[2025 Madoi Attraction] Travel Guide for Three-River-Source National Park (Updated Apr)

How to get into Qinghai? We need a keener perspective to open the mysterious treasure box on this land. 1. The Source of Mountains and Rivers Qinghai is known as the source of mountains and rivers. On this roof of the world, the mountains are towering, steep, and magnificent. Tanggula Mountains, Bayan Har Mountains, A'nyemaqen Mountains... countless towering peaks are her hard shell, more like her unyielding spine. A'nyemaqen Mountains. Photo by Zhao Jinde. Qinghai is the source of the three rivers: the Yangtze River, the Yellow River, and the Lancang River originate here. The network of water systems is like blood vessels covering the earth, bringing vigorous vitality to the world. The source of the three rivers, where the water and sky meet. 2. National Parks Qinghai, a national park demonstration province, what a proud title! Looking across China, no other place can accommodate such a vast area of national parks. Sanjiangyuan National Park, Qilian Mountains National Park, Qinghai Lake National Park... The total area of nature reserves in the province reaches 272,900 square kilometers, and national parks account for 75.66% of the total area of nature reserves in the province. If you start your journey in Qinghai, you will definitely experience the shock and excitement that an ordinary park walk cannot bring. Starting from Sanjiangyuan, all the way southeast to Longyangxia, Kanbula Forest Park, the clear Yellow River, Lajia Ruins... If you are lucky, you might even see the snow leopard in person. Snow leopard. If not, please don't regret it. Along the way, you can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery and colorful human history. 3. Plateau Gem: Qinghai Lake This vast blue lake is known as the pearl on the plateau. Qinghai Lake in winter. It is China's largest inland lake and saltwater lake, and it is a treasure bestowed by nature. The phrase "harmony between man and nature" has a vivid embodiment here. Golden pastures by Qinghai Lake. A flock of water birds are active in the Qinghai Lake Bird Island wetland. Groups of naked carp. The annual Tour of Qinghai Lake International Road Cycling Race is a grand event for people in Qinghai to start their tour around the lake. Every summer, the world's attention will be focused here. Galloping along the lake. Dressed up to cheer for the Tour of Qinghai Lake. 4. Colorful Dreams The vastness of Qinghai lies in its vastness. Where is the beauty of Qinghai hidden? Perhaps in the paintings of nature. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple... there is always a color that can capture your eyes and soul. Menyuan rape flower sea. Photo by Zhang Hailin. The poetic home of Longyangxia. Qarhan Salt Lake, like a jasper falling from the sky. Li Jiaxia Reservoir, the Danxia landform is as magnificent as a painting. 5. My Qinghai, My Home The beauty of Qinghai lies in its people. Han, Tibetan, Hui, Tu, Salar, Mongolian and other ethnic minorities have lived and thrived here for generations. The integration and coexistence of multi-ethnic cultures is our characteristic and our strength!

In the vast expanse of Western China lies a mysterious land known as the 'Water Tower of China'—Sanjiangyuan. It is the birthplace of the Yangtze, Yellow, and Lancang Rivers, where vast grasslands, meandering rivers, and towering snow-capped mountains weave together a magnificent ecological tapestry. Setting foot on this sacred land, every step is a profound appreciation of nature's beauty, and every breath is the purest conversation with the great outdoors. Must-visit attraction: Sanjiangyuan National Park • Address: Intersection area of Zaduo County, Zhiduo County, Qumalai County in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and Maduo County in Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province • Travel tips: Given the vastness and remoteness of the Sanjiangyuan area, it is recommended to depart from Xining, take a long-distance bus or drive to Yushu City, and then transfer to local vehicles or join a professional ecological tour group to enter the national park. Self-driving is the most flexible option, but high-altitude driving safety should be noted. Food Recommendations • Tibetan Tsampa: Roasted barley flour mixed with yak butter tea or water to form a dough, an indispensable part of experiencing Tibetan culture. • Yak meat: Grazed on the plateau, yak meat is fresh and delicious, whether stewed or grilled, it's a great source of energy. • Yogurt: Homemade Tibetan yogurt is moderately sour and sweet, rich and creamy, a delightful treat during the journey. Recommended Nearby Attractions 1. Hoh Xil Nature Reserve: A paradise for wildlife, where you may catch a glimpse of rare animals like the Tibetan antelope. 2. Nianbaoyuze: Known as 'the garden of the gods,' where snow-capped mountains, lakes, and grasslands create an incredibly beautiful landscape. 3. Qinghai Lake: China's largest saltwater lake, where in summer, the lakeside rapeseed flowers and the azure waters present an enchantingly beautiful scene. A trip to Sanjiangyuan is not only a feast for the eyes and taste buds but also a journey back to the soul. Here, you will deeply understand the true essence of harmonious coexistence between nature and humans. Every shutter click captures an unembellished ecological masterpiece. Are you ready? Let us set off together towards that distant and pristine land.

I believe 90% of people like to look abroad 👀 The sea of the Maldives, the mountains of Switzerland, the forests of Germany, the savannahs of Africa... Conversely, 99% of people can't deeply understand the description of China's 'vast territory and abundant resources, beautiful mountains and rivers' in elementary school textbooks as to what kind of scenery it is~ 🍃 This time I went to one of our own national parks—'Sanjiangyuan National Park' Situated on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of 4500 meters Making it one of the world's highest, largest And most complete alpine ecological systems of natural heritage 🍃 Here we trekked all the way and witnessed Danxia landforms, snow peaks, deserts, glaciers, lakes, wetlands, and a variety of wildlife up close 🍃 ✅Wildlife paradise Sanjiangyuan area is one of the regions with the highest density of large carnivores in the world No need to go to Africa or America You can see a lot of wildlife right at your doorstep What kind of divine experience is that❓❗️ - Large herds of blue sheep, countless Tibetan hares and pikas, the massive Thorold's deer, the elusive musk deer, the Tibetan antelope with its young, the elegant black-necked crane, the running Tibetan wild ass, the expressive Tibetan fox, the adorable Tibetan gazelle, the bearded vulture, the peregrine falcon, the bar-headed goose, the ruddy shelduck, wolf packs... It's like stepping into 🏃 'Animal World' - My favorite is the Tibetan antelope's great migration every summer, the scene is truly spectacular Standing there at that moment, you can feel the wonder of nature very clearly❗️ - ✅Donggecuona Lake 'The lake surrounded by a thousand mountains', next to Qinghai's sacred mountain Animaqing A blue lake like a pool of seawater, with sunlight sprinkling on the surface✨ You can feed the black-headed gulls that nest by the lake (not afraid of people at all), and take photos 📸 that turn out great - The nearby wetlands have different colors of grass We also found traces of snow leopards in the Valley of Strange Rocks, and we followed the tracks and found a pile of snow leopard 💩 Felt a different kind of primitiveness and roughness from the traditional scenery~ 🍃 📋Strategy 🕘Best travel season: End of March - November 🎒Travel gear: Sun protection, warm clothing, windbreaker, hiking shoes/sneakers, backpack, trekking poles, water bladder, altitude sickness medication 🍃 ⚠️Tips ⭕️For observing wildlife, it is recommended to carry a long-focus camera/high-power binoculars. ⭕️At the end of the trip, you will receive a unique numbered visitor certificate, which can be used to collect stamps for a national park version 'passport', very meaningful~ ⭕️Familiarize yourself with the direction of the clock, many animals will appear while driving, and the leader will prompt the direction of the car's clock. 🍃 Due to the word limit, that's all for today's share! More stunning views of the Sanjiangyuan National Park will be updated later

I used to hear about Yellowstone Park, Banff National Park, and Swiss National Park often because they are based on the Rocky Mountains and the Alps and the scenery is indeed beautiful. 🏞 But many people don’t know that we actually have our own national park! It is based on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the "Roof of the World", and the source of the Three Rivers. It has a vast geographical area and diverse ecology and topography! - This time I had the opportunity to come to Sanjiangyuan for an ecological imaging experience and record what I saw. - 🚶🏻‍♂️Visiting route Day 1️⃣ Take a flight to Golomaqin Airport, usually transfer in Xining-Lari Temple Day 2️⃣Maqin-Animachen-Donggecuo Lake-Maduo Day 3️⃣Maduo-Two Lakes and One Monument-Source of the Yellow River-Maduo Day 4️⃣Maduo-Animaqing-Maqin-Xining . Along this route, you can see various landforms including grasslands, lakes, glaciers, snow-capped mountains, deserts, etc., among which Animaqing is one of the four sacred mountains. The diversity of animals is also dazzling. The ones I encountered alone include Tibetan foxes, Tibetan wild donkeys, white-lipped deer, hunting falcons, buzzards, pikas, blue sheep, plateau wolves, white yaks, Tibetan antelopes, black-necked cranes, and so many more that I can’t count...but unfortunately, I didn’t encounter a snow leopard. - Of course, recording these beautiful images requires good equipment. This time I brought my Cannon EOS R5, which met my shooting needs: ✔️Full-pixel dual-core autofocus, which can detect people and animals, 20 frames/s high-speed continuous shooting, and five-level body anti-shake + lens anti-shake, so I won't miss every moment ✔️4500w pixels, even if the hand shakes and the picture is not well composed, you can crop it twice to improve the output rate ✔️With the Canon 100-500mm lens, the snow-capped mountains are within reach, and the animals are lifelike. I really didn't miss any of the scenes I wanted. - Finally, I have to praise Canon's display screen and direct output colors, which are delicate and exquisite, and you can shoot directly without making too many settings. Sanjiangyuan, see you next time~ - 📍Location: Sanjiangyuan National Park 📷Time: September 2023 🏔Altitude: 3000m-4500m