Things to do in Zhouqu

No. 2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Gansu

Guan'E Gou Scenic Area

Guan'E Gou Scenic Area is located in the suburbs of Tanchang County, Longnan, Gansu Province, at the intersection of the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and the Qinling and Min Mountain ranges. It consists of three main sections: Guanzhu Gou, E'man Gou, and Leigu Mountain. Guanzhu Gou is a canyon over 30 km long, with steep cliffs on both sides and numerous waterfalls. Its emerald-green lakes often feature ancient submerged trees, creating scenery reminiscent of Jiuzhaigou, earning it the nickname "Little Jiuzhaigou" among many travelers and photography enthusiasts. E'man Gou is known for its alpine lake, Zedang Lake, and its forest-meadow landscapes. The summit of Leigu Mountain, over 4,000 m high, is snow-capped year-round, providing a majestic snowy backdrop for the scenic area. The names Guanzhu Gou and E'man Gou originate from a local legend about a couple named Guanzhu and E'man, a story later adapted into the Long opera "The love song of Guanzhu and E'man." The standard tour starts from Guanzhu valley. The outer scenic area has a long stretch of road connecting lakes like Yinping lake, Princess lake and Pearl lake, passing through the ancient Tibetan village of Luren with preserved folk customs, as well as attractions such as Luren covered bridge and Tongtian gorge. Walking the entire route is quite strenuous, so most travelers take the sightseeing bus directly to the mid-section near Tongtian gate. The highlight stretch runs from Tongtian gate to Guane heavenly waterfall, with plank trails extending along the canyon where waterfalls like Dragon's saliva falls, Nine-fold falls and Tiger's mouth falls appear in succession. Five waterfalls cluster in Wupu gorge, while the iconic Guane heavenly waterfall at the end drops dozens of meters with abundant flow. Most visitors return the same way, but fit hikers can continue into primitive forests and alpine meadows, ascending Leigu mountain or even crossing to Emen valley to combine both sections into one long route. Guangou valley is pleasantly cool in summer, making it a renowned summer retreat in the Longnan area. In spring, mountain azaleas and wildflowers bloom; in fall, the hills are covered with red leaves; in winter, frozen waterfalls and lakes create a unique icefall snowscape. Visitors are advised to choose routes according to their physical ability.

Laga Mountain

Laga Mountain is located on the south bank of Bailong River in the southeast of Lijie Township, Zhouqu County, Gansu Province, 12 kilometers away from Provincial Highway 313. Laga Mountain has beautiful natural scenery and unique folk customs. It is also an important gathering place for Tibetan Buddhism in Zhouqu Tibetan Township. Laga Mountain is located in Lijie Township in the upper reaches of Bailong River, surrounded by the "Zhandan Temple" in the early Tang Dynasty and the "Huayang Ancient City Site" in the Western Han Dynasty. There is a mountain peak on the west side of Laga Mountain with a huge rock on top. From a distance, it looks like King Gesar's warriors riding and watching. The ancient vines on the rock stretch like ribbons of war robes. There is a towering ancient cypress beside the huge rock. The magic wand", this is the "warrior's formation". There is a small lake at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, which is crystal clear and the surface of the lake is like a mirror. The lake is warm in winter and cool in summer. People and animals drink it to heal diseases and strengthen the body. It is often bathed. It is called "holy lake". What makes Laga Mountain more interesting to researchers is the annual mountain sacrifice event. The Mountain Festival was originally inspired by the ancient ancestors' reverence for nature and their desire to protect them. The local Tibetan people have always regarded every mountain and every stream in their hometown as an individual life, and gave them a flexible meaning of life. It is not easy to obscene and destroy. On the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, young Tibetan men and women who live on both sides of the Bailong River and share the same cultural customs with the Laga Mountain people gather here to hold a grand mountain sacrifice ceremony.

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.

Eman Valley

Eman Valley is located within the Guan'e Gou Grand Scenic Area in Tanchang County, Longnan City, Gansu Province. This attraction combines natural views with cultural heritage, attracting visitors with its unique landscapes and abundant ecological resources. The area features pristine natural scenery including mountains, canyons, waterfalls, and streams that remain largely untouched. Visitors can experience nature's mystery and beauty while enjoying unspoiled wilderness. The star attraction is Eman Lake, which serves not only as a natural wonder but also as a romantic destination for youth. Against the backdrop of autumn mountains and waters, the lake mirrors the sky like a living painting. Beyond natural views, the area offers cultural sites like the ancient Xixin Zen Temple and outdoor activities such as climbing and rafting, providing diverse experiences for travelers. The Guan'e Gou Grand Scenic Area consists of two main sections: Guanzhu Valley, known for its canyon waterfalls, and Eman Valley, which...Lake viewAbsolutely enchanting. The waterfall views here include rushing summer cascades and winter ice falls, while the lakes and canyons offer both misty and clear-day scenery. The mountain landscapes change with the seasons: lush greenery in spring and summer, vibrant maple leaves in fall, and snow-capped peaks in winter. The best times to visit are summer and fall when the weather is pleasant and the scenery stunning. In autumn, the attraction dazzles with rich colors and unique seasonal views, drawing countless visitors. Travelers can also savor local cuisine and experience authentic rural life, making it a must-visit destination.

Miao'ergou

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. 1 of Family-friendly Attractions in Gansu

Lanzhou Danxia Geological Park

Lanzhou Danxia Geological Park is a key cultural tourism project in Gansu Province and a comprehensive cultural tourism initiative prioritized by the Lanzhou Municipal Committee and Government. Located by the Yellow River, the park is just 13 km from downtown Lanzhou and 30 km from Lanzhou Zhongchuan International Airport, making it one of the closest Danxia landform clusters to a major urban center in China. With a total planned area of 400 sq km and a core visiting area of 25 sq km in its first phase, it ranks among the largest discovered landscapes of its kind in the country. The park primarily features red mountain bay formations, along with spectacular Danxia cliffs, isolated peaks, secluded valleys, narrow gorges, and balancing rocks. Its colorful mountains set against winding waterways create a masterpiece of Danxia landform scenery. The attraction features seven viewing platforms showcasing the Danxia landforms: Silk Road Glow, Silk Road Eagle, Flying Apsaras Exploration, Nine-Colored Danxia, Danxia Reflecting Sky, Emerald Peaks Rippling Sky, and Danxia Summit Scenic View. It also includes the Ancient Silk Road Gateway, Shajing Tribe Cultural Square, Desert Bells Scenic Boulevard, and a 2,550m Danxia boardwalk viewing area. As a key cultural tourism project in the province, Lanzhou Danxia Geological Park adheres to the principles of "ecological protection, green development, preserving original features, and moderate development." Leveraging Lanzhou's unique resource advantages and focusing on the domestic tourism market, it aims to cultivate new growth drivers for Lanzhou's cultural tourism industry and establish a new highland for cultural tourism in the city.

No. 17 of Best Things to Do in Sichuan

Jianmen Pass

The Jianmen Pass is located in Jiange County between Dajian Mountain and Xiaojian Mountain. It has been famous throughout history, holding an important position militarily due to its precipitous topography and ease of defense. Visitors to the scenic area can take the easier “Bird Path” of the mountain, or the “Ape Route,” which requires renting professional mountain climbing equipment.

No. 1 of Night Attractions in Gansu

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.

No. 2 of Family-friendly Attractions in Gansu

Gansu Provincial Museum

Gansu Provincial Museum is a large comprehensive museum centered on the civilization of the Silk Road. Located at a strategic point along the Silk Road and a convergence zone of Han and Tibetan cultures, its collections embody the diverse characteristics of the Central Plains, Western Regions, and the Tibetan Plateau. The three treasured artifacts—the Galloping Bronze Horse, the mural brick of a courier, and the painted pottery vase with a human-head-shaped mouth—serve as iconic representations of the museum. The museum has three floors, featuring permanent exhibitions on themes such as the civilization of the Silk Road, Buddhist art of Gansu, painted pottery of Gansu, paleontological fossils, and revolutionary Gansu. The Silk Road civilization exhibition on the second floor is the museum's centerpiece: the bronze galloping horse unearthed in 1969 from the Leitai Han tomb in Wuwei is displayed here. The horse has three hooves in the air and one stepping on a flying bird, standing steadily on a single hoof. Its image is now the symbol of Chinese tourism. In the same hall, the mural brick depicting a courier from the Wei-Jin tombs in Jiayuguan shows a messenger galloping on horseback, notably without a mouth, symbolizing the need for couriers to "keep their mouths shut." This pattern was later adopted as the emblem of China Post. The exhibition also features a procession of chariots and horses excavated from the same tomb as the bronze horse, along with Han and Tang dynasty silk textiles, gold and silver artifacts, making the prosperity of Silk Road trade vividly tangible. The Buddhist art exhibition hall on the third floor features replicas of caves from the Mogao Grottoes and Maijishan Grottoes, alongside statues, ritual objects, white pagodas, and prayer wheels from both Han and Tibetan Buddhism. Stepping into the hall feels like entering a temple, and this harmonious blend of Han and Tibetan styles is rarely seen elsewhere. On the same floor, the painted pottery exhibition showcases ceramics from cultures such as Dadiwan, Yangshao, and Majiayao, with intricate and fluid patterns like spiral and sawtooth designs. Among them, the painted pottery bottle with a human-head-shaped spout unearthed at Dadiwan in Qin'an, which integrates facial sculpture with the pottery vessel, is a highly popular exhibit. If you're interested in natural history, the paleontological fossils exhibition hall features the impressive skeleton of the Yellow River ancient elephant unearthed in Heshui, and the dinosaur fossils and reconstructed models are also popular with children. The revolutionary Gansu exhibition hall showcases historical artifacts and materials from periods such as the Nanliang base area and the Shaan-Gan-Ning border region, narrating the modern history of this land. The museum houses a large quantity of exhibits, and even a quick tour would take half a day. It's recommended to start with the Silk Road exhibition on the second floor, then proceed to the third floor for Buddhist art and painted pottery, following a logical route. In the exhibition halls, you can scan to listen to the audio guide, and at certain times, volunteers also provide guided explanations.