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National park · Qinghai

Sanjiangyuan National Park

三江源国家公园 (Sānjiāngyuán Guójiā Gōngyuán)

The high plateau where the Yangtze, Yellow River and Mekong begin

Sanjiangyuan National Park protects the headwaters of three great Asian rivers — the Yangtze, the Yellow River and the Lancang (Mekong) — on the high plateau of southern Qinghai. Established in 2021 as one of China's first five national parks after a pilot from 2016, it covers grassland, wetland, lakes and glaciers mostly above 4,000 metres, including Hoh Xil, and is home to Tibetan herders and to wildlife such as the Tibetan antelope, wild yak and snow leopard.

Key facts

Established
2021 (pilot from 2016)[2]
Rivers
Yangtze, Yellow River, Lancang (Mekong)[1]
Typical elevation
above 4,000 m[1]
Includes
Hoh Xil World Heritage site[3]
Province
Qinghai

Overview

Sanjiangyuan means “source of three rivers”. The wider Sanjiangyuan region takes in most of southern Qinghai; the national park protects three parts of it: the Yangtze source area, reaching west into Hoh Xil; the Yellow River source area around the twin lakes of Gyaring and Ngoring in Madoi; and the Lancang source area in Zadoi. Together they cover an area larger than many European countries.

The plateau is often called China's “water tower”. Snow, glaciers, permafrost and vast alpine wetlands store water that feeds rivers on which hundreds of millions of people downstream depend. It is also a working landscape: Tibetan herding families live within the park, and many have been employed as ecological rangers.

How the landscape formed

The park lies on the high, rolling surface of the Tibetan Plateau between the Kunlun Mountains in the north and the Tanggula range in the south-west. Much of it is a broad plateau at 4,000–5,000 metres, with gentle hills, braided rivers and thousands of small lakes and ponds formed on permafrost. Glaciated massifs such as Geladandong in the Tanggula feed the Tuotuo River, the traditional source of the Yangtze. Warming has thawed permafrost, retreated glaciers and changed the wetlands, while overgrazing and rodents degraded grasslands, which restoration programmes since the 2000s have tried to reverse.

Highlights

  • Geladandong

    各拉丹冬 (Gèlādāndōng)

    The glaciated massif of the Tanggula Mountains at the head of the Tuotuo River, regarded as the source of the Yangtze.

  • Gyaring Lake

    扎陵湖 (Zhālíng Hú)

    One of the twin freshwater lakes near the source of the Yellow River in Madoi county.

  • Ngoring Lake

    鄂陵湖 (Èlíng Hú)

    The larger of the twin lakes, with the Yellow River source monument on a hill between them.

  • Tongtian River

    通天河 (Tōngtiān Hé)

    “River to Heaven”, the name of the upper Yangtze as it crosses the plateau towards Yushu.

  • Angsai

    昂赛 (Ángsài)

    A valley in the Lancang source area in Zadoi, known for snow leopard monitoring and community-based nature tourism.

Plants and wildlife

The park protects one of the largest intact alpine ecosystems in the world. Large herds of Tibetan antelope, Tibetan gazelle and kiang graze the open plateau; wild yak survive in remote areas; and the snow leopard, Tibetan brown bear and wolf occupy the mountains and valleys. The wetlands support black-necked cranes and bar-headed geese in summer.

Plants

  • Kobresia meadow

    高山嵩草 (gāoshān sōngcǎo)

    Dense sedge turf that covers much of the plateau and holds its soils together.

  • Caterpillar fungus

    冬虫夏草 (dōngchóng xiàcǎo)

    Ophiocordyceps sinensis, collected by herders each spring and an important source of household income.

Wildlife

  • Tibetan antelope

    藏羚羊 (zànglíngyáng)

    Chiru, recovering after the end of large-scale poaching.

  • Snow leopard

    雪豹 (xuěbào)

    Found in rugged terrain across the park, especially in the Lancang source area.

  • Wild yak

    野牦牛 (yěmáoniú)

    The ancestor of the domestic yak, living in the remote high western areas.

  • Kiang

    藏野驴 (zàngyělǘ)

    The Tibetan wild ass, common on the open grassland.

Culture and legend

Most people in the park are Tibetan herders of the Yushu and Golog areas, whose Buddhism, mountain deities and taboos on killing wildlife have long shaped the landscape. Mani stone walls, prayer flags on passes and monasteries punctuate the plateau. In Chinese tradition the source of the Yellow River was a subject of imperial expeditions, from the Yuan dynasty survey of 1280 to Qing inquiries in the eighteenth century.

  • Gyanak Mani

    嘉那嘛呢石经城 (Jiānà Mání Shíjīngchéng)

    An enormous field of carved mani stones near Yushu, built up over centuries from stones carved with prayers.

  • Yak-head monument

    牛头碑 (Niútóu Bēi)

    The Yellow River source monument on a hill between Gyaring and Ngoring lakes.

History

  1. 1280

    Yuan survey of the Yellow River source

    Khubilai Khan sends the official Dushi (都实) to find the source of the Yellow River, one of the earliest recorded source expeditions.

  2. 1976

    Yangtze source survey

    A Chinese scientific survey fixes the Tuotuo River below Geladandong as the main source of the Yangtze.

  3. 2000

    Sanjiangyuan nature reserve founded

    A provincial reserve is established and raised to national level in 2003.

  4. 2016

    National park pilot

    Sanjiangyuan becomes China's first national park pilot area.

  5. 2021

    National park established

    Sanjiangyuan is formally established as one of China's first five national parks.

Through the seasons

  • Spring

    Cold and windy, with snowstorms into May; the caterpillar-fungus harvest brings people onto the hillsides.

  • Summer

    The only mild season: green grassland, wildflowers, calving antelope and the summer horse festivals of the Tibetan herders.

  • Autumn

    Clear, dry and quickly colder; September is often the best month for travel.

  • Winter

    Long and severe, with temperatures far below freezing and heavy snow that can cut off roads.

Routes and ways in

  1. Yellow River source

    Madoi county town is the starting point for the twin lakes and the source monument.

  2. Upper Yangtze via Yushu

    Yushu, on the Tongtian River, gives access to the eastern Yangtze source area and to Tibetan monasteries.

  3. Lancang source and Angsai

    In Zadoi, visits to the snow leopard valleys are arranged through licensed community tourism programmes.

Practical notes

  • Almost all of the park lies above 4,000 metres; acclimatise in Xining or Yushu and ascend slowly.
  • Core protection zones are closed; visitors are limited to designated areas and may need to register or join an approved programme.
  • Distances are long, services sparse and weather severe; travel with reliable transport, warm clothing and supplies.
  • Respect herders' land and religious sites; do not disturb or chase wildlife.

Cities to start from

Frequently asked questions

Sources

  1. Qinghai — Encyclopaedia Britannica (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  2. National Forestry and Grassland Administration (National Park Administration) — National Forestry and Grassland Administration (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  3. Qinghai Hoh Xil — UNESCO World Heritage Centre (retrieved 27 September 2026)
  4. Sanjiangyuan National Park — Wikipedia (retrieved 27 September 2026)

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