlonghai Heavenly Lake is located within the Qilian Mountains Binggou River Scenic Area in Qilian Town, Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province, and is an alpine lake. Situated in a high-altitude region and surrounded by mountains, the lake is primarily fed by snowmelt from the snow-capped peaks. It is clear and bright, like a piece of jade embedded in the valley. Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, the lake's surface changes color with the weather, reflecting the surrounding snow-capped peaks, meadows, and forests to create a tranquil and magnificent highland view. Chai'erlonghai Heavenly Lake not only possesses a unique natural landscape but also showcases the region's rich ecological characteristics. Visitors here can enjoy the fresh air and diverse vegetation of the alpine environment along the way, and while admiring the lake and mountain scenery, experience the vastness and mystery brought by the highland nature. The area around the lake maintains a well-preserved pristine environment, making it an ideal destination for photography, hiking, and connecting with nature.

Zhuaxixiulong Grassland

Zhuaxixiulong Grassland is like a radiant pearl set in the northwest of Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Wuwei City, Gansu Province. With its flat, open terrain, lush pastures, and pleasant scenery, this highland hidden gem offers a blend of pristine natural beauty and rich Tibetan culture. The most captivating feature here is its vertical view, where you can "look up to see snow-capped mountains and look down to step on a green carpet." In midsummer, vast fields of iris flowers bloom across the grassland, creating waves of blue and purple that stretch to the foot of the snow-capped mountains, beautifully complemented by cattle and sheep grazing leisurely. This is also a primary habitat for the rare Tianzhu white yak. Known as the "white pearls of the grassland," these yaks resemble spirits wandering through a sea of grass, adding endless vitality and charm to this vast landscape. Whether you are a traveler seeking poetry and adventure, or a vacationer longing for a cool summer escape, you will find your own sense of tranquility and inspiration here.

Tiantang Temple

Located in the Tianzhu Township in the northwest corner of Tianzhu County, it has beautiful mountains and rivers, magnificent scenery and pleasant climate. Tiantian Temple is called "Chediantang Zhaxi Dajilang" in Tibetan, which means Pagoda Beach is auspicious and prosperous, and the Chinese translation is "Chaotian", also known as Tiantian Temple. It was built more than 800 years earlier than Labrang Monastery. During the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, Danma Cicheng Gyatso of Qinghai Huzhu Ganchan Monastery changed Heaven Monastery to Gelug Monastery. In the fourth year of Shunzhi in Qing Dynasty (AD 1647), at the request of Danma Cicheng Gyatso and the local tribes such as Moko, Duocang, Jiadou, etc., the fourth emperor of Dongke Temple in Huangyuan, Qinghai, lived in Gyatso Hutuktu for expansion. He joined the Temple of Heaven and served as the owner of the temple. There are more than 1,000 monks in the Temple of Heaven, commonly known as "Eight Hundred Monks in Heaven". Its architectural layout is reasonable, grand and solemn, and has a strong Tibetan style. The whole monastery covers an area of 1,500 mu and has more than 2,000 monks' houses and more than 4,000 rooms. The scripture hall includes the Great Scripture Hall, the Thousand Buddha Hall, the Tantric Hall, the Bodhisattva Hall, the Buddha Mother Hall, the Lion Body Buddha Mother Hall, the Manjusri Hall, the Tuzhu Hall, the Sakyamuni Hall, and the Dragon King Hall.

Huazang Temple

Huazang Temple is located in Tianzhu Tibetan Autonomous County, Wuwei. Its full name is Yongming Huazang Temple. Founded in the Ming dynasty, it has a long history. The temple is surrounded by lush trees and is tranquil.

Tianzhu Three Gorges

Tianzhu Three Gorges are Zhucha Gorge, Jinsha Gorge and Xianming Gorge. After passing Shimengou and climbing Wutailing, which is more than 3,200 meters above sea level, you can reach Zhucha Gorge. Zhucha, in Tibetan, means the place where two waters meet. It is more than 20 kilometers long and is the longest of the Tianzhu Three Gorges. From the east end to the west entrance, there are all canyons with high mountains and deep river channels. Entering the mountain gorge, in the art gallery, you can enjoy the landscape paintings painted by magic brushes, listen to the symphonic movements, the thin clouds on both sides of the mountains, the yin and the mountains are like weaving shades, the pine waves bursting, the sun The mountains are perilous and cliffs, steep and strange, the narrow canyons, and the peaks on both sides cover the sky and the sun. Zhucha Gorge, as a famous deep gorge in the forest at the end of Qilian Mountain, belongs to the place with very good climate in Tianzhu. You can also see vermilion mountains at the mouth of the gorge, which is the famous Benkang Danxia landform. Benkang is a Tibetan language, and its Chinese meaning is the seat of one hundred thousand Buddhas. As a form of Buddhist culture, Benkang has a history of more than a thousand years. These vermilion mountains are exquisite in shape and ingenious, and the scenery is changed. Different angles have different shapes. The Danxia landform here is mainly composed of window-shaped palace-style and peak-nest-style Danxia landforms. Jinsha Gorge is characterized by strange mountains, stone monsters, clear water and secluded valleys. Here the forest is lush, the flowers are fragrant and the birds are singing. When driving, the breath of the virgin forest immediately rushed to my face. Going straight up the gorge, there are beautiful and legendary landscapes such as Xianren Peak, Xianren Cave, Xianren Spring, Chixin Stone, Sister Peak, Xianren Chessboard, and Family Happy Ancient Trees. Cherries, wild grapes, strawberries and other precious fruits scattered on the grassy slopes in the forest can be picked and tasted freely. In the evening Jinsha Gorge, the sky is falling, the red clouds are like dye, the golden light overflows in the canyon, and the Tianchi is completely integrated. At night, you can also visit the farmhouse and experience the life of the farmhouse, or stay in tents and restaurants, and listen to the waves of the Datong River and the faint sounds of the mountain wind and insects in the distant mountain canyons. Xianming Gorge, separated by a mountain from Xianming Gorge and Jinsha Gorge, has overlapping peaks and ridges, intertwined pines, green cypresses, vigorous and straight, slender willows dancing along the banks of the river, and the eyes are full of green and green. The Ming Gorge is an inverted siphon with a drop of 107 meters, like a giant dragon lying between the two mountains, adding a man-made grandeur and splendor to the beautiful natural landscape.

Maya Snow Mountain Tianchi

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