Traveling Along the River Activities has become the choice of vacation for many traveler around the world. Here listed some famous river of Qinghai.
1. Heihe River Grand Canyon
Photo Credit: Liu Ellen
The broad canyon is located in Qilian County, 4,200 meters above sea level and runs over 800 kilometers. A section of 70 kilometers in the canyon is not inhabited. More than 800 glaciers are found in the canyon, covering an area of more than 300 square kilometers. The Heihe River running in the canyon is the second largest inland river in China. It flows through Qinghai and Gansu provinces and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, and is the mother river of the Hexi Corridor. Unique geological conditions and a climate bless the area with rich higher plant resources, and make it an ideal place for tourists to explore.
Transport: Take a bus from Xining to Babao Town,and then take a chartered bus to HuangzangsiVillage,then walk into the valley.
Heihe city – Photo Credit: Visit China Now
2. A Clear Section of the Yellow River
Yellow River Photo Credit: David ‘fresh’ Connol
The Yellow River, 5,464 kilometers in total length, is yellow because of the silt it carries away from the Loess Plateau. From the Longyang Gorge to the Jishi Gorge, however, the river and its tributaries are like green ribbons flowing between banks featuring red Danxia landform. A number of hydropower stations dot the Yellow River like dazzling pearls. These picturesque natural landscapes have created an “art gallery” in the upper reaches of the Yellow River.
The Yellow River Valley as well as the Datong River and Huangshui River valleys have a long history of civilization. Human beings populated the area at least 6,000 to 7,000 years ago. They created a number of ancient civilizations, making the Hehuang region a place of great historical interest.
Clear Section of the Yellow River – Photo Credit: Xuan Che
“The Yellow River Is Clear in Guide”
Guide County lies in the southeastern part of Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, with the county government located in Heyin Town. The 78-kilometer section of the Yellow River running across Guide is limpid and gentle, like a spectacular ribbon that links the Ashagong Gorge with the Songba Gorge. Former Vice Premier of the State Council, Qian Qichen wrote an inscription praising this section of the Yellow River with these words: “The Yellow River is clear in Guide,” which is now used by Guide County to promote local tourism. The annual Yellow River Tourism Festival and Guide Pear Blossom Festival attract artists and tourists from home and abroad.
Transport: Take a bus from the Xining Long distance Bus Station to Guide County.
Yellow River – Photo Credit: Xuan Che
3. Daotang River “a river that flows backward”
By The Daotang River – Photo Credit: Kala | 卡拉
The Daotang River originates in the Chahan Grassland west of Riyue Mountain. It is about 40 kilometers long and 3,300 meters above the sea level. Most rivers in China flow from the wesi to the east. But the Daotang River runs from the east to the west before draining into Qinghai Lake. That is why it is called Daotang, meaning “a river that flows backward”.
Legend has it that Princess Wencheng of the Tang Dynasty felt so homesick by the time she reached the bleak Rivue Mountain that she could not stop weeping. Her tears formed the Daotang River.
Transport:Take a bus from the Xining Long-distance Bus Station to Hainan or Haixi prefectures in about one and half hours.
Photo Credit: Epeirogenic
Photo Credit: Tomato Juice
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