Straddling two northwestern provinces of China, Gansu Province and Qinghai Province, Qilian Mountains national park will cover 50,200 square kilometers. Its larger part of about 68.5% lies in Gansu.
The national park will feature several zones – from the main headwaters and catchement areas to forests, wetlands and grasslands that serve as habitats for snow leopards and other endangered species. Areas with fragile or damaged ecosystems due to negative impact of mining industry will be restored and protected.
Qilian Mountains are also known as Richthofen Range. The highest peak of the main range, Qilian Shan peak, is 5547 m high. Two southern peaks, Kangze'gyai and Qaidam Shan peak are slightly higher at 5808 m and 5759 m respectively. The mountainous area is rich in natural resources. Glaciers sitting high up the mountains provide water to over 5 million people who live in the Hexi Corridor. The area has been chosen by the Forestry and Grassland Administration to become one of the first national parks in China under a unified management system.
The national park will be best reached from Xining, the capital of Qinghai Province, or Zhangye, is a prefecture-level city in Gansu Province.
China to Get Mount Qilian National Park in 2020
News in Asia
A draft plan released by the Forestry and Grassland Administration includes establishment of one of the country's first pilot national parks, Mount Qilian National Park, in 2020.