Things to do in Lintan

No. 1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Gannan

Yeliguan Tourist Area

Yeliguan Tourist Area is located in the northeast of Lintan County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province. It is located in the transition zone between the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Loess Plateau. It is a complex ecological tourist area on the northeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Qinling Fold Belt, integrating alpine lakes, Danxia landforms, subalpine meadows, and terraced flower fields. It is 150 kilometers away from the provincial capital Lanzhou and 90 kilometers away from Hezuo City, the capital of Gannan Prefecture. It consists of two connected areas, Chibi Valley and Tianchi Yehai, with a total area of ​​20.2 square kilometers. Among them, Tianchi Yehai is a high mountain barrier lake, surrounded by green mountains and clear water all year round; Chibi Valley was formed from the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic Era to the Tertiary period of the Cenozoic Era. The ochre-red Danxia cliffs stretch across, and the abrupt and towering peaks and stalagmites are of various shapes, which is a typical Danxia landform landscape. The Yeliguan Tourist Area is a natural ecological area in the upper reaches of the Yellow River where the ecological environment has maintained its original appearance. The original ecological natural landscape represented by the virgin forest and subalpine meadow and the cultural landscape of the Yeliguan plateau terraces complement each other and are picturesque. Historically, it was an important post station and gateway to Tibet on the "Ancient Tang-Tibet Road" and "Ancient Tea-Horse Road". The tourist area has been awarded the titles of National Geopark, National Forest Park, National Water Conservancy Scenic Area, National Sports Tourism Demonstration Base, and has won the titles of China's Top Ten Cultural Ecological Tourism Destinations, China's Most Internationally Influential Tourism Destinations, China's Top Ten Leisure Tourism Destinations, and China's Forest Oxygen Bar. It is known as "Shanshui Yeliguan, Ecological Grand View Garden" and "Window of Qinghai-Tibet, Eye of Gannan". The Attraction was rated as a national AAAA-level tourist Attraction in 2006, and has successively won the honorary titles of "Top Ten Tourist Attraction in Gansu Province", "Top Ten Tourist Attraction in Western China", "China's Cultural Ecotourism Destination", "China's Outstanding Tourist Attraction", "China's Top Ten Cultural Ecotourism Attraction", and "China's Top Ten Leisure Tourism Destinations". It was rated as "one of the 50 places to visit in a lifetime" by the famous American magazines "Vision" and "Exploration". In 2010, at the Macau Tourism Summit, the Yeliguan Scenic Attraction was awarded the honorary title of "China's Most Internationally Influential Tourist Destination". The Attraction has successfully hosted major tourism festivals and events such as the 2007 National Tug of War Championship, the Yeliguan Cup China Tug of War Open, the Gansu Lintan Tug of War Festival, the 6th and 11th China Nine-Color Gannan Shambhala Tourism Art Festival, and the Gannan Tibetan Legend Cycling Race. The delicacies of Yeliguan include traditional earthen pot chicken, hand-pulled lamb, calf meat, braised lamb, stewed rainbow trout, etc. Earthen pot chicken is made from free-range chickens raised by farmers here, and is a green delicacy. Wild vegetables include wild mushrooms, ferns, fungus, antlers, willow flowers, oolong dragon heads, etc. In addition to delicious food, Yeliguan also has many entertainment projects for you to choose from, such as rafting, slides, zip lines, etc. Rafting was once a primitive way for humans to wade in water, and it was all to meet people's living and survival needs at that time. But now rafting has gradually evolved into an outdoor sport. You can enjoy rafting on the Yemu River.

Yeliguan National Forest Park

Yeliguan National Forest Park is located in Yeliguan Scenic Area and is the main attraction of Yeliguan Scenic Area. The forest park is dominated by quiet forest scenery and beautiful mountains and waters, and is the main destination for tourists to visit Yeliguan. It costs about 200 yuan to charter a car from Yeliguan Town. It takes about 5-6 hours to visit the forest park. After entering the park, you can walk along the Xiangzigou Lianxi Plank Road, Huangnizi Primitive Forest Plank Road, and Luming Plank Road, and finally return to the entrance of Xiangzigou. The park is mainly composed of primitive forests and landscapes. There are dense forests, gurgling water, waterfalls, etc. along the way. It feels very pleasant to walk. You will also pass a sika deer breeding base in the middle, where you can take pictures of beautiful deer.

Lianhuashan Forest Park

Lianhua Mountain is located at the junction of Kangle County, Linxia and Lintan County, Gannan. It is commonly known as "Xikongtong" and is a holy place shared by Buddhism and Taoism. The whole mountain is made of limestone with scale-shaped faults, with sharp peaks that resemble lotus petals and a flat and round top that looks like a lotus core. It is named because the mountain resembles a blooming nine-petal lotus.

2026 Global 100 - Best Things to Do

Jiuzhaigou National Park

Jiuzhaigou National Park features towering snow-capped peaks, lush forests, and stunningly colorful pools and shoals. Crystal-clear streams meander through the forests and shoals, complemented by traditional Tibetan wooden houses, prayer flags, and the unique traditional customs of the Tibetan and Qiang ethnic groups, earning it the name "beautiful fairy-tale world." Jiuzhaigou National Park is shaped like a "Y" and consists of three valleys—Shuzheng Valley, Rize Valley, and Zechawa Valley—with a total length of over 60 km. Fall is the golden season for sightseeing, as the mountain forests gradually shift in color from emerald green to golden yellow and then to fiery red, contrasting beautifully with the azure lakes and presenting an unforgettable picture.

Zhuoni County Viewing Platform

The Zhuoni County Viewing Platform is located along the S306 highway. Here, you can view snow-capped mountains and enjoy the sunset. The rolling grassy hills are dappled with the shadows of clustered clouds, and it is very pleasant to feel the soft breeze. The swing on the viewing platform offers intoxicating scenery as you sway.

No. 15 of Best Things to Do in Gansu-Qinghai Area

Zha Ga Na

Zha Ga Na, also known as Zha Ga La, is located in Yiwa Town, Diebu County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. In Tibetan, the name means "stone box." Surrounding limestone cliffs enclose the area like natural city walls, and Tibetan-style wooden houses are arranged in tiers along the slopes, forming a unique stone-city Tibetan village view. In the 1920s, the Austrian-American botanist and explorer Joseph Rock visited and stayed here many times, marveling that it resembled "the birthplace of Adam and Eve." Zha Ga Na consists of four natural villages arranged sequentially from bottom to top—Dongwa Village, Yeri Village, Dari Village, and Daiba Village—connected by a winding road. At the entrance of Dongwa Village at the foot of the mountain stands a massive rock known as the Great Stone Gate, and the small hillside beside it is a vantage point for capturing low-angle panoramic shots of the village built along the mountain. At the higher elevation of the village sits Lasang Temple, a Gelug Tibetan Buddhist monastery originally built during the Shunzhi era of the Qing Dynasty, with its assembly hall and Guanyin Hall nestled among the rocky peaks. Following the road upward to Yeri Village, Tibetan villagers can often be seen working in the open highland barley fields nearby, and the village also has a "Rock's Cabin" homestay where visitors can stay. Continuing upward past Dari Village, there is a viewing platform with an expansive field of view that overlooks the entire village and the full face of the cliff behind it—the ancient wooden roofs and earthen-wall buildings are clearly layered within the surrounding precipices, making it an ideal spot for panoramic photography. In the early morning, clouds and mist often swirl among the cliffs, while at night the sky is filled with brilliant stars—two of the most recognizable natural scenes here. A walk of about one hour up the mountain behind Dongwa Village leads to a hilltop temple, and the Tibetan-style houses passed along the way retain traditional mortise-and-tenon wooden structures. There is another hiking route of about two days behind the mountain leading to stone forests and alpine lakes, with pristine scenery along the way, suitable for outdoor enthusiasts; it requires one night of camping, and you can rent a horse in the village and hire a groom to guide the way.

wan mu ti tian jing qu

The Wanmu Terrace Scenic Area is located between Zhuoni County and Lintan County in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, at an altitude of approx.2800m, and during the rapeseed flower season,it is covered in layers of golden yellow, and the scenery is truly enchanting.

Shuimo Zhagulu Scenic Area

No. 10 of Best Things to Do in Sichuan

Huanglong National Scenic Area

Huanglong National Scenic Area is a Attraction famous for its fantastic and beautiful calcified pools. The water in the numerous calcified pools in the Attraction is crystal clear and colorful and very beautiful. There are also many natural landscapes such as forests, canyons, snow-capped mountains and waterfalls in the Attraction. It is known as the "Fairyland on Earth". Huanglong National Scenic Area is mainly divided into two parts, Huanglong Headquarters and Munigou. Huanglong Main Gou in Huanglong Headquarters is the main Attraction of ​​Huanglong National Scenic Area, and is also the place generally referred to when talking about Attraction. The Attraction is located in Songpan County. The best time to visit here is in summer and autumn, when the lake is in its flood season, with a large pool area and beautiful scenery. In winter and early spring, the water volume is smaller, but the scenery is still good.

No. 2 of Best Things to Do in Qinghai

Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum

Qinghai Tibetan Culture MuseumIt is a comprehensive museum themed on Tibetan medicine culture and featuring Tibetan culture.Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum(also known as Qinghai Tibetan Culture Museum) is located in Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province in the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It officially opened in September 2006. The museum has basically formed a "one museum with two halls" layout, featuring 16 exhibition halls including the Silk Road and Tibetan civilization, the grand view of Chinese Tibetan art painting, and the history of Tibetan medicine.Qinghai Tibetan Culture MuseumThe collection is rich, historic, and diverse, possessing high historical, scientific, and artistic value. The museum houses the Guinness World Record-holding thangka masterpiece, "The Grand Thangka of Tibetan Culture and Art," which is 618 m long. It was planned by renowned thangka master Zongzhe Lajie and completed by 400 painters over four years. Its content encompasses the Tibetan understanding of the universe, the formation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, history, religion, medicine, culture, art, and folklore. With its intricate details and brilliant colors, it is a magnificent sight and can be called an encyclopedia of Tibetan culture, hailed as a "contemporary national treasure." Through four major series—ancient books and documents, Tibetan medical thangkas, ancient Tibetan medical instruments, and Tibetan material specimens—the museum comprehensively displays the long history, profound theoretical system, clinical practice, and unique preparation techniques of Tibetan medicine, with four ancient books included in the National Catalogue of Precious Ancient Books. The Silk Road and Qinghai-Tibet Civilization exhibition hall uses history as its temporal dimension and the vast plateau landscape as its geographical dimension. Through thousands of precious cultural relics such as silk, gold and silver ware, and coffin paintings, it highlights Tibetan cultural elements and showcases the origin, inheritance, rise, and prosperity of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau civilization throughout the long river of history. The Tibetan carpet exhibition hall is one of the largest exhibitions of ancient carpets in China, displaying more than 400 Tibetan carpet artifacts from different periods and eras, featuring magnificent patterns, intense colors, and unique ethnic styles and local characteristics. At the same time, there are also Tibetan-style architectural exhibition halls, Tibetan calligraphy art exhibition halls, as well as temporary exhibition halls, multimedia screening rooms, academic lecture halls, and cultural relic storage rooms, providing strong capabilities for inheritance, protection, and research, as well as conditions for cultural exchange.Qinghai Tibetan Culture MuseumIt will continuously improve the level of cultural relic preservation, exhibition design, scientific research, and management operations, becoming a platform for promoting ethnic unity and social development, a broad stage for cultural dissemination and academic exchange, a research center for cultural relic protection and Tibetan studies, and an exhibition center for treasured literature and collections, showcasing the splendid civilization and culture of the Tibetan Plateau to the world.